Daejeon braised pollock restaurant: Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho

I visited Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch (명태랑 류명호 본점) while looking for a hearty meal in Doan-dong, Daejeon. While searching for somewhere to eat with Dad, I came across this well-known braised pollock spot in Doan-dong. They serve not only braised pollock but also frozen pollock soup and grilled mackerel, so it looked like a nice choice for a family meal or dining with a larger group too!

Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch hours and parking

11:00–21:30 (closed Thursdays) 15:00–17:00 (break time) 20:30 (last order) It is on the café street by the stream in Doan-dong's dining area. You can park beside the restaurant or at Yongsoro Park L&S Parking Lot.

As soon as I stepped inside, I had a good first impression: it was spacious and neat. Rather than feeling crowded or stuffy, it had an atmosphere where you could relax over a meal. Braised pollock is naturally a popular family dish, and the comfortable setting made me think it would be a good place to bring your parents too.

Ordering small braised pollock and seed hotteok nurungji

Today I ordered the signature small braised pollock plus seed hotteok nurungji—scorched rice with seeds and the sweetness of hotteok, a Korean filled pancake. I had heard the seed hotteok nurungji was famous as a great pairing! You can choose the braised pollock size according to your group, and since Dad and I were visiting as two, I ordered the small.

After ordering and waiting a little, the braised pollock arrived piled high with spicy sauce. Just looking at it made me think of rice and started my mouth watering >_<

Braised pollock with rice and spicy sauce

The sauce is important with braised pollock, and this sauce was so good. It had soaked nicely into the pollock, so I picked off the flesh and mixed it with the seed hotteok nurungji. Delicious!

Sweet and nutty seed hotteok nurungji

One of the dishes I was most excited for at Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho was the seed hotteok nurungji. Unlike ordinary nurungji, it contains seeds, giving it a nutty flavor and texture with every bite. It also has the added sweetness of hotteok, making it perfect after spicy food!

Since the sauce itself is fairly spicy, it went better with rice than eating the pollock on its own. Put some pollock flesh over rice, and the spicy sauce and mild fish come together so well. Braised pollock can be hard to keep eating if the sauce is only too hot, but with rice, the seasoning felt just right and I kept reaching for more.

It was also good to put rice and a little pollock flesh on gim (roasted seaweed). If the spice feels like too much, eat it with bean sprouts—their crunch is a great match. This braised pollock is the kind of dish that makes rice disappear!

If you are looking for a good place in Doan-dong when you are craving spicy braised pollock, I recommend Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch! My dad was very satisfied too, haha.

After a filling meal of spicy braised pollock, finishing with the sweet and nutty seed hotteok nurungji made the whole meal feel properly complete 😊