Pre-hike Korean lunch at Cheonma Art Center, Gyeongsan: Cafe Dongi
In short
Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch is a budget-friendly Korean restaurant that opened this year on the 2nd floor of the main hall at Cheonma Art Center, Yeungnam University, in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. Stopping in to fuel up before a hike, the writer ordered the spicy baby octopus set meal for 16,900 won, the crispy whole shrimp Japanese-style curry set for 11,900 won and the mini nuruk-aged tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) for 9,900 won, with unlimited fried eggs, five-grain rice and hutgae tea from the self-bar. Tender baby octopus on a personal tabletop brazier and 4 hours of free parking made Cafe Dongi a filling, well-priced meal.
Good to know
- Location
- 2nd floor of the main hall, Cheonma Art Center, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk
- Hours
- Daily 10:30 - 20:30
- Break time
- 15:00 - 16:30
- Last order
- 20:00
- Parking
- Lot right in front of the building, free for 4 hours (ask the staff at the counter)
- Spicy baby octopus set meal
- 16,900 won
- Crispy whole shrimp Japanese-style curry set
- 11,900 won
- Dongi nuruk-aged tangsuyuk (mini)
- 9,900 won
- Seating
- Tables for 4 and 6, private rooms, high chairs and aprons available
- Ordering
- Order and pay on the tablet at your table
- Self-bar
- Unlimited fried eggs, five-grain rice, barley candy, seaweed, caramels and hutgae tea
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
Cafe Dongi is famous as a budget-friendly Korean restaurant. I stopped by to fill up on rice before a hike 🙌🏻 They already have several branches in Daegu, and the Yeungnam University Art Center branch just opened this year. I'd heard lots of good reviews, so I went in with high expectations — here's my honest take 🙋🏻♀️
- ⏰ Daily 10:30 - 20:30
- Break time 15:00 - 16:30
- Last order 20:00
- 🅿️ Free parking available
Where is Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch, and where do you park?
Cafe Dongi, a Korean restaurant in Gyeongsan, is located on the 2nd floor of Cheonma Art Center inside Yeungnam University.
There's a parking lot right in front of the building. Parking is free for up to 4 hours, but you have to tell the staff at the counter directly!!
Inside Cafe Dongi: seating and private rooms
Maybe because it's a Korean restaurant that opened this year, the interior of Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch was really clean! They have 4-person and 6-person tables as well as private rooms for a more intimate meal.
The rooms especially had such an upscale feel that I thought they'd be perfect for group gatherings too 🙌🏻
Baby chairs and bibs are ready to go too! You can order and pay all at once via the tablet on the table, which made things really convenient!
What we ordered at Cafe Dongi and what it cost
- Spicy baby octopus set: ₩16,900
- Crispy whole shrimp Japanese-style curry set: ₩11,900
- Mini nuruk-aged sweet and sour pork: ₩9,900
- A drink
What is unlimited at the Cafe Dongi self-bar?
And the self-bar at Cafe Dongi was really well set up. Fried egg, five-grain rice, barley candy, seaweed, caramel, and hutgae tea are all unlimited, believe it or not! In particular, the five-grain rice is made with rice and grains grown under contract in a pristine DMZ zone in Gimpo, blended at a golden ratio — apparently you can only get it at Cafe Dongi!
Not long after I made my fried egg and got back to my seat, a robot brought all the food over at once 👍🏻
We ordered a variety of menu items 🙋🏻♀️ The basic side dishes were the same across the board: stir-fried anchovies, dried radish strips, and gungchae (a leafy vegetable side). (The gungchae had a jalapeño-like kick — a nice surprise!)
Spicy baby octopus set meal, 16,900 won
The spicy baby octopus I ordered was loaded with smoky, charred octopus, rice cake, cabbage, green onion, and radish sprouts. It comes on a personal brazier, so I got to eat it warm all the way through ☺️
Can you see how plump the octopus is 😋 It wasn't chewy at all — so, so tender. Seriously the softest octopus I've had!
It's delicious with a piece of octopus over the well-cooked five-grain rice, or dipped generously in the sauce that comes with it 🤤
The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that came with it was packed with tofu and mushrooms too! (You can also swap it for kimchi jjigae!!)
Crispy whole shrimp Japanese-style curry set, 11,900 won
My partner's whole shrimp curry had a sweet, smooth curry flavor that was excellent. The shrimp were plump, and there was meat inside too, so it made for a filling meal 😋 The perilla-seaweed soup that came with it was mild and paired really well with the curry, haha.
Dongi nuruk-aged tangsuyuk, mini size, 9,900 won
The nuruk-aged tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) had tender meat and a batter that was crispy yet chewy — the kind of thing you keep reaching for 👍🏻 Dipped in the tangy-sweet sauce, it was absolute honey! Overall, everything was delicious and generous in portion, making for a really satisfying meal 🙌🏻
Current events and perks at Cafe Dongi
Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch had a bunch of different events running!
There are lots of perks — a complimentary handmade meat-filled fried dumpling, a free tangsuyuk coupon, free lemonade, membership benefits, and more — so joining in would make the meal even more enjoyable 🙂 If you're craving hearty Korean food and want a clean, well-put-together spread, I highly recommend Cafe Dongi Yeungnam University Art Center Branch 🙌🏻
Where it is
280 Daehak-ro, Cheonma Art Center, Yeungnam University, 2nd floor of the main hall, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk, South Korea경상북도 경산시 대학로 280 영남대학교 천마아트센터 대공연장 2층 카페동이
