Taejeon-dong katsu spot in Daegu: half-and-half tonkatsu, Myeonsikdang

Wouldn't it be perfect if we always ate well and only good things happened to us? Always having only good things happen is a near-impossible ask, but always eating something delicious? That one's actually within reach. So today I went to a delicious restaurant.

Myeonsikdang Daegu Bogeondae hours and how to find it in Taejeon-dong

Myeonsikdang Daegu Bogeondae is on the 1st floor of a commercial building at 18 Yeongsong-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, South Korea. It's open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, with last order at 20:20.

• Daily 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Break time Monday–Friday 15:30–16:30
• No break time Saturday–Sunday

My-taste-approved Myeonsikdang!! Let's take a look around~

Myeonsikdang is a franchise built around crowd-pleasing Japanese-style dishes and noodles — nothing polarizing, and a big point in its favor is that they make their own noodles fresh, plus the sheer variety on the menu. The set menu in particular shines here: for under ₩30,000, two people get one main and one side each, plus a choice of ade, and it's a genuinely generous spread.

The waiting-area chairs really left an impression on me.

What's on the menu and what the restaurant looks like inside

The menu at Myeonsikdang Daegu Bogeondae is huge — ramen, soba, tonkatsu, rice bowls, you name it. This is a place where you can enjoy a really wide range of dishes, right?

I went right at opening time and the sunlight glare was intense. 😭😭😭 You can see the window seats that are perfect for solo diners.

The cute Shin-chan figure and other dolls seem to be saying, eat up and enjoy!

The restroom is clean and separated by gender, which I appreciated.

The side dishes and aprons were stacked generously, as if worried there wouldn't be enough. There's still a lot of warm hospitality left in this country. 💗💗💗

Since I went right at opening, I was able to comfortably photograph the whole restaurant. But before our first dish even arrived, customers started streaming in and filling up table after table — by the time we left, people were even waiting in the waiting area.

The inside of the restaurant was really spotless. Here's what we ordered!

How the half-and-half tonkatsu and kimchi butadon actually tasted

At Myeonsikdang Daegu Bogeondae we ordered the half-and-half tonkatsu, kimchi pork bowl (buta-don), and an ade. A few extra charges came in, but even so, all that food came to just over ₩30,000. The half-and-half tonkatsu was split between a cheddar-loaded cutlet and a spicy scallion cutlet.

The spicy scallion tonkatsu had a slightly spicy sauce piled high with scallions, and even I, someone who can't handle spice well, could eat it just fine. We couldn't even finish the ade between the two of us — they're very generous here. 🙏🙏🙏

Since it was breakfast-slash-lunch for both of us and we wanted rice, we ordered the pork bowl — but the kimchi pork bowl turned out to be way bigger than expected... Didn't I say let's just order one noodle dish?? I shriveled up under the murderous glare of the friend's kid who came along.

What stuck with me was the incredible smoky char on the meat, which paired beautifully with the mixed vegetables and stir-fried kimchi. This buta-don is the kind of dish you want to mix together and dig into — a great choice for the first meal of the day. Rice, vegetables, meat... I don't think even a top nutritionist could design a better balanced meal. Carbs, protein, fat, and vegetables, all evenly packed in. 😁😁😁

The thick tonkatsu also plays a huge part. The half-and-half tonkatsu was made up of a double-cheddar cutlet, where the rich, savory cheddar wraps around the meat, and a spicy scallion cutlet that lands a punch with its spicy sauce and scallions. The salty cheddar seemed to amplify the savoriness of the pork loin, and the spicy sauce brought out the sweetness of the scallions.

The tonkatsu looked so thick while I was eating that I tried to photograph it solo, and it came out shaky, but you can still see it, right? Being an independent type might just end up making you all dizzy. I should get myself a selfie stick. I guess I'm at the age where my hands shake now too... 🤣🤣🤣

This was clearly real natural mozzarella cheese. A mouthful of thick meat and stretchy mozzarella together is pure bliss. If you're a fan of Japanese-style cheese tonkatsu, you have to try this. You'll fall in love all over again.

Is Myeonsikdang good for groups? Plus where to park

My take on Myeonsikdang~~ At first I was a bit lost with how many menu items there were — what should I even order? But after we finished what we ordered, more dishes kept coming out anyway.

On a rainy day, warm ramen or soba; on a hungry day, something filling like tonkatsu or a rice bowl — all at an affordable price. I thought this place covers all bases. The friend I brought along was thrilled to discover a new go-to spot. With three kids, picking a restaurant that's both good value and easy to order from is genuinely a struggle, but Myeonsikdang checks the value box without question.

I especially thought this is a great spot for groups with different tastes, since everyone can pick what they want. And as I mentioned, the set menu is really cheap, so oddly enough, the more people you bring, the less it costs per person. On top of that, the new store is spotlessly clean — the kitchen is even open-style, which tells you they're confident about cleanliness.

Myeonsikdang really has a lot going for it. If there's a downside, it's that parking right by the restaurant can be risky, so they say it's safer to park a bit further down, in the alley below Taejeon Library or near the park. (Parking right by the restaurant is possible between 12 and 2pm.)

If you're ever debating where to eat around Taejeon-dong in Daegu, I'd recommend giving Myeonsikdang a try.