Three sharing three set meals under ₩10,000s: Cafe Dongi, Daegu

Let me introduce Cafe Dongi Dongseong-ro Main Branch, a great spot for a hearty lunch in Dongseong-ro, Daegu.

Cafe Dongi Dongseong-ro Main Branch hours and parking

• Hours · Mon–Fri 11:00–20:30 / Sat, Sun 11:00–21:00
• No parking lot at the restaurant

A 'cafe' that's actually a Korean rice restaurant, not a coffee shop

The name includes 'cafe' but this isn't a place for coffee — it's a restaurant serving Korean set meals.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor and turned out to be bigger than I expected. The tables were spaced pretty far apart too, so we didn't feel crammed next to the neighboring table — nice and comfortable for eating.

Serious about rice: Gimpo Geumssal

Cafe Dongi says they use Gimpo Geumssal rice. I already knew good Gimpo Geumssal rice is great thanks to my favorite Gimpo Geumssal makgeolli (rice wine) haha. And true to being a place serious about rice, Cafe Dongi apparently uses grade-1 Geumssal rice grown in the DMZ's pristine Gimpo region.

The three dishes we ordered

We ordered the grilled pork bulgogi set, the grandma's octopus stir-fry Korean course set, and the bulgogi yeolmu (young radish greens) bibim set. As the names suggest, each came as a full spread with rice and side dishes, making for a pretty substantial meal. And the value was great too — all in the ₩10,000s. The bibimbap was even a new menu item, so it was on discount!

This little guy brought it to us!

Grilled pork bulgogi set

Since the pork bulgogi is direct-fire grilled, there was a subtle smoky flavor — reminiscent of Bukseong-ro style bulgogi, but the kind that goes really well with rice. Sweet and salty, but not overpowering.

Grandma's octopus stir-fry Korean course set

The Korean course set is a slightly upgraded version of the regular set. The main dish comes out warm, and it's served with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).

You can also swap it for kimchi jjigae. The stir-fried octopus wasn't chewy at all and was seasoned just right — really tasty. And that pretty pink drink that came with this dish is omija (schisandra berry) ade.

Bulgogi yeolmu bibim set

The bulgogi seemed to be the same direct-fire grilled pork from the pork bulgogi set. It's tasty on its own, but mixed with yeolmu (young radish greens) and various vegetables, the whole bowl disappeared fast. A healthy, filling bowl with a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat.

What you can grab at the self-service bar

Cafe Dongi has a separate service bar set up in one corner of the restaurant.

You can fry your own eggs, and if you're short on rice, you can get seconds too.

There was also seaweed, simple snacks, and barley gangjeong (sweet rice snack) ready to go, plus heotgae tea as a welcome tea. But there was one thing we missed here —

The seaweed doesn't come as a side dish

Make sure you grab seaweed from the self-service bar. The menu photo showed seaweed as a side dish, so I assumed it would come with the food. But when the food arrived, there was no seaweed. We just figured the menu composition had changed and ate without it — but after finishing our rice, when we went to grab some gangjeong, we discovered the seaweed at the self-service bar haha. If you love seaweed, make sure to grab some and eat it with your meal.

Works for solo diners, family outings, and office worker lunches

For anyone in Dongseong-ro looking for a place to eat solo, this seems like an easy, low-pressure spot. With a kids' menu and high chairs available, it also seemed great for family outings! Rather than flashy, over-seasoned dishes, this is a place where you can properly enjoy rice and side dishes — which made Cafe Dongi a solid fit for office workers' lunches near Dongseong-ro too.

• A hearty set meal complete with side dishes and soup
• A Bandeungdang-area Korean restaurant with plenty of menu options
• Koreans run on rice — a place generous with rice portions