Daemyeong-dong Korean restaurant: weekday lunch with Mom at Cafe Dongi

I'd planned a rare day out with just my mom, and deciding what to eat was weirdly stressful. Then I remembered Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch (카페동이 대명역점), a Korean set meal place in Daemyeong-dong that people rave about. We went on a weekday for lunch, and the food came out neatly on individual braziers. A successful meal!

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch hours and parking

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch is open 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:30. Last orders are at 14:30 and 20:30.

• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Last order: 14:30, 20:30
• Parking: 2 spots in front of the restaurant

You can park in the two spots in front or in the alley. We parked in the alley and walked over.

We arrived a bit after the weekday lunch rush, so luckily we got in right away with no wait. Among all the Cafe Dongi branches, the Daemyeong Station Branch has one of the best atmospheres.

Why I chose this place

Honestly, I'm a regular here and have been to several other Cafe Dongi branches. The big plus is that the main dish arrives on a personal brazier, so it stays warm until the end.

On top of that, there's a fried egg self-serve bar, gopchang gim (seaweed), and barley tea, all starting from ₩12,900. For value, nothing beats it. Compared with other Korean restaurants around Apsan nearby, the portions for the price and the atmosphere were much cleaner, so I picked it without hesitation.

Wait time after ordering and the fried egg bar

It took about 10 to 15 minutes from ordering to the food arriving.

In the meantime I went to the self-serve bar and fried myself a golden egg, and the time flew by. It's actually more fun than you'd think!

What I liked after trying it

Dongi bulgogi set, ₩12,900

The Dongi bulgogi table (bulgogi is marinated beef) hit me with a lovely smoky grill aroma the moment it arrived.

The Dongi bulgogi set is offered at a special price of ₩12,900, and thanks to the personal brazier, it stayed warm down to the last bite.

There was no gamey smell at all, and the sweet-salty marinade had soaked in nicely, so I kept reaching for more.

Charcoal-grilled jjukkumi set

A spicy jjukkumi (small octopus) table, with a smoky grill flavor and a red sauce that grabbed my eyes right away.

In the charcoal-grilled jjukkumi set, both the octopus and the cabbage were big and generous, and I was honestly surprised by how hearty it was.

The octopus was plump, and the chewy, bouncy texture with every bite was addictive!

The sauce was pleasantly spicy and savory. Tartar sauce came along too, and dipping into it made this a perfect lunch special!

Take gopchang gim from the self-serve bar, add a little hot rice, then a piece of smoky spicy pork or octopus and the special sauce, and wrap it up. Flawless combo, can't go wrong!

Kimchi stew for ₩1,000 extra

The kimchi stew (₩1,000 extra) with the set meal was amazing. It was packed with meat, and even Mom said the broth tasted deep and loved it.

Fried meat mandu on the side, and dessert

We finished the meal with fried meat mandu (dumplings) as a side. Freshly fried, they crunched the second I bit in, crispy outside and juicy inside, the textbook example.

I also grabbed a caramel candy for dessert~

Compared with other Korean restaurants

At many Korean set meal places, you often have to order the same menu for two or more people, right? At Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch, each person can choose a different personal brazier menu to suit their taste, which was really convenient.

Who I recommend it to

I highly recommend it if you're looking for a clean, good-value Korean set meal in Daemyeong-dong, or a tidy Korean date spot near Apsan or a place to treat your parents!