Wolseong-dong, Daegu hanjeongsik with fried eggplant: Geumdeungeo

What did we eat at Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch?

At Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch (금등어 달서구 직영점), a hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) restaurant in Dalseo, Daegu, we had the Geumdeungeo Pot Rice Set for 2. I already like grilled fish and pot rice, and I wanted a hearty meal, so that's why I went.

From the grilled mackerel to the warm pot rice and every single side dish, I was really happy with this place, so I wanted to tell you about it. There were some side dishes in particular that I loved, and I just have to talk about them. Haha.

Side dishes can be refilled if you run low! The Geumdeungeo kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) is sweet and delicious, and the geotjeori (fresh, lightly seasoned kimchi) ㅠㅠ is seriously so good.

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch was a great place for a filling meal. There were two of us, so we ordered the Geumdeungeo Pot Rice Set for 2.

The charm of hanjeongsik is that lots of neatly arranged side dishes come out, along with rice and a generous main dish, right? You get grilled fish, rice and side dishes all together, so anyone who usually likes Korean food will be glad to see this. It's also a good option when you'd rather eat rice and a balance of side dishes than something intensely seasoned.

Top 3 side dishes to try at Geumdeungeo

What impressed me most at Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch wasn't only the main dish but the side dishes. I especially enjoyed three: fried eggplant, cucumber salad and braised radish.

1. Crispy, tasty fried eggplant

The first side dish I want to introduce is the fried eggplant! Some of you probably love eggplant, but it's a vegetable people are split on because of its texture. Fried, though, it has a different charm.

The soft texture typical of eggplant is lovely, and it went well with rice. Alternating it with the other side dishes made my appetite perk up. I think even people who don't usually eat eggplant could try this one without any pressure.

2. Sweet-and-sour cucumber salad, no chili powder

Second, the cucumber salad! This was one of the side dishes I enjoyed most. It's not the red cucumber salad with chili powder you might picture, but one with no chili powder and a tangy, sour flavor, which made it even more memorable.

The sourness is the main note rather than spice, so my mouth felt clean afterward. After eating rich, savory grilled fish like mackerel, a bite of the cucumber salad adds a refreshing taste and pairs well. It isn't harsh but still whets the appetite, so I personally liked it. A side like this is great between bites of the main dish, and it's tasty on top of rice too, right?

3. Braised radish that tastes like a memorial table

The braised radish at Geumdeungeo was seriously good. The moment I ate it, it reminded me of the braised radish that appears on the table for jesa (ancestral memorial rites). It wasn't flashy or specially seasoned, but familiar with a deep flavor. A side dish like this is secretly a rice thief, right?

It has that lovely taste only braised radish has, and it went really well with rice. It was good with a piece of mackerel, and also delicious just spooned onto the pot rice. At a hanjeongsik place the main dish catches your eye first, but sometimes a single side dish ends up being the more memorable one, right?

What comes in the Geumdeungeo Pot Rice Set for 2?

The Geumdeungeo Pot Rice Set for 2 lets you enjoy grilled mackerel, pot rice and a variety of side dishes together. Putting a piece of fish on warm rice and eating it with the sides, I thought, yes, this is why we eat Korean food.

The mackerel had delicious flesh and went well with rice, so it was a satisfying meal. The mackerel's savory flavor pairs nicely with the rice, and eating it with the side dishes made the meal feel even richer. Grilled fish is good on its own, but salty, savory mackerel with a variety of side dishes means you never get tired of it and keep eating.

And what I personally liked most was, of course, the pot rice! Warm rice that tasted freshly cooked, eaten with mackerel, was filling and delicious. Since the rice itself is good, it was fun to put the side dishes on it one by one. Grilled fish with pot rice is a combination that's hard to get wrong any time. I think anyone who likes home-style Korean food would be satisfied.

Can you buy Geumdeungeo's side dishes to take home?

Yes, at Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch you can also buy the side dishes you enjoyed during the meal. That was another thing that caught my eye!

When you try a side dish at a restaurant and like it, sometimes you want to eat it again at home, right? Especially when you find favorites like the braised radish or fried eggplant, as I did, they can cross your mind at home, so I liked that you can buy them. It felt even more appealing that you can enjoy at home the sides you loved in the restaurant.

Free drinks after the meal: plum tea and sikhye

On the way out after the meal, Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch had free drinks ready. We had plum tea and sikhye (a sweet rice drink).

After a big meal, a sweet sikhye to finish was lovely. You can have plum tea too, so you can pick whichever suits your taste. Rather than just eating and leaving, you get a little dessert drink, which was a small but nice touch. I especially liked not having to buy a drink separately to freshen up after eating. Little services like this quietly put you in a good mood. :)

Is it okay to go with a baby?

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch even has a diaper-changing table. It was something I personally noticed.

When you eat out with a baby, the taste of the food matters, but so does whether there are facilities like this, right? Especially with a young baby, you may need to change a diaper, so I was glad to see a changing table.