Gimhae Chinese restaurant course with abalone porridge: Dongbaek

While looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Gimhae, I visited Dongbaek this time.

Dongbaek Parking and Dining Space

I was worried about parking first, but thankfully there was a dedicated parking lot, so it was convenient to visit by car.

Dongbaek can also be rented out in full, and they say it can host first-birthday parties, family meetings, receptions, and all kinds of events.

There were so many guests when I visited, but perhaps because the restaurant is spacious, it never felt cramped. I could see why so many people come here when looking for a gathering spot or family dining venue in Gimhae.

There are private rooms too, so it looked great for gatherings.

Dongbaek also has a self-service bar, so you can help yourself to any side dishes you need!

Each table was set with cups, small plates, tissues, and sauces.

The Chinese Course Three of Us Ordered

Dongbaek had far more menu choices than I expected. From familiar Chinese dishes such as jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) and jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) to a variety of cooked dishes, it looked good for a simple meal or for several people to come together and order dishes to share. The three of us visited that day and ordered the two-person course and fried rice.

A Gentle Start with Abalone Porridge and Dongbaek Cold Platter

The course began with abalone porridge. It arrived soft and warm, making it a lovely way to start the meal.

It had the nutty, clean flavor characteristic of abalone porridge and was not overpowering, so it felt like a gentle way to awaken the appetite. It was easy to enjoy from the very first dish.

Next came the Dongbaek cold platter. It included several ingredients and looked appetizing from its colors alone. Its tangy, clean flavor freshened the palate, and I liked how different it was from the abalone porridge that came first. As a cold and refreshing dish, it was a nice way to revive the appetite between the courses.

Light Yusanseul That Kept Me Reaching for More

One dish I personally enjoyed was yusanseul, a stir-fry of seafood and mixed ingredients in sauce. The seafood and other ingredients came together with varied textures, while the overall flavor was soft and light.

The sauce worked beautifully with the ingredients, so it never felt salty or overpowering and I kept reaching for more. With so many ingredients, it was fun picking out each one too.

The fried rice came out midway through the meal! It came with jjamppong broth, and the broth was truly excellent.

The fried rice was nicely dry and fluffy, with balanced seasoning, so it did not feel heavy after the other dishes.

The fried rice was seasoned just right and went incredibly well with the jajang that came alongside it—we kept praising it as we ate.

Fried Dishes: Tangsuyuk and Yuringi

Tangsuyuk, sweet-and-sour crispy pork that would be missed in a Chinese course, came out too. It was crisp on the outside and tender inside, and we enjoyed it.

I also liked that the tangsuyuk sauce was not overly sweet, and it paired well with the crisp batter. Since we were having so many dishes in the course, tangsuyuk was perfect for picking at now and then. Maybe because it is such a familiar dish, everyone enjoyed it without hesitation.

The yuringi, crispy chicken with a tangy, lightly spicy sauce, paired beautifully with the chicken. It was a fried dish with a different feel from the tangsuyuk, so the course never became boring.

With the sauce coating the crispy chicken, it really woke up the appetite! Personally, I loved alternating between the tangsuyuk and yuringi because each had its own charm.

Jajang Chosen as Our Meal

After we had eaten a fair amount of the dishes, the meal course arrived.

For the meal, we could choose between jajangmyeon and jjamppong. We chose jajang, and it was delicious enough that I would truly recommend it.

The meat in the jajang was so tender it practically melted in my mouth!

Dessert came at the end to finish the course. With dishes, the meal, and dessert arriving in sequence, it felt as though we had been properly treated to a full meal.

It was my first visit, and overall I ate really well. The food was delicious, but it was also easy to visit thanks to the parking lot; with a spacious interior and private rooms, it seemed well suited to all sorts of gatherings. There were so many guests when I visited too, so I could feel that it is a popular place. The menu is so varied that next time I would like to try other dishes or meal options as well as the course. Especially if several people are visiting, ordering the course and sampling a little of many different foods seems like a great idea. I would like to come back again.