Dunsan-dong kaoyu restaurant with private room for babies: Bantiannyao

A world-famous chain, Bantiannyao Kaoyu, has opened a branch in Daejeon! Kaoyu was a totally unfamiliar dish to me — honestly I only just learned about it haha. Apparently they have 1,300 locations worldwide?

The visuals alone were so overwhelming that I rushed over to try it. You could really tell they put a lot of care into customer service and cleanliness, so I finished the meal in a good mood and wanted to write this up haha.

Where is Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch, and what is the room like?

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is located right behind Galleria Department Store in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon. The store is on the 2nd floor, and there's an elevator too.

I thought the lunch solo-dining set was such a novel idea that I snapped a photo of the storefront sign.

What is on the menu at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon?

The store is quite spacious and pretty clean. Every table had its own kaoyu-specific induction burner.

Isn't it clever that the table mat doubles as a menu haha.

Kaoyu prices and the eight broth flavors

Kaoyu is ₩43,000 per tray, and you can choose from several flavors: mala kaoyu, qinghuajiao kaoyu, honghuajiao kaoyu, tomato kaoyu, hongshao mushroom kaoyu, suancai kaoyu, garlic kaoyu, and garlic kaoyu (cheongyang pepper). Mala tripe kaoyu is ₩55,000!

First you pick the spice level and flavor, and since I figured the portion would be big, I decided to try it first before adding any noodle toppings. The fish that day was only ningbo fish — a species I'd never seen before, so I was a bit worried, but it was very soft and chewy with great balance, so I was satisfied.

The reference menu for the various noodle toppings!

The 2,000 won self-bar: unlimited sauces, rice and drinks

The self-bar is right by the entrance. You have to add ₩2,000 per person, but you get unlimited rice and drinks too, which feels like an amazing deal! There's even a recommended sauce recipe posted.

Rice paper is also unlimited, and they suggested different ways to enjoy it — dipping in the broth, wrapping spring-roll style, or eating it as a noodle topping. I'd always wanted to try it as a noodle topping but kept forgetting haha. Cooked just right, it had a chewy texture reminiscent of thin Chinese glass noodles.

There were a lot of customers, but the sauce bar was kept impressively clean. Any spilled sauce was wiped up right away without being left sitting haha.

Cheonchu, Chinese soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut sauce

Chili sauce, oyster sauce, layu (spicy chili oil), mala sauce, mayu (numbing oil), crushed peanuts, salt, sugar

Cheongyang chili, minced garlic, chopped green onion, chwidubu (stinky tofu), chive powder. There were also mountain chili peppers and special zhacai as side dishes.

I made and tried each of the recommended sauces one by one: Banti secret sauce, spicy chili sauce, savory peanut sauce, and heartfelt garlic sauce. I liked the peanut-based sauce best, while my husband's favorite was the garlic sauce.

What does qinghuajiao kaoyu taste like?

The star dish finally arrived! The fish was so huge its tail stuck out beyond the giant induction grill! The visual is truly overwhelming haha.

It bubbled away as it cooked—

Once the timer's up, you call a staff member and they'll debone and prep it for you! With expert hands they quickly finished the prep and set out big chunks of fish on our plates one by one.

Can you see how thick and plump the flesh is? It's tender yet still has a subtly chewy texture — genuinely delicious.

Not a hint of dryness — such a moist braised fish! But it's totally Chinese-style spicy 🌶 Since I ordered qinghuajiao, the heat comes from cheongyang chili, so it's clean, with the numbing mayu flavor taking the lead.

Knife-cut noodle topping and draft beer

The base broth was so delicious that I figured adding a noodle topping to the rich broth from this giant fish would be amazing, so I added dao xiao mian (knife-cut noodles) haha.

That salty-savory flavor is total beer bait...! I had a nice cold draft beer alongside it.

Free ice cream bars for dessert

Being served ice cream for dessert was such a nice touch ♥️ Candy bar, melona, yomamdae, ssangssangbar, lemon-lime bar, and even brulee bar. It's not cheap ice cream but real brand-name stuff, which made it even better haha.

Is Bantiannyao Kaoyu okay to visit with a baby?

The qinghuajiao kaoyu from Bantiannyao Kaoyu was perfect from the visuals to the taste and portion! It's a bold, intensely flavored dish, but there's something about steamed fish that feels nourishing and special, which I loved. The chunks of fish are big and easy to eat, so I'd recommend it as a date spot too.

We came with our baby, and even though our party was small, they still went out of their way to seat us in a private room — I was really touched by that consideration haha. We had a delicious meal again today ♥️