Banwoldang tuna restaurant: grilled tuna head with Mom, Jongno Darang

Why I took Mom to Jongno Darang in Jongno, Daegu

My mom loves tuna sashimi, so I took her for the bluefin course at Jongno Darang (종로다랑), a Jongno, Daegu spot known for using only premium bluefin tuna. Jongno is exactly halfway between her workplace and mine, so we often meet at Banwoldang Station, and the restaurant is only 3 minutes from the station, which is great. I'd heard the bluefin course is classy and generous, so we skipped lunch and arrived right when it opened at 3pm.

Jongno Darang hours, directions and parking

Jongno Darang is open daily from 15:00 to 1:00 am, at 46-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu. It's a 3-minute walk from Jungangno Station Exit 1 and a 5-minute walk from Banwoldang Station Exit 15.

• Subway: 3-minute walk from Jungangno Station Exit 1, 5-minute walk from Banwoldang Station Exit 15
• Bus: get off at Yakryeongsi-ap or Mangyeonggwan-geonneo, 3-minute walk
• By car: nearby Jeongdeok parking lot (₩1,500 per 30 minutes, then ₩1,500 for each additional 30 minutes)

It's in the middle of Daegu, within 5 minutes of Seomun Market, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Myeongdeok, Daegu Station, the National Debt Repayment Movement Memorial Library and 2.28 Memorial Central Park, so the sights are close before or after your meal. It sits in the middle of busy Jongno street with lots of transport options, which makes it easy to visit for dates, gatherings and company dinners.

The red sign has Jongno Darang written inside a bluefin tuna shape, which is so cute. The entrance has a line written on it that gets you hyped before you even step in.

From tuna sashimi where every slice is art to spicy hot soup, a premium course spread with explosive value

Seating at Jongno Darang: partitions and a large hall

The entrance is small, so I assumed the inside would be small too, but it stretches deep into the building and is really spacious. It's a modern, clean space in white and wood, with a red wall and black lights as accents, and you can tell the owner has a great eye for interiors.

Each table is privately partitioned, so it's quiet enough to drink in peace. It's a good Jongno, Daegu pick for a date, a family meal or a blind date.

There's a large hall further inside Jongno Darang. It fits big groups, so it's a tuna restaurant that works for year-end parties, New Year gatherings and all kinds of club get-togethers.

Jongno Darang menu and prices

The signature menu is the bluefin course at ₩50,000 per person and the bluefin + halibut course at ₩45,000 per person, both available for 2 or more people. With the bluefin course you can add herring roe tofu (₩6,000), yakisoba (₩10,000), futomaki 5 pieces (₩12,000) or anago and vegetable tempura (₩9,000).

• Available after 9pm: bluefin single plates (large/medium/small) ₩60,000-120,000
• Bluefin + halibut single plates (large/medium/small) ₩60,000-120,000
• Fruit salad ₩12,000, one whole futomaki roll ₩24,000
• Sake-steamed abalone (2 abalone) ₩16,000, fried anago ₩16,000
• Herring roe tofu ₩18,000, yakisoba ₩18,000, seafood ramyeon ₩5,000
• Soju and beer ₩5,000, highballs ₩8,000-9,000
• Bokbunja, Hwayo, Iljum Jinro, Hallasan 21, Cheonnyeon Yaksok, Hwarang, Hwayo 41, sake (Maru, Junmai, Ganbare Otokoyama), premium sake
• Soft drinks ₩2,000, lemon slices ₩2,000

We ordered the bluefin course for 2 and soju.

What comes with the bluefin course at Jongno Darang?

The course started with fruit salad and chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard), then came herring roe tofu, steamed abalone and abalone sushi, yakisoba, ankimo maki, bluefin sashimi, grilled tuna head, anago and vegetable tempura, and seafood ramyeon, in that order. That's the full bluefin course at this Jongno, Daegu favorite.

Fruit salad and chawanmushi

Fresh fruit salad: oranges, cherry tomatoes and crisp vegetables topped with Jongno Darang's house-made salad dressing. It's refreshing and great for waking up your appetite before the meal.

Chawanmushi: a Japanese steamed egg dish where egg, broth and other ingredients are mixed and gently steamed in a small teacup-like bowl. It was so soft and mild that it soothed my empty stomach.

How to eat the herring roe tofu

A staff member kindly explained how to eat the herring roe tofu, so we did exactly that. You put the tofu on a piece of seaweed first, add the spicy seasoned herring roe, then eat it with cucumber and cheongyang chili pepper. It was my first time having herring roe, and the combination with tofu and cucumber is so good. The kick of thinly sliced cheongyang pepper at the end makes it so delicious.

Steamed abalone, abalone sushi and yakisoba

Steamed abalone and abalone sushi: thickly sliced abalone comes with a sauce made from the abalone liver, plus sushi rice. It's good dipped in the liver sauce, and turned into sushi it feels like a hotel dish. The liver sauce is full of the sea, nutty and smooth, and goes so well with the steamed abalone.

Yakisoba: a soft-fried egg and a generous shower of bonito flakes sit on top. A single yakisoba costs over ₩10,000, and here it's just part of the bluefin course, so I get why this Jongno, Daegu place has such a reputation for value. Breaking the egg and eating it with the chewy, smoky noodles made a perfect meal on its own. They could open a yakisoba shop, honestly.

Ankimo maki (monkfish liver roll)

Ankimo maki is a Japanese dish; "ankimo" means monkfish liver. It's a premium ingredient made by cooking monkfish liver until chewy and soft, with a nutty, smooth, deeply savory taste. Since it's made as a maki (seaweed roll), it's as easy to enjoy as sushi or a sushi roll. The monkfish liver melts in your mouth with a rich, nutty flavor, which is why it's popular as a drinking snack or sushi item.

Bluefin sashimi at Jongno Darang: how did each cut taste?

Finally, the bluefin sashimi appeared. I'd heard Jongno Darang carefully selects only top-grade bluefin, so I had high hopes, and it beat them. I also like the simple plating that focuses on the fresh, well-made flavor of the tuna itself. There aren't many pieces, but I'd take that over fancy plating with nothing behind it.

• Lean back cut (jeoksin deungsal): fat and lean meat blend well, giving a soft yet springy texture. It melts in your mouth while staying chewy, so the texture is great. The nutty umami is strong, and tuna lovers go for it. The rich juiciness and clean taste of this cut are the best.
• Judoro: a cut with a good balance of fat and nuttiness, soft yet chewy. Umami spreads richly in your mouth and you get a clean scent of the sea.
• Nape (mokdeolmi): the balance of fat and lean meat makes it springy and chewy, and it clings nicely to your mouth. Behind the nuttiness you taste the deep flavor of clean fish.
• Belly (daebaetsal): rich in fat, it maximizes the classic nutty softness of tuna, and the more you chew, the more deep umami and sweetness come out. It's the best way to enjoy tuna sashimi.

The colors were so pretty I almost didn't want to eat it. The glossy tuna is good on its own, and wrapping it in seaweed in different ways was fun in a whole other way. I'm watching my weight, and bluefin is low in fat and calories, so I could eat it without worry, which is great. It's also soft, high-protein food, so Mom really loved it.

Grilled tuna head, anago and vegetable tempura, and seafood ramyeon

Grilled tuna head: when I picked the meat off, there was so much of it! It's crispy and full of smoky flavor outside and soft inside, perfect with drinks. The meat around the eyes and cheeks is so chewy. One shot of soju, one bite of grilled tuna head~

Anago and vegetable tempura: I was surprised that the anago (sea eel) came fried whole. This Jongno, Daegu spot really doesn't let you down. Anago is good on its own, and fried until crispy the nuttiness just explodes. The kabocha squash, shishito pepper and enoki mushroom tempura were seriously delicious too.

The seafood ramyeon finishes the course: whole scallops go in, and the spicy seafood broth let me sober up right while drinking. The bluefin course at Jongno Darang is filling even for a big-eating grown man. Everything came out neatly and wasn't salty, which I liked even more.

Honest review of the Jongno Darang bluefin course

• I went with Mom to Jongno Darang, a Jongno, Daegu favorite, for the bluefin course.
• We had the value-packed bluefin course with premium tuna sashimi, fried anago, herring roe tofu, sake-steamed abalone, salad, chawanmushi, yakisoba, grilled tuna head and seafood ramyeon.
• The tuna sashimi was so soft and fresh that you can really say the ingredients did all the work.
• With its modern interior, partitions and large hall, it suits friends, couples, family and group gatherings in Jongno, Daegu.
• Mom says next time she wants the bluefin + halibut course.