Lunch with Dad at Cafe Dong-i, a Sicheol, Daegu Korean restaurant

I went to Cafe Dong-i, a tasty home-style Korean restaurant near Sinmae Market! I recommend it if you're looking for a neat, proper home-cooked meal.

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol location and parking

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol is right there as soon as you come up from the public parking lot next to Sinmae Market, so it's really easy to find by car, and it's close to Sinmae Station too, so public transport works great. The Sinmae Market public parking lot gives you 1 hour free, which is nice. I just love places that are easy to park at, haha.

Lunch wait and the barley tea dispenser

After 12:00 the wait was already bustling. At the lunch peak you may have to wait a little.

The waiting area is outside, so it can get hot, right? T_T But Cafe Dong-i has a mini water dispenser out front. It's not plain water, it's chilled barley tea (hotgae-cha), which is really good for rehydrating. Little touches like this are small moments of delight.

Cafe Dong-i Sicheol has its own membership, with a birthday coupon, a first-visit coupon and all sorts of events. It's so generous that if you do a little searching before you come, there are several things besides the meal you can get for free. Don't miss this tip!

They even have their own mission statement, haha. It seems to be the resolve of the owner and staff? Kindness is a given, and giving people a moving experience is the motto of Cafe Dong-i Sicheol!

There's a barley tea dispenser at the entrance too, and you can take barley gangjeong (sweet puffed barley snack) to eat as well! The sweet, nutty gangjeong is also sold separately.

Self-serve bar with unlimited fried eggs, multigrain rice and gim

The best thing about Cafe Dong-i Sicheol! Fried eggs, multigrain rice and gim are all unlimited refills. Who refills things at restaurants these days? T_T You can refill it all yourself, so even big eaters will be totally satisfied.

A fried egg with a sprinkle of salt is delicious even with plain rice. Cafe Dong-i Sicheol prepares things a little tastier and more generously, and we can only say thank you, haha.

Kiosk ordering and what we picked

You can order and pay at the kiosk! The staff call button lets you send common requests, which felt thoughtful. We ordered the jjukkumi set, the mini tangsuyuk, the bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap and the jeyuk set!

Good to know when going with kids

Another thoughtful touch at Cafe Dong-i Sicheol: the baby seaweed soup is free........ And there's a 4,900 won set for ages 3 to 7 with bulgogi and tangsuyuk as the side dishes. For parents of little ones, picking a menu at an ordinary restaurant is awkward, but Cafe Dong-i Sicheol even has a separate kids' menu, so it's double the delight..

A table full of set meals

Ta-da! A table filled with carefully prepared set meals, haha. Let me introduce them one by one.

Mini tangsuyuk sampler

First, the sampler tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) is 2 to 3 pieces, but they bring tongs and scissors, and once you cut it up the amount is surprisingly decent. Dipping the crispy tangsuyuk in the sweet, savory sauce is a treat.

Bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap

I picked the bulgogi yeolmu bibimbap (with young radish kimchi) from the summer menu! Mix the sweetness of the bulgogi with the crunchy young radish, then take a bite with the perilla seed seaweed soup, and that's a proper health boost, hehe.

Grandma jjukkumi set

This is the grandma jjukkumi (spicy stir-fried small octopus) set! It came on a mini grill? so it stayed hot until we finished. The jjukkumi has a strong smoky grill flavor, so it's good even with just rice, but be sure to dip it in the homemade mayonnaise sauce T_T The flavor is something else.

It also comes with tofu doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), so it's a hearty meal. Good thing the rice is unlimited, hehe.

Jeyuk set

The jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) set, which my picky-eater dad finished just right, haha. Maybe the seasoning was so good, but he ate every bit of the cabbage, lol. Scoop up a big spoonful of the smoky jeyuk with rice and try it. And those 3 side dishes! They went really well with every menu item, and I was happy with them.

Who we recommend it to

A Sicheol spot you should definitely stop by when you're at Sinmae Market or Gosan Library! I recommend Cafe Dong-i Sicheol for family meals and solo diners alike :)