Daejeon Chinese restaurant à la carte lunch, 42,000 won: Macheonchwi

After an early morning meetup at a café with friends, we headed to Macheonchwi in Mannyeon-dong for a late lunch. Macheonchwi is near Hanbat Arboretum and also easy to reach from Dunsan-dong, so getting there was no hassle.

Parking was available in the building's basement, so having a car wasn't a problem. That said, during busier hours it might take a bit longer to find a spot.

So let me share my review of Macheonchwi, a Chinese restaurant in Daejeon.

Where is Macheonchwi, and what are its hours?

Macheonchwi is a Chinese restaurant in Mannyeon-dong at 18 Dunsandae-ro 117beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, on the 1st floor. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, and last order at 14:15 and 20:15.

Right from the entrance, red lanterns and an antique wooden door really set the mood of a Chinese restaurant.

Before going in, there were separate menu boards for Lunch Course A and Dinner Course A set up outside, which was fun to browse beforehand. I've listed the main course menus below for reference ^^

Macheonchwi course and set menu prices

• Lunch Course A (₩25,000 per person): Macheonchwi salad, seasonal soup, ryu sansul, chili shrimp, tangsuyuk, rice dish (jjajang or jjamppong) + dessert
• Dinner Course A (₩39,000 per person): Macheonchwi seasonal cold appetizer, seasonal soup, palbochae, medium shrimp dish, kkanpunggi, gochujapchae, rice dish (jjajang or jjamppong) + dessert
• Modern Simple Set (₩18,000 per person): ryu sansul, chili medium shrimp, Peking-style tangsuyuk, rice dish (jjajang or jjamppong) + dessert
• Family Gathering Set (₩150,000 for 4, ₩37,500 per extra person): nurungjitang, ryu sansul, chili shrimp, kkanpunggi, gochujapchae with flower bread, Peking-style tangsuyuk, rice dish (jjajang or jjamppong) + dessert

Inside Macheonchwi: the thoughtful touches

Stepping inside, the big glass windows paired with warm lighting gave the place a comfortable atmosphere.

The basic side dishes were jjajangmyeon pickle (zha cai), pickled radish, and danmuji, and there was a separate self-serve bar so

you could grab extra bowls or utensils yourself if you needed them.

What especially caught my eye was candy and hair ties neatly laid out near the entrance. You could grab them right before or after your meal — such a thoughtful touch.

Several baby chairs were also on hand, so it looked like a perfectly comfortable spot for families to visit too.

What we ordered: Peking-style tangsuyuk, jjajangmyeon and ryu sansul rice bowl

We ordered directly through the table-order tablet, choosing Peking-style tangsuyuk (small, 2 servings), large jjajangmyeon, and ryu sansul rice bowl. It came to 42,000 won total — the price was pretty reasonable. Everything we ordered came out at almost the same time.

The ryu sansul rice bowl had mushrooms, shrimp, and various seafood piled high on rice with a thick sauce. Mixing it up with a spoon, every ingredient still had its own texture. It wasn't overpowering and had a deep flavor, making it a great dish to share with parents!

The main dish, Peking-style tangsuyuk, had big chunks of meat with what seemed like a glutinous rice batter, giving it a crispy yet chewy texture. It wasn't soggy but wasn't too hard either — just right.

There was plenty of tangsuyuk sauce, enough for both dipping and pouring over, and I liked that it came without any other vegetables mixed in, just pure sauce :)

How big is Macheonchwi's large jjajangmyeon?

The real showstopper was the jjajangmyeon — I ordered the large size and… nearly fainted at the sheer size! The portion was seriously huge, haha. It was more than enough for three people to share. Overall, the base portions at Macheonchwi seem to be quite generous.

The regular jjajangmyeon is 8,000 won, and the large size is 10,000 won. The julienned cucumber on top added both color and cut through the richness nicely. The jjajang sauce came with onions mixed in, and I imagine it would taste great mixed into rice too.

Final thoughts on Macheonchwi in Mannyeon-dong

This time we enjoyed à la carte dishes instead of a set course, and it still felt like solid value for the price. These days, there are so many places where prices are high but portions are small and ingredients disappointing. If Macheonchwi's à la carte Chinese dishes are this good, the set courses must be great too :)

If you're looking for a Daejeon Chinese restaurant with private rooms, or an upscale Chinese spot, I think you won't regret visiting Macheonchwi. Next time, I'd love to come back and try one of the set menus.