Daebonggyo Station Korean restaurant with free hovenia tea: Cafe Dongi

Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch hours and parking

Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch (카페동이 수성1가점) is on the 1st floor at 65 Suseong-ro 69-gil, Unit 106, Building 7, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea. It's open daily 11:00-20:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, and last orders at 14:30 and 20:00. For parking, use the Suseong 1-ga community service center or a nearby lot.

Why we chose Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch

Sometimes I just crave a hearty meal that feels like home cooking, made with care. When I visited the Cafe Dongi Chimsan branch before, the food was clean and tidy and the service was wonderful, and I came away with a happy memory.

I'd been wondering what the other branches had to offer. This time I went with a younger friend who shares one great thing with me: blogging. She's younger than me, but I treat her like a daughter. So we went to Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch to eat well and have a good chat.

Free hovenia tea out front near Daebonggyo Station

Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch sits near Daebonggyo Station (대봉교역), just before you get to Daebaek Plaza, so it's very easy to reach by public transport. What touched me first, the moment I arrived, was a small act of kindness out front.

Next to a cold stainless steel water jug was a warm note: "Cold hovenia tea (heotgae-cha), good for recovering from fatigue. It's so hot out. Please have a cup as you pass by."

They put this out not just for diners but for everyone walking by in the sweltering heat. Before I even went in, I could feel that this is a warm place that truly thinks about people, and I got a little choked up.

Lunchtime wait and dining room atmosphere

It was very busy at lunchtime, so there was a bit of a wait. Still, thinking about the good meal ahead, I didn't get bored waiting.

Inside, I noticed the clean, pleasant interior and an open kitchen. There are plenty of bar-table seats where you can eat comfortably alone, so I suspect it's very popular with office workers looking for a lunch spot in Daebong-dong.

What did we order at Cafe Dongi?

At Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch we ordered the summer-only yeolmu bibimbap set (young radish kimchi bibimbap), the zucchini doenjang stew set (soybean paste stew), nuruk-aged sweet and sour pork and lemonade. When we sat down and looked at the menu, there happened to be a special deal for a new menu launch. We ordered generously: the summer-only yeolmu bibimbap set to revive a lost summer appetite, the zucchini doenjang stew set with its rich, nutty broth, and the signature dish you must eat here, the nuruk-aged sweet and sour pork (nuruk is a Korean fermentation starter).

And to rinse our mouths after the meal, we didn't forget the lemonade I enjoyed so much last time.

Summer-only yeolmu bibimbap set with a self-serve fried egg

The first to arrive was the yeolmu bibimbap set, in a big mixing bowl packed with crunchy young radish kimchi, fresh sprouts and seasoned vegetables. Another charm of Cafe Dongi is that you fry your own egg.

I fried one egg until golden, plopped it on top of the bibimbap and mixed it all up with the gochujang (chili paste) sauce. It tasted fresh and filling, like the summer heat melting away.

The side dishes that came with it, like seaweed soup and stir-fried anchovies, weren't aggressively seasoned and were neat and tidy like home cooking. The title of a great rice restaurant in Suseong is well earned.

How was the zucchini doenjang stew set?

The zucchini doenjang stew set my friend ordered was impressive too. It came bubbling in a black earthenware pot, packed with zucchini, tofu and meat. The broth was so deep and nutty that a bowl of rice vanished in an instant, as if by magic.

My friend said it was delicious, with a deep flavor that soothes the stomach, and kept her spoon busy.

Signature nuruk-aged sweet and sour pork

And now the grand finale: the nuruk-aged sweet and sour pork! It's on another level from the usual Chinese restaurant version, and it's Cafe Dongi's signature. Perhaps because of the nuruk aging, there was no gamey smell at all, just a rich, nutty flavor, and the batter was chewy like glutinous rice yet crispy.

The clear soy-based sauce comes in a stainless steel bowl, unusually, with lemon floating in it. Dip the pork in this sweet and sour sauce and the chewiness and the freshness come together perfectly in your mouth.

Lemonade to finish the meal

After a filling meal, we rinsed our mouths with an ice-filled lemonade. The sharp fizz and rich lemon freshness cleanly washed away the heaviness of the meat and the meal, and I thought again that ordering it was the right call, just like last time.

Sharing good food with my friend and chatting happily about running a blog, I had a very satisfying, happy time.

Why we'd go back to Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch

Along with the quality of the food and the great access, I felt the owner's sincere warmth in serving cold barley tea to passersby. I hope kind, warm places like this, that think about people beyond just selling food, become better known and always do well. That's my heartfelt cheer for them.

If you're looking for a good Korean restaurant in Suseong, or a hearty, easy-on-the-stomach meal, I hope you'll visit Cafe Dongi Suseong 1-ga Branch at least once.