Hwanggeum-dong Daegu Korean restaurant, mild squid pork: Banwoldang

The older I get (?), the more I crave a hearty Korean meal~ pork stir-fry — basically the soul food of guys haha — so I went to grab a satisfying, delicious meal at Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch, famous for its pork stir-fry.

Where is Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch? Address and hours

• 📍 Address: 22 Beomeocheon-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea (Hwanggeum-dong)
• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–20:45
• 🕐 Break time: 15:30–17:00
• 🚫 Closed: every Sunday
• 🚗 Parking: available
• 🥡 Takeout available

Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch, a Korean restaurant in Beomeo-dong, is located on Beomeocheon-ro in Hwanggeum-dong — it's the second, directly-operated branch of Banwoldang Buja Sikdang! Both the original and the Suseong branch are run directly by the owners~ and since parking is available, it's easy to visit by car too!

Banwoldang Buja Sikdang started in 1986 with a mother's home cooking, now carried on by her son — already a well-known Korean restaurant around Banwoldang~ Pork stir-fry is a dish you can find easily anywhere, but the point at the Suseong branch is that extra fire-grilled charcoal flavor!

Inside Banwoldang Buja Sikdang: the dining room and kiosk ordering

The Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch space was bigger than I expected, and since it hasn't been open that long, it was run really cleanly~

You order using the kiosk set up at every table~

Banwoldang Buja Sikdang menu and prices

Here's the menu and prices at this Korean restaurant in Beomeo-dong!

• Fire-grilled pork stir-fry ₩12,000
• Fire-grilled squid stir-fry ₩13,000
• Fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry ₩14,000
• Fire-grilled stone galbi ₩14,000

There's a new menu item, spicy cream pork, which looked really good too?? I thought about it, but decided I should try the classic mild version first~ so I ordered the squid pork stir-fry!

At this Korean restaurant in Daegu, Banwoldang Buja Sikdang, they also have a buja bibimbap (rice mixed with sauce) that's great if you like bibimbap. And if you order the pork stir-fry, a rustic cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) comes free by default :)

Side dishes, burdock fritters and cheonggukjang stew simmered at the table

The side dishes were set right away, and each one was delicious~ the highlight among them: sweet burdock fritters!! They also sell these separately, but I held back from buying more haha.

Every table has its own burner, so the rustic cheonggukjang stew gets simmered right there and stays warm the whole meal — I loved that so much!

What does the mild fire-grilled squid and pork stir-fry taste like?

The fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry came sizzling hot on a stone plate! You can choose from three spice levels — mild, spicy, or extra spicy~ I ordered mild!

I love both pork stir-fry and squid stir-fry, so it was hard to pick just one — but getting to eat both together was so nice!! Kind of like ordering half-and-half noodles haha.

Once the smoky charcoal flavor gets into the tasty pork sauce, even a dead appetite comes back to life~ the squid stays chewy, and the pork soaks up the sauce so well it goes perfectly with rice! The meat was reeeally tender, which made it even better~

Can you tell how well the sauce soaked in? I had it mild, and with the savory sauce plus that fire-grilled charcoal note, I'd recommend the mild version if you can't handle spice! I actually like spicy food but,,^^ next time I want to try it spicy haha.

Using the ssam vegetable self-bar and mixing rice into the sauce

The fire-grilled pork or squid stir-fry is delicious on its own, but you can't skip the ssam wraps! Banwoldang Buja Sikdang has a self-bar with lettuce, peppers, and ssam sauce — help yourself to as much as you want~

Wrapping one squid piece and one pork piece together in a leaf, and it's seriously a whole bowl of rice gone in no time,,, eating squid along with the pork changes the texture too instead of just chewing meat the whole time, and wrapping it in leaves brings out a totally different flavor~

The sauce was so good I also mixed it with the radish salad and bean sprouts that came as basic side dishes — and honestly it's delicious eaten that way too! When the sauce is this good, it's tasty no matter how you eat it. If you love pork stir-fry, definitely try this Korean restaurant in Beomeo-dong, Banwoldang Buja Sikdang!!

The cheonggukjang stew pairs perfectly with the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry — when you're eating something saucy like this fire-grilled dish, you start craving a savory broth halfway through, right~ the cheonggukjang served alongside has that distinctive fermented aroma and the deep flavor of doenjang (soybean paste), almost like a stew your grandmother would make. It's so savory and rich that I could eat a whole bowl of rice with just the stew haha.

Is Banwoldang Buja Sikdang worth a visit in Hwanggeum-dong, Daegu?

On my way out, a sweet coffee to finish~ after that smoky, charcoal-grilled squid pork stir-fry paired with the cheonggukjang, I felt like I really had a proper meal — so satisfying~

If you're in Hwanggeum-dong, Suseong-gu looking for a good Korean restaurant, or near Beomeocheon-ro in Beomeo-dong for a Korean restaurant, I recommend Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch, a spot known for its pork stir-fry~ I think I'll definitely think of this place whenever I want pork stir-fry or squid stir-fry from now on :)