Daegu Korean restaurant near Banwoldang: 5-min wait, squid-pork

Sizzling on the hot plate, smoky fire-grilled flavor exploding, with a savory soybean stew on the side

Where does everyone go for really good pork stir-fry near Banwoldang? Whenever I'm craving it, there's one place my feet head to without hesitation — my personal go-to spot I want to introduce as a Banwoldang Korean restaurant: Banwoldang Bujasikdang (반월당부자식당).

Usually I go for the classic fire-grilled pork stir-fry, but this time I wanted something new. I ordered the squid-and-pork stir-fry, which lets you have both smoky hot-plate squid and pork together. Today I'll walk you through the atmosphere, menu, and taste of this Banwoldang Korean restaurant in detail.

Location and exterior of Banwoldang Bujasikdang

Bujasikdang sits in an alley across from Daegu's The Hyundai department store, so it's not hard to find. It's about a 2-3 minute walk from the Banwoldang Station underground shopping center exit, so accessibility is good too. That makes it a great option for anyone looking for restaurants near Daegu's The Hyundai.

How long was the weekday evening wait?

This is already a well-known, truly popular Banwoldang spot, so waiting is basically a given! We visited around 6:30pm on a weekday and there was one party ahead of us, so we waited about 5 minutes before getting seated. Lunchtime waits tend to run longer, so if you're planning a visit, registering ahead with Tabling might be a good idea.

As a leading spot in Jung-gu, the food satisfaction here makes the wait totally worth it — it's also a place that often comes to mind when I'm looking for a good Banwoldang lunch spot.

Looking at the wall covered in autographs, it turns out even soccer players are regulars here — a real autograph hotspot!

Interior, rooms, and the lettuce self-serve bar

The interior has that cozy, homey Korean restaurant feel, and besides the hall tables there's also a separate room-style space off to one side. It looked great for private meals or small gatherings. When I visited, the hall was completely full — there's clearly a reason this place keeps being loved as a Banwoldang Korean restaurant.

Looking toward the kitchen while walking around, I caught a flashy fire show in full swing. Watching ingredients get tossed and seared in an instant over high flames, I understood exactly why Bujasikdang has that signature deep, smoky flavor!

There's also a self-serve bar with fresh lettuce for wraps, help yourself to as much as you want.

Menu and prices

Signature menu (soybean stew included / rice sold separately)

• Buja short rib (min. 2 people) — ₩14,000 per person
• NEW hot-plate fire-grilled squid-pork stir-fry — ₩14,000
• Fire-grilled squid stir-fry (min. 2 people / mild or spicy) — ₩13,000 per person
• Fire-grilled pork stir-fry (min. 2 people / mild or spicy) — ₩12,000 per person
• Solo menu: soybean stew & bibimbap — ₩10,500

What we ordered that day

• Hot-plate fire-grilled squid-pork stir-fry for 2 — ₩14,000 × 2
• Rice — ₩1,000 × 2
• Total — ₩30,000

The hot-plate squid-pork stir-fry, starting with the side dishes

After ordering, the side dishes came out — instead of the fried burdock that usually shows up during daytime visits, this evening we got a cabbage salad with a refreshing dressing, maybe because it was evening, or maybe the side dishes had just changed! Alongside it came crisp radish salad, mung bean sprouts, stir-fried seaweed stem, and pickled onion — a generous spread.

And finally, the main dish we'd been waiting for — the hot-plate squid-pork stir-fry arrives!

On a sizzling hot plate sits spicy stir-fried pork and squid, generously topped with enoki mushrooms. Doesn't it already look like it's giving off that smoky fire flavor?

You tuck the enoki mushrooms underneath the hot plate so they wilt down a bit.

As the mushrooms wilt underneath the plate, the sweet-and-spicy smoky sauce from the pork and squid soaks into them, leaving them moist and flavorful. This is honestly an underrated delicacy.

How's the squid texture?

The squid was really thick and plump, and you could feel that bouncy texture the moment you bit in. It wasn't chewy, but moist, and it paired really well with the sweet-and-spicy sauce. I came for pork stir-fry near Banwoldang but got to properly enjoy the squid too — glad I went with the squid-pork combo.

Taste of the fire-grilled pork

The pork was tender and soft, with no gamey smell. Most importantly, being properly seared over high flame, the smoky flavor went deep into the meat — that's the highlight! With a sweet-spicy sauce plus that deep fire-grilled aroma, it went perfectly with rice. If you're looking for a Banwoldang Korean restaurant where you'll want to properly finish a bowl of rice, this kind of fire-grilled dish is exactly it.

The squid alone is delicious, and the pork alone is excellent, but piling both onto a lettuce wrap together really finishes off a bowl of rice in no time.

DIY bibimbap with black rice

The rice at Bujasikdang comes as nutty black rice, which adds even more depth of flavor.

Into the bowl provided, you scoop black rice, then generously add the bean sprouts and radish salad from the side dishes, plus plenty of the smoky squid and pork stir-fry. Mix it all with a spoon, and — DIY bibimbap complete!

The chewy squid, tender pork, and crunchy vegetables came together in a really nice texture combo. I'm a big fan of seaweed stem too, so the extra chewy, crunchy bite from that made it even better.

And since the bibimbap can get a bit spicy, sipping a little of the savory soybean stew that comes as a free side smooths out the heat nicely. The distinct nutty flavor of the fermented soybean paste cleans the palate, so you keep eating without ever getting tired of it, right to the last bite.

Looking for a pork stir-fry spot near Banwoldang?

If you're near Daegu's The Hyundai and want a satisfying, proper Korean meal, this is a place I'd recommend without hesitation. There's clearly a reason customers keep lining up here. Once you try that sweet-spicy smoky flavor, you can't help but keep coming back — a true go-to spot. Next time you're craving a hearty, well-put-together Korean meal near Banwoldang, be sure to stop by Bujasikdang :)