Suseong Daegu Korean restaurant with ssam bar: Banwoldang

Today I visited Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch (반월당부자식당 수성점), a great place to stop by when you want a hearty Korean set meal in Suseong. Since “Banwoldang” is in the name, it is easy to mistake the location, but the branch I visited is the Suseong Branch!

There was space to park along the road directly in front of the restaurant, so it was convenient to visit by car. Parking is free for 1 hour if you have your receipt!

It was a clear, sunny day, so I happily headed in for a meal.

Inside the restaurant and how to order

The interior was neat and comfortably maintained. Warm wood-toned tables were set up cleanly, and every table had a tablet ordering device, making it easy to take my time looking through the menu and order.

The menu includes seokgalbi (stone-grilled marinated ribs), fire-grilled squid-and-pork stir-fry, fire-grilled squid stir-fry, and fire-grilled spicy pork stir-fry. It is a substantial set-up, with cheonggukjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) included when you order a main dish. Black rice is served separately.

We settled on seokgalbi, the restaurant's signature dish.

Fire-grilling and the self-serve ssam vegetable bar

One side of the kitchen was visible through glass, and I could see the owner tossing meat in a wok over high heat. Watching the flames leap up beyond the window made me expect the meat to be deeply infused with that fire-grilled aroma even before the meal arrived.

There was also a neatly arranged self-serve ssam vegetable bar in one corner of the restaurant. Baskets and plates were organized, while the refrigerator was generously stocked with crisp, fresh lettuce, ssamjang (seasoned soybean dipping paste), garlic, and chili peppers. I love wrapping meat in ssam, so it was really nice to take as much as I needed without feeling self-conscious.

A full seokgalbi spread with cheonggukjang stew

Before long, a satisfying full spread arrived with our seokgalbi. The side dishes were neatly served: seasoned bean sprouts, fresh radish salad, stir-fried dried shrimp, and seasoned vegetables. The savory black rice also made it feel like they had put real care into the meal.

The cheonggukjang stew, full of tofu, enoki mushrooms, and green onion, sat on a burner and bubbled away. The broth was not overly salty, with a savory, deep flavor that was delicious even simply mixed into the rice.

Trying the smoky seokgalbi as a ssam wrap

The main dish, seokgalbi, arrived on a sizzling hot stone plate with onions, piled high with shredded scallions.

The gentle fire-grilled aroma that spread as soon as it was set on the table was memorable. The seasoning was not excessively sweet, had soaked nicely into the meat, and the texture was tender, so it was perfectly seasoned even on its own.

Next, I made a big wrap with fresh lettuce from the self-serve bar, a little black rice, seokgalbi, shredded scallions, garlic, chili pepper, and ssamjang. The crisp, fresh vegetables went wonderfully with the gently sweet meat carrying that fire-grilled flavor. The sharpness of the scallions brought out the meat's flavor, so I could enjoy it deliciously without getting tired of it until the end.

On the way out, I noticed 20 kg sacks of “Goseong Jeongseongmiso Custom Rice” stacked neatly on one side of the restaurant. It made me think this was a place that pays attention to ingredients even in each bowl of rice served to guests. There was also vending-machine coffee by the exit for dessert, so I finished with a nice palate cleanser!

Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch was a satisfying place for smoky, fire-grilled seokgalbi, unlimited fresh ssam vegetables, and savory cheonggukjang. With its clean space and substantial food selection, it is a good place to visit when you want a neat, well-rounded meal.