Daegu brunch café after a health checkup: warm tea and bites at Dento

I'm a working mom with two kids in the upper grades of elementary school. Between managing their after-school academy schedules and keeping up with school events, I honestly don't know where the days go. The kids have grown so much that they're busy with their own academies even on weekends, so when a rare weekday morning of little me-time opened up, I rushed out to enjoy it!

Today I'm telling you about Dento, a brunch café in Banwoldang that I stumbled on when I came to Daegu as my husband's guardian and driver for his health checkup.

Dento, the Banwoldang brunch café I found while waiting out a health checkup

It was the day of my husband's sedated endoscopy, and while waiting for the checkup to finish, I searched for a nice café nearby and found Dento, a new brunch café in Banwoldang. I had come into downtown Daegu with him as his guardian and driver.

When he came out of the endoscopy, I ordered him a warm cup of tea to soothe his stomach, and I had a cool iced latte and a surprisingly generous brunch. Eating such a lovingly made, delicious brunch all by myself felt almost sad. My first thought was that I have to come back with the kids once they're done with their academies!

Is Dento okay to visit alone?

The atmosphere at Dento is comfortable whether you come alone for brunch or on a date with your partner. When I went, besides the two of us, there were three groups of solo customers calmly enjoying their brunch.

When you're raising upper-grade elementary kids, there are times you desperately want some quiet time to yourself, right? It felt completely comfortable to come alone, eat a tasty sandwich and recharge. The food's colors are much prettier in person than in photos, and the whole space has such a moody feel that taking pictures is a lot of fun. It's also a lovely spot for a cozy date with my husband later, so I'd really recommend it to anyone looking for a Banwoldang brunch place.

In what order should you eat Dento's signature 5-bite open sandwiches?

Dento's signature dish is the 5-bite open sandwich set, and the owner recommends an order that runs from pan con tomate to triple ricotta. Dento is a new brunch café in Bongsan-dong, Daegu, just a 200m walk from Exit 9 of Banwoldang Station, so it's easy to reach, and its cozy mood was obvious from the entrance.

The food looked so pretty that I gasped the moment it arrived. Best of all, the owner kindly explained each item as it came out, right down to the order for eating them, so I felt like I was being served a fancy course meal. She said eating in this order tastes best.

• Pan con tomate
• Avocado salmon
• Romesco roasted vegetables
• Shrimp rémoulade
• Triple ricotta

Personally, my favorites were the romesco roasted vegetables, savory and bursting with umami, and the shrimp rémoulade sandwich, with its wonderfully springy shrimp. There's a great variety of toasts and sandwiches, and the portion is more generous than it looks, so I left happily full.

When should you go to Dento to avoid a wait?

Dento is a popular new brunch café, so there may be a wait on weekends and at peak times. If you want to eat at leisure and take photos comfortably, I recommend going right after opening or on a weekday morning.

Dento brunch café in Banwoldang, Daegu: info

• Address: 42-5 Bongsanmunhwa 2-gil, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• Hours: 10:00–20:00
• Directions: about 200m from Banwoldang Station Exit 9