Yeolmu bibimbap set for one at Cafe Dong-i, a Daegu Korean restaurant

Lately I've had zero appetite once summer hits, so I've been living off flour-based food. But that means I get hungry again fast, and eventually I start craving a real meal. That's when I remembered Cafe Dong-i, a Korean set-meal restaurant in Sicheol, Daegu that's great for solo dining. My husband and I took the subway down — it wasn't far and was easy to find. Here's how the meal went.

My husband and I eat out together a lot, but whenever we ask each other "what should we eat," nothing really jumps out. Honestly I'm the type who just eats whatever as long as I'm not hungry, haha. But I can't just feed my husband random food after he's worked all day. So I'm always trying to think of something tasty, good value, and to our taste — and Cafe Dong-i, a well-known Korean set-meal restaurant in Sicheol, Daegu, immediately came to mind.

Finding Cafe Dong-i Sicheol near Sinmae Station, and where to park

Cafe Dong-i is a chain, and I've visited a few locations — every one of them has been clean with great-tasting rice. This branch near Sinmae Station, great for solo dining, had a gorgeous exterior too. It's not flashy, but it's set in a converted house that has a warm, homey feel — from a distance you might mistake it for a café, haha.

Parking is 1 hour free at Sinmae Market parking.

• A must-visit restaurant near Sinmae Station in Daegu: Cafe Dong-i
• Hours: 11:00–21:00

On top of that, fried egg is free. Five-grain rice and barley candy too — and generously portioned, all free.

Can you eat alone at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol?

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol, a great spot for lunch near Sinmae Station, does allow — and welcomes — solo diners. The interior is really clean, and the whole space is so bright that even before the food arrives, you get the feeling it's going to taste even better. It also seems like a good place for office workers nearby to grab lunch. So many people eat alone these days, and there are plenty of places that turn you away for not meeting a minimum order, which can really sting.

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol menu and prices, from single set meals to combos

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol has a pretty wide-ranging menu. There are especially plenty of solo-friendly options, from the basic single Dong-i set meal all the way up to combo sets.

I ordered the tuna yeolmu bibimbap set for ₩8,900 and the summer yeolmu bibimbap set for ₩7,900 — both at a discounted price, ₩1,000 off each.

Summer yeolmu bibimbap set, 7,900 won

The summer yeolmu bibimbap set is ₩7,900 — wow, under ₩8,000, and this is what you get. These days a bowl of janchi guksu (banquet noodles) costs ₩8,000, and here's a full Korean meal for less than that.

The only difference with the yeolmu bibimbap is whether tuna is added or not — I love tuna, so I went with it. It's not too salty and comes loaded with vegetables, so it's a genuinely filling meal at this Korean restaurant in Sicheol, Daegu. I usually love vegetables and eat them often, and the soup on the side is a seaweed soup, along with about three basic side dishes.

The 40-year master's kimchi jjigae, 8,900 won

The 40-year master's kimchi jjigae is ₩8,900. I also tried this kimchi stew, which is great for solo dining — it comes packed with meat, tofu, and plenty of kimchi. Well-aged kimchi, marbled meat, and a rich broth...

I'd recommend this as a hearty, solid lunch that's also solo-friendly. With properly fermented kimchi and a deep, rich broth mixed into white rice, it really is... a genuinely filling meal.

One-bite kimchi pancake, 2,900 won, and fried mandu, 4,900 won

The crispy one-bite kimchi pancake is ₩2,900, and the fried mandu (dumplings) is ₩4,900. The crispy kimchi pancake I ordered at this Korean set-meal restaurant in Daegu really... wasn't greasy at all, just crunchy, haha. It'd make a great drinking snack too — a genuinely clean taste.

The crispy fried mandu — I usually don't eat mandu, but the ones I ordered at this solo-friendly restaurant near Sinmae Station had none of that off-putting smell mandu sometimes has, and they were nice and crispy. They had meat inside, but they really suited my taste. Choosing what to eat when going solo is always a struggle, but Cafe Dong-i is a great spot for office workers' lunches, friend get-togethers, and family meals — a genuinely good value restaurant.