Daejeon Chinese bar for suanlafen and rosé mala xiang guo: Yongju

Today I’m here to introduce a Chinese restaurant in Galma-dong that I’ve been completely obsessed with lately!! It’s Yongju (용주), the Galma-dong Chinese restaurant 😍 Ever since I found this place, my whole taste in Chinese food has changed lol🔥

Yongju’s Chinese-style atmosphere in Galma-dong

The moment I walked in, the Chinese-style feel was so strong that my heart started racing!!🇨🇳❤️🔥 The Chinese-looking magazines and posters dotted around were totally my taste💛 There was so much fun in looking over every detail of the interior that there wasn’t a second to get bored while waiting, haha.

What I ordered at Yongju

There were so many delicious-looking dishes that I agonized over it for ages,,, The dongpo pork looked good too, along with the mala shabu knife-cut noodles and the earthenware-pot black-bean-paste diced pork belly,,,🥹🖤 I seriously feel like I need to eat everything here, for real ㅇㅇ,,💕 If you like drinking, you absolutely have to come here!!! They have loads of different alcohols🍻

Here’s what we ordered that day, drumroll🥁

• Suanlafen (hot-and-sour glass noodle soup)
• Rosé mala xiang guo (ordered as a side set!)
• Garlic mayo cream shrimp
• Scorched-rice guobaorou (sweet-and-sour fried pork)
• Cola (bottled cola)

Just the lineup had me totally excited already lol😍

A little sip of water first🩵

From suanlafen to cream shrimp: my menu review

Let’s take in the full spread first❤️🔥

My first suanlafen and rosé mala xiang guo

Suanlafen was actually something I tried for the first time here!! I already like malatang, so I ordered it half out of curiosity and half out of anticipation. It felt like a clear broth version of malatang without the peanut sauce, so it went down so easily!!❤️ It’s basically a glass noodle soup, but it was generously loaded with tofu skin, bean sprouts, sliced beef belly, napa cabbage, and more, so the combination was seriously greatㅠㅠ It wasn’t the kind of heat that upsets your stomach—it was pleasantly numbing and spicy, with this addictive flavor that kept me scooping up the broth🍲

I also felt like I made such a good call with the rosé mala xiang guo. It had a colorful mix of sliced beef belly, scallions, bean sprouts, bok choy, and lotus-root glass noodles. The rich rosé cream went so well with every single ingredient that I just kept reaching for it…🧡 I’d barely had rosé mala xiang guo before, but the added wok char made it absolutely dreamy🥹

Guobaorou with a scorched-rice aroma

The guobaorou had that crispy-chewy texture and was full of a scorched-rice aroma, the kind of flavor that made me happy the instant I took a bite. The sauce was ridiculously good too—tangy, sweet, and savory—so I kept reaching for more😆

Garlic mayo cream shrimp

The garlic mayo cream shrimp wasn’t just any cream sauce—it was garlic mayo cream, so it was absolutely perfect for a garlic lover like me. The shrimp were plump and fresh too, so I really hope everyone tries thisㅠㅠ When things started to feel a little heavy, I refreshed with the lettuce that came alongside it and could keep eating to my heart’s content🦐

And everyone, this is such a great tip: our table was right in front of the kitchen where the owner cooks, so we filmed our food while watching the owner’s fire show live lol🔥 Watching those hands at work, I could tell the skills were no joke,, Whether it was the rosé mala xiang guo, guobaorou, or cream shrimp, every sauce was thoughtfully and deliciously made, and I kept being amazed as I ate. Even the cola came in a bottle, which was a vibe all on its own🥤

Self-serve sauces and thoughtful touches

Another plus was being able to make your own dipping sauce at the self-service bar!! The soy sauce was tasty, and the peanut sauce was honestly incredible. There’s even a spin-the-wheel review event, so you might want to keep that in mind🎡

Chinese food can leave your mouth numb and feeling a little unpleasant afterward, so I was shocked when I went to the bathroom,,,, They even had mouthwash providedㅠㅠ This kind of thoughtful consideration made me even more satisfied🥺🤍

Why I recommend Yongju for Chinese food in Galma-dong

This is somewhere I sincerely want to recommend to anyone looking for Chinese food in Galma-dong!!!🔥 The menu is so well put together, and you can feel the care in every sauce—it was the kind of great restaurant that kept making me think about coming back next time😻 If you’re wondering where to go for Chinese food in Galma-dong, I highly, highly recommend Yongju!!😝