All-you-can-eat rice bar at Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch, Daegu

I wanted something clean and comforting in Korean food with my family, so we visited Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch, a well-known spot in Chimsan-dong, Daegu. The three of us went at 11am. Since it was a bit before lunch rush, we got seated right away — but the place was already nearly full when we walked in!

Overall the food and the space felt clean and tidy, and the rice was all-you-can-eat so we left full. Here's my review of Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch.

Location and how to find Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch

Address: 51 Hoam-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, South Korea, Dormitory Building E, 1st floor, Samsung Changjo Campus

Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch sits inside Samsung Changjo Campus in Daegu. You'll see big lettering reading "Daegu Intangible Heritage Education Center" on the upper part of the building, and the Cafe Dongyi entrance is at the corner of the 1st floor. Since this isn't a typical standalone restaurant building, you might walk right past it on your first visit — but look for the Cafe Dongyi sign board and the blue menu board and you'll spot it easily.

For parking, use the Samsung Changjo Campus lot. When we visited, we registered our car after the meal and got 2 hours free, which made it an easy family outing.

How does the waitlist work?

If the restaurant is busy, you can register for the waitlist and they'll message you on KakaoTalk. If waiting gets boring, you can take a loop around the Changjo complex and come back, which was convenient.

For those waiting, they even had cold hekge tea (raisin tree tea) set out outside. This kind of small thoughtfulness for guests really showed Cafe Dongyi's warmth — it might seem minor, but details like this leave a good impression.

Inside Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch

Inside, tables run in a long row along the window, and the wood-tone furniture pairs nicely with the tiled floor. Rather than flashy, it feels like a comfortable home-style restaurant. Going in at 11am, we sat right away with no wait, and we watched more guests trickle in as we ate.

Toward the back there's an open kitchen where you can watch the cooking happen. Being able to see your order come together partway through made the place feel friendlier.

All-you-can-eat rice and fried egg self-serve bar

On one side of the restaurant there's a well-stocked self-serve bar with rice, seaweed, fried eggs, barley crunch snacks, water, and hekge tea. The unlimited rice is great for anyone wanting to eat hearty. You can even fry your own egg to your preferred doneness, whether soft or hard yolk.

Ordering via table tablet

Each table has a KT Hi Order tablet installed. You can order and pay right from your seat, no need to hold a menu and wait to flag someone down.

We got our basic side dishes ready at the self-serve bar before the food arrived. Roasted seaweed and soy sauce were on hand, and just wrapping the five-grain rice in seaweed with a bit of soy sauce was so clean-tasting and savory, haha^^

What our family of three ordered, and the prices

We ordered four dishes in total.

• Grilled jeyuk set (직화제육 한정식밥상) — ₩12,900
• Bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap set — ₩9,900
• Dongyi grilled pork bulgogi set — ₩9,900
• Mini sweet and sour pork — ₩9,900

Bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap set — ₩9,900

This bibimbap (mixed rice bowl) came in a big bowl generously loaded with bulgogi, yeolmu (young radish greens), sprouts, seaweed flakes, and egg garnish.

One side was piled with savory-looking bulgogi, the other with yeolmu and greens. The red sauce came on the side so you could adjust the amount to your taste. The sweet-savory bulgogi sauce combined with the fresh crunch of the yeolmu and sprouts kept it from feeling heavy.

The seaweed soup that came with it was also generously filled — sipping it between bites of bibimbap cleansed the palate nicely.

With more vegetables than a meat-only bibimbap, the overall flavor felt clean. I'd recommend adding the sauce little by little rather than all at once, to control the seasoning.

Grilled jeyuk set over a charcoal brazier — ₩12,900

The grilled jeyuk (spicy grilled pork) came out on a hot brazier, so it stayed warm the whole time we ate. Red sauce coated the meat evenly, and it was topped generously with sprouts. Mushrooms and vegetables were mixed in with the meat too, so there was fun in picking through it. Eating the spicy sauce, tender meat, and crunchy sprouts together, the flavors balanced really well.

The grilled jeyuk was served on a hot brazier, so it stayed warm until the very end. The red sauce soaked moistly into the meat, and you could see some parts nicely charred, which looked appetizing.

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) was also clean-tasting and paired well with rice.

Dongyi grilled pork bulgogi set — ₩9,900

My son's order, the Dongyi grilled pork bulgogi, came out as thinly grilled pork with shredded cabbage on one big plate. If the grilled jeyuk is about enjoying red, spicy sauce, this pork bulgogi is better for enjoying a sweeter, saltier sauce. Since the meat is thin, the sauce coats it evenly, and stir-fried with onion it stayed moist and easy to eat. As expected, an elementary schooler always loves bulgogi^^

Dongyi sweet and sour pork, mini — ₩9,900

Ordering just the main rice sets felt a little lacking, so we added the mini sweet and sour pork to try. Even as the mini size, the pieces were big, so it was easy for the family to share a few each.

The batter had a nice rough, bumpy texture and a good crunch. Cutting one in half, there was a thick piece of meat inside the batter.

Overall the food was clean and neatly presented, and with both spicy and sweet dishes on the menu, it was easy to order to suit everyone's taste in the family.

Parking at Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch

Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch offers 2 hours of free parking with a meal. But to get the free parking, you need to register your car number yourself at the in-store kiosk, so make sure to do that before you leave.

On the side, there were several types of phone charging cables available too — being able to charge comfortably while eating was another small touch that showed they were thinking of guests.

Overall the food was clean and neatly presented, and with both spicy and sweet dishes on the menu, it was easy to order to suit everyone's taste in the family. I'd recommend it if you want a hearty Korean meal at a reasonable price in Chimsan-dong, Daegu~