Sicheol, Daegu Korean restaurant: kimchi jjigae set at Cafe Dong-i

Me 🙋‍♀️, craving a really good kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). My husband 🙋‍♂️, craving his soul food, jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork). Here's the Sicheol rice spot that satisfied both of us: Cafe Dong-i Sicheol (카페동이 시지점) 👻

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol serves single-portion Korean home-style meals, like a baekban (set meal) at home, and I'd recommend it whenever you want homemade-style food ❣️ Jeyuk, kimchi jjigae, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and fried shrimp were all delicious, so here's this Sinmae favorite 😎

Where is Cafe Dong-i Sicheol, and what are the hours and parking?

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol is at 56 Sinmae-ro 16-gil, Suseong-gu, Daegu (1st floor of a commercial building). It's open daily 11:00–21:00 with a break from 14:30 to 16:30. For parking, use the Sinmae Market public parking lot.

• Address: 56 Sinmae-ro 16-gil, Suseong-gu, Daegu (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 14:30–16:30
• Parking: Sinmae Market public parking lot
• Weekdays (Mon–Fri): 1 hour free, then ₩300 per 10 minutes
• Weekends and public holidays (except Thursdays): completely free

The restaurant is on the row at the entrance of Sinmae Market, so the public parking lot is right in front, a one-minute walk 🅿️ There's barley tea 🌿 set out so you can help yourself while waiting or just passing by, and the owner's kind heart really showed 🩷

Is it okay to bring kids?

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol has high chairs and a kids-only set (₩4,900), so it works well for meals with children. There were more tables inside than I expected ✨️

Diners ranged from solo eaters to couples and families, and when I visited there were especially many families eating with their kids 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And yes, there it was: a kids' set, kids-only (₩4,900)! 👍 A great Sicheol rice spot for eating with children ^^

Menu and prices at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol

Most set meals at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol are ₩9,900, and the fire-grilled jeyuk and fire-grilled bulgogi sets can be upgraded to a hanjeongsik (full Korean table) set for ₩3,000 more. With the upgrade, the seaweed soup becomes doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).

• Dong-i fire-grilled jeyuk set ₩9,900
• Dong-i fire-grilled bulgogi set ₩9,900
• +₩3,000 to upgrade to a hanjeongsik set (seaweed soup → doenjang jjigae)
• Pork shoulder Japanese-style curry rice set ₩9,900
• 40-year master's kimchi jjigae set ₩9,900
• Yeolmu bibimbap (young radish bibimbap) set ₩7,900
• Jjukkumi (baby octopus) stir-fry hanjeongsik set ₩16,900
• Dong-i nuruk-aged tangsuyuk ₩17,800
• Kids' set ₩4,900

What's at the free refill service bar?

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol has a service bar where you can help yourself to unlimited fried eggs, multigrain rice, barley gangjeong (crunchy grain snack), gobchang gim (seaweed) and barley tea ❗️ What a perk 🎯

What we ordered as a couple

At Cafe Dong-i Sicheol, we ordered the fire-grilled jeyuk hanjeongsik set, the 40-year master's kimchi jjigae set, a taster-size mini nuruk-aged tangsuyuk, and the giant fried shrimp.

• Dong-i fire-grilled jeyuk hanjeongsik set ₩12,900
• 40-year master's kimchi jjigae set ₩9,900
• Taster-size mini Dong-i nuruk-aged tangsuyuk ₩9,900
• Giant fried shrimp (2 pieces) ₩6,900
• Coke Zero

How is the 40-year master's kimchi jjigae set?

The 40-year master's kimchi jjigae came generously filled in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot), still sizzling and bubbling >.<

Loads of aged kimchi and fresh, well-marbled pork simmered for a long, long time into a rich-tasting kimchi jjigae 🥘

Is 2 giant fried shrimp for ₩6,900 too expensive?

At ₩6,900 for 2 pieces, I first thought the giant fried shrimp at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol was pricey, but once I tried it, it was so good. It came out together with the taster-size mini nuruk-aged tangsuyuk.

₩6,900 for 2 pieces.. I kept thinking it was expensive, but my husband loves fried shrimp so much that I ordered it, and it was so good, hahaha

It's tasty even on its own, but squeeze some lemon juice over it and dip it in the creamy sauce and it's insanely good 🥹😍

Why Dong-i's nuruk-aged tangsuyuk is famous

Dong-i's nuruk tangsuyuk is aged for 72 hours with traditional rice nuruk (fermentation starter) and fried with no wheat flour at all, so it's gluten-free and crunchy 💙 There's a reason a rice restaurant is famous for its tangsuyuk, haha

Tender meat with a chewy texture!? A thin batter that's super crunchy‼️ Crispy outside, chewy inside, please try this tangsuyuk 🫶 To me, the tangsuyuk at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol tasted better than at the other branches ^^

How was the signature fire-grilled jeyuk hanjeongsik set?

Dong-i's signature fire-grilled jeyuk hanjeongsik set comes on a mini brazier so it stays warm until the last bite ❗️ However, for a fire-grilled dish, the smoky flavor was weak.

Fire-grilled? I couldn't taste much smokiness, which was a bit disappointing. Still, the meat was juicy and the seasoning soaked well into the meat and vegetables, so it's a total rice thief (so good you keep eating rice) 😆

That was Cafe Dong-i Sicheol, a Sicheol rice spot and Sinmae favorite that's great for a lunch or dinner when you're craving a full home-style table ❣️