Second-round Chinese bar in Galma-dong, Daejeon: half-plate dishes at

Today I want to share my visit to Yongju, a Chinese-style bar in Galma-dong, Daejeon. If you're looking for a place to have a light drink in Galma-dong, a bar with atmosphere, or a recommendation for a Galma-dong bar with unusual Chinese-style food, this is a good spot to try 𖦹𖦹 .ᐟ.ᐟ It's especially good for anyone who wants to sample a few different dishes thanks to the half-plate menu options, or anyone looking for a solo-drinking spot in Galma-dong.

Yongju's location and hours

Yongju, a Chinese-style bar in Galma-dong, Daejeon, sits just across from the Dunsan-dong restaurant alley, in the Galma-dong side streets. It's open daily from 17:00 to 02:00 the next day, with last order at 01:00, and reservations are available through Naver.

It's less a typical Chinese restaurant and more a Galma-dong Chinese-style drinking spot where you can enjoy various Chinese dishes alongside your drinks. Instead of the usual predictable bar snacks, you can order something more filling like kkwabaerou or dongpo pork belly, which makes it a great option when you're looking for a proper Galma-dong bar dinner menu.

What we ordered and how much it cost

• Nurungji kkwabaerou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork) ₩15,000
• Dongpo pork belly, half plate ₩13,000
• Ice cream basi ₩10,000
• Drinks

Nurungji kkwabaerou ₩15,000

Personally, the tastiest dish I had was the nurungji kkwabaerou 𖦹𖦹 .ᐟ.ᐟ

The outside was fried nice and crispy, so the texture was great, and true to its name — nurungji means scorched rice — it had a nutty, savory flavor too. Kkwabaerou can be disappointing when it goes soggy, but Yongju's version in Galma-dong, Daejeon stayed crispy with a sweet-tangy flavor, making it perfect with drinks.

Dongpo pork belly, half plate ₩13,000

Since this was our second stop of the night, we ordered the dongpo pork belly as a half plate .ᐟ.ᐟ (Having a half-plate option is... pure happiness) I really liked that you can order a half plate when you want to try several dishes at once.

A heavy Chinese dish like dongpo pork belly can feel like too much if you order a full plate, but having the half-plate option made it a nice side even when visiting with just one other person or drinking solo. Even if you haven't had dinner beforehand, ordering the kkwabaerou and dongpo pork belly together is filling enough, so it should suit anyone looking for solid Chinese-style dishes among the Galma-dong restaurants.

Ice cream basi ₩10,000

I was really curious about basi so I ordered it, and it really was surprising. Ice cream basi is a dish with candied sweet potato and basi (a caramelized coating) served over yogurt ice cream — the combination of warm, sweet candied sweet potato and tangy yogurt ice cream was unusual and fascinating ૮⑉･-･⑉ა

That said, since the warm candied sweet potato sits right on top of the ice cream, the ice cream melted faster than I expected, which was a bit of a shame. I'd recommend eating the ice cream basi quickly as soon as it arrives rather than taking your time .ᐟ.ᐟ If you want to finish off your drinks with a sweet dessert, or if you love candied sweet potato, it's worth trying.

Final thoughts: when is Yongju, the Galma-dong Chinese-style bar, worth a visit?

Yongju in Galma-dong, Daejeon is a place where you can enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes like kkwabaerou and dongpo pork belly alongside your drinks. The nurungji kkwabaerou was especially crispy and delicious, and being able to order the dongpo pork belly as a half plate made it easy to share several dishes. If you're looking for a Galma-dong bar dinner spot with unusual Chinese-style bar food, or a low-pressure solo-drinking spot in Galma-dong, give Yongju a try. It's the kind of place that'll come to mind whenever you want to enjoy Chinese food and drinks together in Galma-dong — that was Yongju ՞⸝⸝'ᜊ'⸝⸝՞