Open Page Haeundae · 22 stories

A Book Left Open

I write about books I've read and food I've tried. · Writes about: Books & stationery · Food & snacks · Restaurants · Cafés · Beauty products · Bars · Home & living

PlaceSuseong, DaeguRestaurants

Daegu Korean restaurant: Eonyang bulgogi brazier set, Cafe Dongyi

Cafe Dongyi Branch 1 (카페동이 1호점) is a Korean home-style set-meal restaurant on the first floor of Suseong SK Leaders View in Dusan-dong, Suseong, Daegu, right outside Hwanggeum Station Exit 1, and has stayed in the same spot for 13 years. At Cafe Dongyi Branch 1, the writer had the Eonyang-style crispy beef bulgogi set, the fire-grilled jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) set with the stew swapped for kimchi jjigae, and a mini tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork); the mini brazier kept the meat warm to the last bite, and the unlimited multigrain rice and fried eggs were a bonus. With 2 hours of free Homeplus parking, Cafe Dongyi Branch 1 is a Korean restaurant near Suseongmot worth revisiting for solo meals, office lunches and family dinners.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuncheon, GwangjuRestaurants

Post-match gopchang in Suncheon after Daegu FC: Gwangju Seoul Gopchang

Gwangju Seoul Gopchang Suncheon is a gopchang (grilled beef small intestine) and gukbap (rice soup) restaurant in Yeonhyang 3-jigu, Suncheon, a 5-minute walk from Palma Gymnasium. After cheering at a Daegu FC away match, a Daegu couple ordered the flame-grilled seasoned gopchang (26,000 won) and cream sundae gukbap (12,000 won), and found the kitchen-grilled gopchang smokier than Daegu's Anjirang gopchang and the cream sundae gukbap rich and nutty. Gwangju Seoul Gopchang Suncheon is a well-located, tasty dinner stop after a match at Palma Stadium.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuncheon, GwangjuRestaurants

Suncheon Korean restaurant, cockle statue photo spot: Dowongyeong

Dowongyeong (도원경) is a Korean set-meal restaurant on Suncheonman-gil in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, near Suncheon Bay National Garden, that specializes in cockle set meals. On an autumn trip to Suncheon, the writer and their partner booked on Naver, walked in with no wait and ordered the Dowongyeong cockle set meal for two at 30,000 won per person. The spread included seasoned raw cockles, cockle hamburg steak, cockle jeon (savory pancake), cockle jjajo (fried spring rolls), cockle sweet-and-sour pork and cockle doenjang stew, and they finished two bowls of rice. After a few disappointing cockle set meals in Beolgyo and Suncheon, the verdict is that Dowongyeong serves the best cockle set meal of their life.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDalseo, DaeguRestaurants

Dalseo, Daegu chicken pub for after-work drinks: Jangjakkun

Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch is a wood-fired nurungji (scorched rice) whole chicken restaurant near Daegok Station in Jincheon-dong, Dalseo, Daegu. After work, the writer and a friend sat in the street-stall-style (pocha) space on the 1st floor and ordered the spicy-seasoned half-and-half nurungji chicken with extra cheese; the glutinous rice nurungji at the bottom and the free yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) were the highlights. Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch is worth recommending when you want a drink with whole chicken that sits lighter than fried chicken.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDalseo, DaeguRestaurants

Gamsam Station, Daegu boiled pork set and my first cold pork: Ungjin

Ungjin Dalseo Dwaeji Gukbap (웅진달서돼지국밥) is a Korean restaurant specialising in pork gukbap (pork and rice soup) and suyuk (boiled pork), near Exit 3 of Gamsam Station in Dalseo, Daegu. Over a suyuk baekban (boiled pork set meal, 12,000 won) and naengjeyuk (chilled sliced pork), the domestic Handon pork shoulder was tender with no gamey smell, the unseasoned bone broth was easy to season to taste, and the cold pork, a first for the writer, was springy and nutty. Ungjin Dalseo Dwaeji Gukbap suits anyone near Gamsam Station or Gwangjang Coa looking for a generous, good-value Korean meal.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Makchang restaurant near Duryu Park, Daegu with doenjang rice

Daraewon Makchang Daegu Main Branch is a makchang (pork large intestine) restaurant in Pyeongni-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu, serving since 1978 under an open-air tent. On a weekend evening, the blogger ordered 3 servings of original raw makchang with a puffy 'bomb' steamed egg and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), then stirred rice into the doenjang jjigae to make doenjang sul-bap and finished with free red bean bingsu from the receipt review event. From Korean-raised raw makchang with no off-smell to dessert, Daraewon Makchang offers a full course worth a 200% return visit.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Daegu BBQ for Daegu FC games and ₩7,900 pork ribs: Hyeongnim Dakgui

Hyeongnim Dakgui Daemyeong-dong Gyeongdae branch (형님닭구이 대명동계대점) is a chicken BBQ and Korean meat restaurant near Namsan Station, across from Keimyung University's Daemyeong campus in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu. The writer watched a Daegu FC match on the big screen over a pre-grilled half plate of chicken BBQ (half salt, half spicy marinade), added pork ribs at ₩7,900 per serving, and enjoyed self-bar side dishes and ice cream. With a spacious dining room, private rooms, a kids' playroom and cheap pork ribs, Hyeongnim Dakgui was a satisfying pick for group dinners and family meals.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuseong, DaeguRestaurants

Early-summer spicy mul naengmyeon, Daegu: Golmok Naengmyeon 1966

Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 Daegu (골목냉면1966 대구) is a naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurant on Deuran-gil in Suseong, Daegu, and the first Daegu branch of a noodle shop that has served for more than 60 years in Geumnam Market, Geumho-dong, Seoul. On an early hot day, the writer and a partner ordered spicy mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) and meat dumplings, and were happy with all three: a seafood broth made from dried seafood, a sauce that never felt heavy, and thin-skinned handmade dumplings. Golmok Naengmyeon 1966 is worth a stop on Deuran-gil whenever you crave cold noodles in a refreshing seafood broth.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDong-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Pork BBQ in Dongdaegu: clean briquettes & egg refills at Satto Bulpan

Satto Bulpan (사또불판) is a briquette-grill pork restaurant in Dong-gu, Daegu, a 9-minute walk from Exit 2 of Dongdaegu Station. At Satto Bulpan, domestic Handon pork, the Satto special neck and Satto special pork belly, is grilled over patented clean briquettes and served with Jeju-style meljeot (salted anchovy sauce) simmered in an earthenware pot, a free bomb-style steamed egg that is remade on request, and a ₩2,000 doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). Verdict: Satto Bulpan suits group dinners and drinks near Dongdaegu Station when you want smoky briquette-grilled pork belly and generous portions.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Seasoned gopchang restaurant in Daemyeong-dong, Daegu: Anjirang Apsan

Anjirang Gopchang Makchang Apsan Branch is a gopchang (beef small intestine) and makchang (beef large intestine) restaurant in Anjirang Gopchang Alley, Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu. After work, the blogger and a partner ordered a set of 200g raw makchang, 300g Chairman's seasoned gopchang and 250g stir-fried heart in the ₩30,000 range. The seasoned gopchang and heart came fully cooked from the kitchen and staff grilled the makchang, so all they had to do was eat. With ₩2,000 doenjang jjigae, Hangang ramyeon and ₩3,100 drinks on top, Anjirang Gopchang Makchang Apsan Branch is an easy place for a drink in Daemyeong-dong.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGyeongju, GyeongbukRestaurants

Gyeongju Korean restaurant: tomato cheese stew & mulhoe, Dongyang

Dongyang Baekban Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Main Branch is a fusion Korean restaurant in a converted hanok house down an alley off Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju. On a relaxing Gyeongju trip, the blogger ordered Dongyang Baekban's signature tomato cheese chicken stew (dakbokkeumtang) and the summer special Hanwoo mulhoe (chilled Korean beef soup) and ate them in turns. The stew arrives fully cooked after about 20–30 minutes, so booking ahead is wise. Verdict: the hot stew and icy mulhoe together were better than expected.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuseong, DaeguRestaurants

Hanwoo BBQ in Daegu: 4-cut makgui with grilled white kimchi at Jangpro

Jangpro Hanwoo Galbitsal (장프로한우갈빗살) is a charcoal-grill restaurant serving native Korean hanwoo beef on Deuran-gil in Hwanggeum-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu. After work, the writer ordered 400g of makgui (a mixed-cut platter, ₩11,900 per 100g), a ₩5,000 hanwoo rib doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and rice; the makgui trimmed to order and the stew with a whole giant rib were the highlights. Jangpro Hanwoo Galbitsal offers good-value hanwoo for family dinners or work get-togethers.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored