Coworker lunch in Daegu: medium braised cod head, Pyeongsang Myeonok

What kind of restaurant is Pyeongsang Myeonok, by Duryu Station exit 17?

Pyeongsang Myeonok Sotbap Bansang Duryu Negeori Branch is a Korean restaurant serving sotbap (hot pot rice) and bansang (set meals) at 1763 Dalgubeol-daero, Seo-gu, Daegu, right on the main road at the Duryu Station intersection. The Duryu Station-Duryu intersection I pass every day on my commute has such an unusual shape — like an island surrounded by crosswalks, if that makes sense. Past that island, there are a few big restaurants along one side of the main road. I'd always thought I should try one someday, and finally did with my coworkers on a lunch break. Here's the review.

Do you need a reservation for weekday lunch at Pyeongsang Myeonok?

We booked ahead through Naver for a Monday 12pm lunch. Even though it was a weekday afternoon, the place was so packed that we might not have gotten a seat without the reservation. That's probably proof it's a good restaurant, right?

What three coworkers ordered: the medium braised Daegu cod head

There were three of us, and we ordered

medium braised Daegu cod head

They recommended the small size for two people and the medium for three, so we went with medium plus three bowls of rice.

There was also bossam in small, medium, and large sizes. Most of the people around us were eating

the set meals. The person next to us was enjoying theirs so much that I think I'll try the grilled mackerel bansang next time.

The dining room was full of customers. Thanks to booking ahead, we could eat right away without waiting.

Five basic side dishes came out.

How the braised cod head tastes — "tteokbokki for grown-ups"

The star of today: braised Daegu cod head!!!!

The sauce was glossy and shiny, and the moment we took a bite, we all shouted the same thing: "This is tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) for grown-ups" hahahahahaha. I know pretty much every good restaurant near the Seo-gu district office in Daegu — there's a braised-dish place near there that we love. I can't say the name, but this sauce was much less spicy and much better than that place's.

The steamed cod head served in a full spread is also a treat.

Doenjang (soybean paste) came out alongside it too. The pairing of the clean-tasting steamed cod and the doenjang wasn't bad at all. Though I did think it would've been even better with a bit more of the chunky bits mixed in.

I guess that just means it was that delicious.

The real kick: three big pieces of tofu in the medium size

In the braised cod, it wasn't just the fish — the tofu was the real kicker. Taking a bite of tofu that had soaked up all that rich sauce was, without much exaggeration, even better than meat.

It was good enough that I'd believe you if you told me this place was famous specifically for braised tofu. The medium size came with three big pieces of tofu, so we shared them nicely.

The green onions were sweet and delicious too.

The fish itself was clean-tasting and chewy.

The flesh was big and hearty too.

There was also radish and potato in there — almost like a variety gift set, feels like? The radish, potato, and tofu were just as good as the Daegu cod itself. Even though the rice portion was pretty large, we mixed it all in and cleaned every last grain. To give you an idea of how much we enjoyed it....

we really, truly left nothing behind........ mixed it all in and ate every bit.......... hahahahahaha. There used to be food here? Not anymore.

What was the tea in the water bottle? Hutgae (raisin tree) tea

And Pyeongsang Myeonok! Turns out it's also a spot with great water, who knew? The chilled tea in the bottle was so good that my coworker and I put our heads together trying to guess — buckwheat tea? Cassia seed tea? — until we finally asked the owner when we paid.

Turns out it was hutgae (raisin tree) tea. A cup of hutgae tea after the meal cut through the richness completely, leaving my mouth feeling fresh all the way to the end. Pyeongsang Myeonok, a must-eat near Duryu Station! Revisit intention: 1000%! It was a delicious meal ♥

Visiting info: Pyeongsang Myeonok Sotbap Bansang Duryu Negeori Branch

• Address: 1763 Dalgubeol-daero, Seo-gu, Daegu, South Korea (89m, 1 min walk from Duryu Station exit 17)
• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00 / break time 15:30-16:30 (weekdays only, excluding weekends and holidays) / last order 20:10
• Parking: Available, free private lot in front of the restaurant for about 8 cars
• One-line verdict: With neat sotbap (hot pot rice) and warm bansang (set meals) together, this is a solid spot at the Duryu intersection for a filling family meal before or after a trip to E-World or Duryu Park