Korean restaurant in Suseong, Daegu: Haenyeo Sotbap's 13 dishes

I went for one pot of sotbap and ended up with a table overflowing with 13 side dishes, abalone, and eel! Lately, I’d been craving a proper meal with my family, so I visited Haenyeo Sotbap (해녀솥밥) Suseong Direct Store, a popular sotbap spot near Suseong Lake in Daegu.

From abalone sotbap topped with big pieces of abalone to glossy eel sotbap, the visuals were seriously impressive from the start. It isn’t just about the rice pots either: the 13-dish spread made with seasonal ingredients comes along too, so it felt like a lovely choice for a family meal with parents near Suseong Lake. Oh? The table was much more generous than I expected. ☺️

Location and parking

It’s on the first floor at 65 Cheongsu-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, and you can use the building’s basement parking. If the basement is full, ask the parking attendant or the counter. Parking is free for up to 1 hour 30 minutes. Hours are 11:30–21:00, with a break from 15:30–17:00; last orders are at 14:30 and 20:00.

Even the wait had a special atmosphere

When you walk in, the first thing you notice is the indoor garden, where lush trees and moss come together. Rather than feeling like a typical Korean set-menu restaurant, it was much more polished, and the space itself was so roomy that I loved the first impression. ☺️

There were quite a few people waiting when I visited, too. There’s a Catchtable kiosk at the entrance, so you can register for the wait. Recent visitor reviews also mention waits at mealtimes, so I recommend allowing a little extra time if you’re coming on a weekend or during peak hours.

A spacious hall and private rooms

Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store has high ceilings and generous spacing between tables, so it felt less crowded even with lots of diners. Warm wood-toned lighting and plants throughout created an atmosphere that was both cozy and upscale!

Best of all, there are several private rooms, making this a great place for a quiet family gathering or a meal with your parents. If you’re looking for a private-room restaurant near Suseong Lake, Haenyeo Sotbap is worth keeping an eye on. ❣️

Abalone, eel, and seafood dishes all at once

The signature dishes are Wando abalone sotbap, Jeju green tea eel sotbap, and an abalone-filled seafood ttukbaegi (earthenware stew). There are also signature sets for ₩60,000 for two, ₩90,000 for three, and ₩120,000 for four, so you can try several dishes together, from sotbap or seafood stew to butter-grilled abalone. For a family meal near Suseong Lake, it would be fun for everyone to pick their own dish, right?

The 13-dish spread before the sotbap

First, a whole table of side dishes made with seasonal ingredients arrived. There was such a variety, from tangy pickled cucumber to mung bean sprout salad, acorn jelly, salad, and salted seafood.

The mushroom tangsuyuk (crispy sweet-and-sour mushrooms) was especially addictive: crisp outside and moist inside, even though it was technically a side dish. The grilled fish was thick and nutty too, so there was plenty of fun tasting this and that before the sotbap arrived.

Eel sotbap, abalone sotbap, and abalone porridge

First up was the Jeju green tea eel sotbap. When I opened the lid, it was piled generously with beautifully glossy eel. The gently sweet and savory eel with warm rice was truly satisfying! It was also delicious to wrap the rice and eel in the seaweed that came with it. Personally, I recommend that combination. ☺️

The Wando Haenyeo abalone sotbap also caught my attention immediately with the size of the abalone. There were plenty of big, thick pieces on top, and I could see why people seek it out as a sotbap restaurant near Suseong Lake in Daegu. Warm miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) came with the rice pot too, which was nice to have between bites.

The abalone porridge was a very generous portion too. Overall, the food portions were substantial, so “filling” is exactly the right word after a meal here. Finally, there was nurungji sungnyung: pour water into the rice pot after serving the rice, wait a little, then finish with the savory scorched-rice tea. It really made me feel as though I’d had a proper meal.

I also ordered butter-grilled abalone as a side. The chewy abalone with its rich buttery flavor—oh? I was really glad I added this! If you like abalone, I think it’s worth ordering along with your meal.

A neat finish with dessert

After the meal, pomegranate and mango slushies as well as coffee were available, so we could take care of dessert in the same spot. Having a cool drink before leaving was just perfect.

Final thoughts

I thought this would be a place just for sotbap, but it was far more generous than expected, from the neat 13-dish spread to grilled fish, mushroom tangsuyuk, and abalone and eel sotbap. The space is large and private rooms are available too, making it an especially good spot for sotbap near Suseong Lake, a family meal near Suseong Lake, or a private-room restaurant near Suseong Lake!! If you’re looking for a slightly special, filling meal with your parents around Deuran-gil or Suseong Lake, how about Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store?! ☺️