Chili shrimp course for two near Daejeon Museum of Art: Macheonchwi

Today we visited Macheonchwi in Mannyeon-dong.

We were passing by the Daejeon Museum of Art and got a craving for Chinese food, so my husband and I walked in on a whim. I remembered hearing somewhere that this place served a great-value course meal, so I opened the door without hesitation. It's a name that comes up often when you search for good restaurants in Mannyeon-dong, but this was our first time actually going.

The mood and seating at Macheonchwi

The moment we stepped into the Mannyeon-dong location, what caught my eye were the Chinese-style ceramics and fish tanks placed here and there. There were also old pieces of furniture that looked like mother-of-pearl inlay, and red lanterns hanging around the space, which definitely gave it that distinctive Chinese restaurant atmosphere.

We were seated at a table in the main hall, and the tables were spaced far apart so we didn't have to worry about the neighboring seats. Our spot was by the window, so the lighting was nice and we could see garden-like landscaping outside, which kept things visually interesting.

First dish of the course: ryusanseul

First up was ryusanseul (stir-fried seafood and vegetables in a thick sauce), which comes standard with the Macheonchwi set. It was packed with mushrooms, and the aroma hit right away with the first bite.

The sauce was thick and clung to everything, so it seemed like it would go well mixed with rice too. There was also a bit of shrimp and meat mixed in, so it wasn't one-note and had a nice variety of textures to chew on.

The spicy chili shrimp

Next came the chili shrimp. The batter was thin and crispy, so even coated in sauce it didn't go soggy and kept its texture.

I expected the sauce to be sweet, but it was spicier than I thought, so my chopsticks kept going back for more. The shrimp themselves were plump too, satisfying with every bite.

Peking-style tangsuyuk topped with sliced almonds

Of course we also got the Peking-style tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), which is basically the main event of the Macheonchwi set. It had sliced almonds on top, giving it a different feel from regular tangsuyuk, and the sauce leaned a bit more tart than usual.

The meat had a thick coating, so the inside stayed moist. The ratio of sauce to meat was well balanced, so I kept picking up piece after piece.

Jjamppong and jjajang, two flavors from one bowl of rice

For our main dish, I chose jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and my husband chose jjajang (black bean sauce noodles). The jjamppong broth was rich and fiery, and eating it with the seafood really hit the spot. It had wood ear mushrooms and clams in it too, so there was a nice range of textures.

The jjajang sauce was dark in color and topped with onions and shredded cucumber, which kept it from feeling too heavy.

We ordered an extra bowl of rice and split it in half between the two dishes, which meant we got to enjoy both jjamppong-bap and jjajang-bap flavors — a satisfying choice.

Dessert: ice cream

After we cleaned our plates, ice cream arrived for dessert. It was soft milk ice cream topped with colorful sprinkles, so it looked pretty too.

It wasn't heavy, just a clean sweetness, which made it the perfect palate cleanser after the spicy jjamppong and jjajang.

Overall thoughts on Macheonchwi

It was a satisfying visit since the great-value course let us try a good variety of dishes. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Mannyeon-dong, this one is worth a stop.

It felt like the kind of place that would naturally come to mind the next time we're craving Chinese food.

Location and hours

• Location: 18 Dunsan-daero 117beon-gil, 1st floor, Macheonchwi, Seo-gu, Daejeon
• Hours: 11:00 – 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 – 17:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: No SUV parking