Seongseo, Daegu hot pot restaurant with abalone bibimbap: Sin Yeongung

When it comes to Korean food in Seongseo, Daegu, the first place that comes to mind is this seafood ttukbaegi (stone hot pot) restaurant by Moda Outlet, Sin Yeongung Cheonggukjang Haemulttukbaegi. It drew huge crowds when it first opened, and even though it had been a while since my last visit, thinking of the hot seafood stew brought me back — and it's still just as popular in Seongseo.

Parking and opening hours at Sin Yeongung in Seongseo, Daegu

• Parking lot in front of the restaurant
• Public parking lot right behind the restaurant
• Hours: daily 10:00-22:00
• Break time: 15:30-17:00

Even though it was a bit early for a meal, the parking lot was already packed. I remembered how good it was last time — plenty of seafood and a refreshing broth — so this time I came back with my parents.

Oh, and something I didn't notice last visit — Sin Yeongung Haemulttukbaegi actually has a separate back door leading into the restaurant from the public parking lot side. I'd only ever used the front entrance before, but you can enter from either the front or the back.

What the dining room at Sin Yeongung looks like

True to a Korean restaurant, Sin Yeongung Haemulttukbaegi in Seongseo has a comfortable vibe, and the interior is really spacious and pleasant.

The tables and every corner of the restaurant were well kept and clean, so it was comfortable dining there with my parents.

There's a good variety of seating too — tables for four, seats for six, and tables for two — so it works well whether you're out for a family meal or just adjusting for however many people you have.

Side dishes from the self-serve bar

True to a Korean restaurant in Seongseo, Daegu, you could feel the care put into each of the side dishes. The seasoning wasn't too strong and was clean-tasting, so I kept reaching for more before the main dishes even arrived. The side dishes are self-serve too, so I got to enjoy them comfortably, refilling as many times as I wanted. Honestly, you can tell a lot about a Korean restaurant's cooking just from a few side dishes, right??

At first I thought about ordering something hearty like the seafood boiling pot or the seafood jjim (steamed seafood), but my parents wanted something with hot broth, so once again we ordered the seafood ttukbaegi, soft tofu ttukbaegi, abalone bibimbap ttukbaegi, and seafood pancake.

Seafood ttukbaegi packed with shellfish, 15,000 won

The signature menu item, seafood ttukbaegi, comes loaded with abalone, shrimp, blue crab, mussels, clams, roe, fish liver, scallops, and even Pacific cod cheek — wow, seriously, so much seafood packed into one stone pot??

Even just looking at it, you could tell the broth had been simmered deeply. The taste was spicy but not overwhelming, the kind that really clears you out inside.

At this Korean restaurant in Seongseo, every dish comes simmering in a stone pot, so you can enjoy a hot meal right down to the last bite — perfect for my parents, who love hot broth!!

Seafood soft tofu ttukbaegi, 12,000 won

My personal favorite dish at Moda's Sin Yeongung is the soft tofu stew! It's loaded with soft, silky sundubu (soft tofu), and the broth is spicy yet deep and rich.

The nutty tofu goes down so smoothly — this is a flavor you'll crave even more once winter rolls around!

There were two types of sundubu — beef and seafood. And of course, true to a seafood ttukbaegi specialist, even the sundubu stew came packed with seafood!

Just pairing a bowl of rice with a hot bowl of the sundubu ttukbaegi was already filling enough.

There was such a variety of ingredients inside — not just seafood, but dumplings and fish cake too — so there was no way you wouldn't be stuffed after finishing this one bowl, haha.

Abalone ttukbaegi bibimbap with three whole abalones, 17,000 won

The abalone bibimbap, topped with a whole chunky abalone, looks amazing right from the start, doesn't it?

Colorful vegetables in every shade, and the sauce is actually made with abalone liver!! Liver, really? The abalone itself was already chewy, but mixed with the liver sauce, the natural flavors of the ingredients really came alive, and it was incredibly savory!

And the fresh abalone wasn't just one piece — a whopping three!!! Wow, it really felt like a proper nutritious boost. This clean yet umami-packed bibimbap is a dish I'd highly recommend.

Seafood chive pancake, 13,000 won

The seafood chive pancake is also packed full of seafood. Even before tasting it, you just know it's going to be delicious — that's the vibe it gives off, haha.

Dipped lightly in chojang (vinegar chili sauce), it's the kind of taste that makes you devour it in no time!

After the meal, we finished up on a happy note with a warm cup of coffee.

This is a Korean restaurant in Seongseo, Daegu, that I'll want to come back to whenever I'm craving hot broth or want to take my parents out for a hearty meal :))