Solo grilled octopus platter and taste-size tangsuyuk: Cafe Dongi

Banwoldang Korean food after every dental visit

Cafe Dongi is the Banwoldang spot I end up at every single time after a dental appointment.

Location and entrance

It's on the 2nd floor of the building right next to Boyv Brazil and Yeopgi Tteokbokki on Dongseong-ro! Take the elevator up and the entrance is right there.

What's the seating like? Partition seats, group tables, window seats

Most of the interior seats are separated by partitions, which made it even better for eating.

Good for visiting with family and kids, since there's even a kids' menu — I'd recommend this if you're looking for a family-friendly restaurant on Dongseong-ro!

Here's the waiting area! I basically arrived like an opening rush after my dental treatment, and seats fill up fast once lunchtime hits.

The group table in the back! You can reserve ahead if you're coming as a group.

Window seats! The space is wide and there are plenty of seats laid out generously, so you can eat comfortably.

Membership and the office worker meal pass

You can sign up for Cafe Dongi's membership — first sign-up gets you a free tangsuyuk coupon and 5% points back. There's also a prepaid meal pass exclusively for office workers. If you work nearby, Cafe Dongi is a total recommend for reasonably priced Korean food!

My favorite — the nuruk (fermentation starter)-aged tangsuyuk! I made sure to order it again this time.

Menu lineup and prices

Cafe Dongi mainly serves Korean food, so a basic set comes with side dishes, a main, jjigae (stew), and rice. And the prices are really reasonable — you can get a proper Korean meal for under ₩10,000.

The sides available include mini kimchi jeon, meat meatballs, king prawn tempura, tangsuyuk, and juicy fried mandu!

The summer season menu, yeolmu (young radish) bibimbap set, is currently on a new-menu special discount~

There are three solo hot-plate sets available: direct-fire jeyuk, jjukkumi (octopus), and bulgogi hanjeongsik. My personal pick among them is the jjukkumi~

There's even a set kids can eat, with a menu for ages 3-7..!

What's at the self-bar?

Self-bar

With reasonably priced menus plus a self-bar you can use, I honestly wonder if Dongi is even making a profit..?

The fried egg zone! A menu item I love so much~ It pairs well with any Korean dish, so you can cook it up however you like.

Hutgae tea and filtered water are available at the self-bar too. The hutgae tea is really so good☆

And finally, there's barley candy for dessert and roasted seaweed to eat with rice. Rice refills are unlimited~

Grilled jjukkumi + taste-size tangsuyuk

With the mindset of "I deserve this after dental treatment, I have to eat well no matter what," I got the grilled jjukkumi hot-plate set with a taste-size tangsuyuk added on~

The grilled jjukkumi is plump and fresh, seasoned just right so it's not too intense but has an addictive sauce flavor~ I loved it on my last visit so I ordered it again this time!

Grilled jjukkumi, three side dishes, sauce, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and rice.

The taste-size tangsuyuk comes with fried tteok (rice cake), tangsuyuk, and a truly refreshing dipping sauce on the side.

Stir-fried anchovies, dried radish, and pickles! And the jjukkumi sauce — nutty, smooth, and pairs so well with the octopus~~

The doenjang jjigae passes with flying colors, no question. A set worth two bowls of rice.

The sauce isn't too spicy, and this dish is a can't-go-wrong combo, so if you love jjukkumi it's a must..♡ I'll definitely have it again next time.

Is the tangsuyuk portion okay for eating alone?

The tangsuyuk~ genuinely crispy and chewy, great texture, and the fried tteok cooked alongside it is a total delicacy too.

And especially this sauce is really tangy and not too heavy, which lets the fried food's flavor stand out even more.

If you're dining solo, ordering the taste-size tangsuyuk is just right, and it also seems fine to order one to split between two people!

The jjukkumi is delicious dipped in sauce or wrapped in roasted seaweed too. So good. I want to eat it again.

Finished it off with barley candy~ Ate dessert properly too. Can't believe I just came from dental treatment. Cafe Dongi, a Banwoldang favorite for Korean food!