Daegu chicken hot pot dinner with egg porridge: Golmok Naengmyeon 1966

What is dak hanmari at Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu?

I went to Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu (골목냉면1966 대구) in Suseong-gu, Daegu, and had the 2-person dak hanmari (whole chicken hot pot) set. It was just right for a day when you crave something hot and brothy. When the pot first arrived, it felt a bit like chicken shabu-shabu. You simmer chicken and lots of vegetables in a clear broth and fish things out in order, so the eating process itself was a lot of fun.

One-line review: A clear, cleanly seasoned broth, and eating on through vegetables, chicken, kalguksu and porridge made this dak hanmari hearty and filling.

• Recommended for: People who like hot, clean-tasting soup dishes, or who want to share one pot at a relaxed pace.
• Would I return: The staff were kind and the food was delicious, so yes, I'd like to visit again.

Is parking easy at Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu?

The restaurant has a building parking lot. I came by car, and the lot was spacious, so parking was easy.

The parking notice says that when the lot is full, you can use the Dongsin Tuna lot and the Bambamba lot from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I visited in the evening, so I used the building lot.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building, and when I came in the evening the exterior sign was easy to spot. If parking matters to you when traveling by car, this will feel quite convenient.

Restaurant atmosphere and the self-serve corner

The interior is bright and clean with wood tones. The tables and chairs match the overall look, so it felt tidy and comfortable to eat in. If you like a clean space like this when looking for a Deuran-gil lunch spot, the atmosphere is worth a look.

There is also a self-serve corner on one side. When I used it, I saw sauces, spicy kimchi, chili peppers and chopped chili, and you can take as much as you need. The owner gave a short introduction to the menu and a staff member kindly explained how to eat it, so even though it was my first time with this dish, it wasn't difficult.

The 2-person dak hanmari set and the order to eat it in

What I ordered that day was the 2-person dak hanmari set. Along with the chicken, the set came with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and dumplings.

The eating order was posted: first fish out the vegetables, then once the broth starts boiling, cook the chicken by timing it.

Timing the chicken with an hourglass

They explained that when the water boils, you flip the hourglass, and once all the sand has run down, the chicken is ready to eat. You don't have to check the time yourself, and little touches like this felt thoughtful.

How did the dak hanmari taste?

Because the 2-person set comes with kalguksu and dumplings too, it made a pretty filling meal. It isn't a dish that ends once the chicken is gone: after the vegetables and chicken you can carry on to noodles and porridge, which I personally liked.

I also ate the geotjeori kimchi (freshly seasoned kimchi) that comes as a basic side.

The chicken and vegetables, including bean sprouts, napa cabbage and mushrooms, came piled generously in a big pot, and we poured in broth and boiled it. We ate the vegetables first, and the clear broth wasn't overwhelming and the seasoning suited my taste.

Pouring in the broth and eating as the vegetables bubbled and cooked gave it a shabu-shabu feel. I prefer clean-tasting broth to heavily spiced ones, so I enjoyed the broth itself too.

After it had boiled enough, we fished out the chicken. The portion of chicken felt generous, and I thought it was already plenty for two, but with kalguksu and dumplings on top, the meal got more and more filling.

How to eat it with soy sauce, dadaegi and sauces

At Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu, they also explained in person how to make the dipping sauce before we started.

Soy sauce goes on a large plate and dadaegi (seasoned chili paste) on a small plate, and at first I dipped in the soy sauce. As you eat, broth from the chicken gradually mixes into the soy sauce, and when I added the dadaegi at that point, it tasted different from the start. Switching up the sauce midway by adding dadaegi, rather than using just one sauce, was surprisingly fun and a nice treat.

Once the pot was boiling hard and the chicken and vegetable flavors had blended into the broth, it became an even heartier soup dish. Even so, it didn't feel heavy, and was clean-tasting right to the end.

I also ate the dumplings that came with it, in between the chicken and vegetables.

Finishing with kalguksu and porridge

After eating a good amount of chicken, I added the kalguksu included in the set. I also grabbed the chopped chili from the self-serve corner and put a little in the noodles. The spiciness on top of the clear broth made it a great finishing noodle dish.

I was already quite full from the chicken, vegetables and dumplings, but ending there felt a little disappointing. So I ordered porridge as an extra. They put seaweed and egg into the pot and we carried on with porridge. It felt like using the dak hanmari broth right to the end and wrapping up the meal step by step, so even though I was full, I kept reaching for more.

After finishing the porridge too, I was stuffed to bursting. Overall, it didn't feel greasy or heavy; with the clean broth and plenty of vegetables, I finished the meal feeling like I'd had a tidy, healthy meal.

Overall verdict: 2-person dak hanmari at Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu

The 2-person dak hanmari set at Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu was fun, as you eat through vegetables, chicken, kalguksu, dumplings and porridge. The clear broth was clean and well seasoned, and the chicken portion felt generous, so the two of us ate really well.

I liked that they explained the eating order and how to make the sauce in person, and the hourglass for timing the chicken was a memorable, thoughtful touch. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, and the staff were pleasant, so I'd like to go back.

If you want to eat vegetables and chicken in hot broth and finish heartily with noodles and porridge, this is worth checking out.