Window Seat Afternoon · 65 stories
I write about visits to cafes in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Things to do · Bars
Habanero Daegu Sincheon is a two-floor Mexican restaurant on Sincheondong-ro in Suseong-gu, Daegu. We ordered the patata (a whole potato topped with melted cheese, cream sauce and smoky grilled beef), shrimp tacos and a beef quesadilla, and ate in a vintage space with floor-to-ceiling windows. Habanero Daegu Sincheon is a good stop when you want a break from your usual meal.
Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store is a frozen pork belly (naengsam) BBQ restaurant in Gyo-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, near Dongseong-ro and about 2 minutes on foot from Jungangno Station. At a window seat with the doors flung open, the writer grilled thin shaved naengsam made from flash-frozen Grade 1 domestic sow pork, wrapped it with bibim noodles (spicy mixed noodles), and finished with doenjang rice: steamed rice dropped into pork doenjang (soybean paste) stew. Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store brings retro open-air pub vibes indoors and suits meals with kids and older family members alike.
Chulgeungil Saenggogi Daegu Jongno Branch is a mungtigi (thick-cut raw beef) restaurant in Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, serving beef slaughtered the same day. The writer ordered the mungtigi half-and-half (59,000 won) of Jeolla-style mungtigi and brisket sashimi, added a bowl of rice to go with the many side dishes, and received free yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) through a review event. For good-value mungtigi in downtown Daegu, Chulgeungil Saenggogi Daegu Jongno Branch is a satisfying choice.
Bonghwa Saenggogi Bokhyeon Branch is a mungtigi (thick-cut raw beef) restaurant in the Bokhyeon-ogeori food alley in Buk-gu, Daegu, serving beef from cows slaughtered the same day. The writer arrived at opening time with a 7-year-old and ordered the large raw beef plate (58,000 won), eating tripe and spinal cord sides, unlimited fried eggs and kid-friendly side dishes while baseball played on 3 large TVs. Bonghwa Saenggogi Bokhyeon Branch won the writer over with its meat quality and spacious hall, which suit both group dinners and family meals.
Raichen Chilgok Branch is a Vietnamese restaurant run by a Hanoi-born owner near Palgeo Station in Chilgok 3-jigu, Buk-gu, Daegu. Arriving at 2 PM after the lunch peak with no wait, the writer ordered banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancake, 15,500 won), cold rice noodles (14,000 won) and trotter rice (12,500 won), all mild on spices and well suited to Korean tastes. Raichen Chilgok Branch is easiest to visit after 2 PM, once the lunch rush has passed.
Pastoboy Seongseo Gyedae-dongmun is a pasta restaurant in Seongseo, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, near the east gate of Keimyung University. The writer shared seafood cream pasta and tomato seafood pasta (11,900 won each) with a 7-year-old, and Pastoboy's self-serve bar with kids' tableware, board games and soda refills made eating out with a child easy. Pastoboy Seongseo Gyedae-dongmun suits families who want good-value seafood pasta with their kids.
Sushi Naru Yeongdae Hospital Main Branch is a sushi restaurant on Jungang-daero in Nam-gu, Daegu, near Apsan and Daemyeong-dong. A longtime delivery customer dined in with her son and ordered two assorted sushi plates (13,000 won each) and a beef rice bowl (9,000 won), and the assorted sushi came with hot udon that made it a filling meal. Verdict: at Sushi Naru, the assorted sushi and rice bowl combo satisfies both kids and adults.
Daeheungmyeonok (대흥면옥) is a milmyeon (wheat noodle) restaurant on Cheongsu-ro in Suseong, Daegu, that serves godi kalguksu, handmade pork cutlet and bibimbap as winter specials. The writer ordered the godi kalguksu (knife-cut noodles with maesaengi seaweed and freshwater snails, 11,000 won) and the handmade pork cutlet (10,000 won), and found that the rich broth, chewy house-made noodles and the crispy pork cutlet the child loved went well together. Daeheungmyeonok is a good choice for a hearty meal on a chilly day with family or older relatives.
Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch (원조벽돌생갈비 대구종로점) is a three-floor fresh galbi (beef short rib) restaurant in Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu. The writer visited with a child and had thick ribs grilled start to finish by staff, plus pyeonbaek-jjim (meat steamed in a cypress box) and naengmyeon (cold noodles), and the staff cooked the child's portion further through and set it aside separately. Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch suits family dinners with kids, team dinners and private-room gatherings alike.
Sugisogeum Keimyung University branch is a vintage-style Korean pub near Keimyung University in Dalseo, Daegu. The writer ordered the new Sugisogeum Pizza topped with tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) for 18,000 won and a vegetable-packed clear chicken hot pot for 25,000 won, and also tried cream cheese crackers through a Naver receipt review event. If you want a thick tteokgalbi pizza and a refreshing hot pot in one sitting, Sugisogeum Keimyung University branch is a good choice.
Raichen Chilgok Branch is a Vietnamese restaurant near Homeplus in the Chilgok 3-jigu area of Buk-gu, Daegu. The writer booked a 2 PM table to avoid the crowds and shared seafood pho (rice noodle soup), charcoal-grilled bun cha (grilled pork with rice noodles) and banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese pancake) with their son, who drank every drop of the seafood pho broth and even wrapped up vegetables he usually avoids. Verdict: Raichen Chilgok Branch suits families who want a meal out with a child and grocery shopping in one trip.
Downtown Daegu Believe Heritage is a handmade burger restaurant on Deuran-ro in Suseong, Daegu. Dining with a 7-year-old son, the writer ordered the Avocado Burger (12,700 won), the Kiri Cream Cheese Chicken Burger (10,900 won) and the Egg Bulgogi Smash Burger (7,800 won), and was happy with the thick, juicy patties, generous fillings, café-like interior, unlimited drink refills and baby chairs. Verdict: Downtown Daegu Believe Heritage is a Suseong burger spot that delivers on both taste and atmosphere.
