Gyeongsan Korean restaurant: ₩7,900 summer yeolmu bibimbap, Cafe Dongi

My sister came to visit our parents' house after a long time, so we decided to spend some relaxed time together on Yeungnam University's campus. It happened to be lunchtime, so we headed to a clean-looking Korean restaurant inside the Cheonma Art Center.

Where is Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch, and where do you park?

Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch is on the 2nd floor of the main hall at Yeungnam University's Cheonma Art Center. Parking is available on the 1st floor of the Cheonma Art Center, so it was easy to get there by car too.

I've been to the Cheonma Art Center many times for performances, so it was easy to find. The parking lot is on the 1st floor, which takes away any worry about parking — a real plus for this Yeungnam University restaurant.

This clean-looking Gyeongsan restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building. The main auditorium of the Cheonma Art Center is right next door, so as I walked in, I thought it'd be nice to eat here next time I come for a show.

The yeolmu bibimbap set is available as a seasonal special, and I personally love this dish. I was happy to spot the banner for it.

Inside Cafe Dongi: the dining hall and the self-bar

The hall at Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch is really spacious, divided into window tables, 6-person tables, and group seating. The self-bar is split into two spots with gim, caramel, barley crackers, hutgae tea, rice, and a fried egg station.

Once inside, the hall felt really wide. The window tables looked out on the cool university campus, and the inner section had 6-person tables that seemed great for small group gatherings.

There were even high chairs so parents with kids could eat comfortably.

In between, the self-bar was split into two spots — one with gim, caramel, barley crackers, hutgae tea, and rice —

and across from it, everything was set up so you could fry your own egg.

Also, turning left from the entrance revealed a group seating area, which looked perfect for gatherings.

I stopped by the self-bar, fried an egg, grabbed some barley crackers, and picked up an apron hanging on the wall too.

While waiting for the food, the barley crackers were great to snack on one by one, and I grabbed some gim to eat with the bibimbap.

What the sisters ordered at Cafe Dongi, and what it cost

We ordered via tablet. We got the summer yeolmu bibimbap set (₩7,900) and the individual-brazier jeyuk (spicy pork) set (₩12,900), and a robot brought them to our table. My sister thought the serving robot was cute and pretty and even said hi to it, haha.

Each single-serve tray came neatly arranged with 3 basic side dishes, a main dish, and a soup or stew — and the individual-brazier set even came with omija (five-flavor berry) tea for dessert.

My sister's individual-brazier jeyuk set came with its own little brazier, which seemed great for slow eaters — the pork stayed warm until she finished her whole meal!

See the lemonade? You get it free with a receipt review. Make sure to grab yours too.

Summer yeolmu (young radish greens) bibimbap set, ₩7,900

The yeolmu set I ordered is a seasonal menu only available in summer, which is perfect for me since I always insist on eating what's in season. The reason I order it often is because it's really light on the stomach.

These are the side dishes that came on my individual tray. The dried radish, stir-fried anchovies, and pickles all went really well with the main dish.

What's unique is that the individual-brazier set also comes with dessert. It's a fine omija tea with five different flavors, which should refresh your palate after the meal.

The big bibimbap bowl came filled with fresh vegetables and gim flakes, and a perilla-seed soup came alongside it to make swallowing easier.

Since there was quite a lot of vegetables, I only added half a bowl of rice and mixed in a bit of gochujang sauce. Adding the fried egg from the self-bar made it even more flavorful. Wrapping the chewy yeolmu bibimbap in gim was also a nice touch. For ₩7,900, this is a solid, budget-friendly meal worth seeking out at this Yeungnam University restaurant, don't you think?

Individual-brazier jeyuk (spicy pork) set, ₩12,900

The jeyuk-bokkeum (stir-fried spicy pork) wasn't too thick, making it easy to chew, and the seasoning wasn't too salty, with just the right sweetness — a flavor almost everyone would like. Thanks to the brazier keeping it at the perfect temperature, I could eat every last bite warm. Honestly, ₩12,900 feels like a great deal for this meal.

After finishing the meal, I sipped a cool glass of lemonade and blew away the last of the summer heat. Drinking such a refreshing beverage left my belly full to bursting again... haha.

After leaving this Gyeongsan restaurant, we took a stroll around campus. We chose a scenic path and found pretty crepe myrtles in bloom, which made just walking around feel healing. Between the strong sun that made it hard to tell whether it was late summer or early fall, and the cool refreshing breeze, this day became another treasured memory with my sister.

Is Cafe Dongi worth it for lunch near Yeungnam University?

I loved that there's a place this spacious and comfortable to eat inside Yeungnam University's campus — the tables were spaced generously and the Korean menu was varied, making it a great spot for families or larger groups.

• The self-bar has rice, gim, fried eggs, and snacks, enough for a full, satisfying meal
• Parking available on the 1st floor of Cheonma Art Center
• A great start to a campus stroll around Yeungnam University after the meal
• The summer yeolmu bibimbap set is a seasonal, limited-time menu item

If you're looking for a Gyeongsan restaurant with tidy Korean food and easy parking, how about giving Cafe Dongi a try?