Baby-friendly Korean set meals with kids' bulgogi at Cafe Dong-i

It was Saturday, and we were on our way to an outlet mall to buy baby clothes. Wanting a clean Korean set meal before heading out, I looked around and landed on Cafe Dong-i Sicheol as a good spot to visit with a baby. I'd been to Cafe Dong-i before and remembered being really satisfied, so I wanted to go again.

What kind of place is Cafe Dong-i Sicheol?

What I liked about Cafe Dong-i Sicheol is that everyone can order their own individual set meal, and fried egg, five-grain rice, seaweed, and barley candy are all unlimited refills.

Is it close to Sinmae Station? What about parking?

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol is located near Sinmae Market. It's fairly close to Sinmae Station, so it's easy to reach by public transit, and if you drive, there's a public parking lot right in front of the market you can use conveniently. It's free for 1 hour Monday through Friday, and fully free on weekends and holidays.

I was worried parking might be difficult since it's near a market, but having the public lot right out front made it convenient. If accessibility and parking matter when you're looking for a lunch spot near Sinmae Station, this could be a solid choice.

Right in front of the restaurant, there's a spot to enjoy a cool cup of hutgae tea (Korean raisin tree tea) on a hot day.

We went early, so luckily there was no wait, but by the time we finished eating there was a line. I'd recommend visiting a bit earlier.

The atmosphere

Walking inside, the overall vibe was clean and warm. The tables were well arranged, and it felt like a restaurant where anyone from solo diners to families could comfortably visit. Even though it has 'cafe' in the name, it's not a coffee shop — think of it more as a Korean restaurant specializing in tidy home-style meals.

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol menu board

The menu had a huge variety — jeyuk bokkeum (stir-fried spicy pork), pork bulgogi, doenjang jjigae, kimchi jjigae, Japanese curry, spicy octopus, and more. The best menu is the charcoal-grilled pork jeyuk set meal for ₩12,900. I'd had this before on a previous visit and really recommend it — it has a deep charred flavor and is sweet and spicy, and I remember enjoying it a lot.

Since every dish comes as a neat individual set, it's great that my husband and I can each order what we're in the mood for even if our tastes differ. There's a savory zucchini doenjang jjigae set and a kimchi jjigae set made by a 40-year kimchi master, and if you want something heartier, the spicy octopus stir-fry served in a personal hot pot or the charcoal-grilled pork jeyuk set are also good options.

The unlimited refill zone

After we ordered, they fried an egg for us right away.

It was unlimited, but we kept it modest — one egg each.

Seaweed and five-grain rice were also unlimited refills — and having seaweed on hand made this a really great place to bring a baby.

Receipt review event

They're running various promotions too.

Crispy whole shrimp Japanese curry set

My husband ordered the crispy whole shrimp Japanese curry set. It's soft Japanese curry served with crispy fried whole shrimp. Curry alone can be a bit plain, but adding the fried shrimp makes it feel much more filling.

The combination of crispy-outside, plump-inside shrimp and soft curry works well. If you're looking for a mild, easy meal rather than something spicy and intense, I'd recommend this.

Spicy octopus set, swapped to kimchi jjigae

The spicy octopus set I ordered — I wanted something spicy that day.

It normally comes with doenjang jjigae, but you can switch it to kimchi jjigae for an extra ₩1,000.

Maybe because it's made by a 40-year kimchi master, the broth was rich — total rice thief.

The octopus was well seasoned with a sweet-spicy sauce and had a nice tender bite. Dipping it in the accompanying sauce doubled the flavor!

If you like spicy food, I recommend Cafe Dong-i's spicy octopus set.

Why it's great to visit with a baby: the kids' bulgogi set

Finally, the bulgogi set for our baby. It's rare to find a restaurant with a proper kids' menu, so this was a real plus about Cafe Dong-i. That's probably why I saw quite a few other customers dining with babies too. There are baby chairs, so you can eat comfortably with a little one.

We also tried the meat-fried mandu as a side dish. At ₩4,900, it wasn't a big expense.

A place with everything from tidy home-style set meals to a menu for babies and kids. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Sicheol or a lunch spot near Sinmae Station, I recommend Cafe Dong-i Sicheol!

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol info

• Name: Cafe Dong-i Sicheol
• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (break time 14:30 - 16:30)
• Closed: None
• Parking: Available
• Takeout: Available
• Delivery: Available
• Reservations: Available