Daegu Jongno Korean BBQ with daechang and a ramen finish: Hubaldae

Hubaldae in Jongno, Daegu: the BBQ spot that flooded my DMs

This was genuinely the best barbecue I've had recently... I posted a story right after eating because it was so good, and I got flooded with DMs asking where it was haha. It tasted just as good as it looked, so I've been recommending it to everyone I know.

It's true, I couldn't even screenshot them all, this is just a fraction lol. I'd already been curious after seeing mostly glowing reviews while researching Jongno spots in Daegu, but I'd heard the wait was long so I never got around to it. I finally made a plan and went on a weekday. Maybe because it was drizzling on and off, I got seated with no wait at all.

After eating, it really was amazing and the staff were so kind too, I get why there's usually a wait. I genuinely want to go back and eat there again ㅠㅠ haha. Out of all the restaurants I've tried in Jongno, Daegu, this was the best, and the staff kindness score is a 5,000 out of 100!

Potatoes grilled with the pork belly, at no extra charge

A Hubaldae staff member grills the meat for you, and what surprised me was that they grill thinly sliced potatoes right alongside it. The potatoes soak up the fat and come out so thin and delicious. Do they charge extra for potatoes? Nope! I had them refilled twice haha.

Basil and angelica leaves come out too. Basil especially gets grilled together with the meat — I wondered if basil and meat would even go together, but it was genuinely so good ㅠㅠ.

The staff showed me how to wrap it with basil on top, and the moment I tried it I actually shrieked because it was so good haha.

Pork belly, potato and kimchi jjaglae: the wrap that works

This is the kimchi jjaglee (braised kimchi stew) you eat alongside the meat. At first I thought — basil with meat? That's such an odd combo. But once I tried it together with the kimchi jjaglee too, I immediately understood why they serve it this way haha.

The thinly sliced potatoes soak up the pork fat and are amazing on their own haha, but then you top them with basil and kimchi jjaglee, add a piece of meat dipped in sauce, and eat it all together — honestly, this was a genuinely new flavor, and it was so good I immediately understood why Hubaldae is popular haha.

Seasoned daechang grilled with chives at Hubaldae

This is the Hubaldae menu — prices are pretty reasonable, right? Portions are generous too, so at these prices... it can't possibly not be popular.

The daechang (beef intestine) came pre-seasoned. The staff grilled it deliciously together with chives. Since they grill everything for us, we just get to relax and eat haha. The daechang was genuinely delicious too, so I recommend ordering it alongside the pork belly!

The finishing ramen tastes like tantanmen, so we ordered another soju

I genuinely went back and forth on whether to order the ramen at the end (because I was so full). But if we hadn't ordered it, that would've been a real mistake haha.

It wasn't the typical ramen flavor I know — something different, and genuinely delicious. There was meat in the ramen but it wasn't greasy at all, and it had kind of a tantanmen vibe going on. Anyway, this is a flavor you have to try to understand. We ended up ordering one more bottle of soju while eating the ramen.

From the pork belly to the daechang, everything was delicious, and the ramen at the end sealed the deal. Especially the potato topped with meat, basil, and kimchi jjaglee — I don't think I'll forget that one. Next time I come back, I'm getting that exact combo again.

Who should visit Hubaldae Daegu Jongno Branch?

• Anyone looking for a barbecue restaurant in Jongno, Daegu
• Anyone who likes staff-grilled Korean barbecue
• Anyone who wants both pork belly and daechang
• Anyone who enjoys unusual meat combinations