How to order kaoyu in 4 steps at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon

Was it last month? I was on my way to run an errand near Galleria Timeworld when I kept hearing the word 'kaoyu' — turns out it was just lyrics in a song playing at the store. But I looked up thinking, wait, the kaoyu I know? And what do you know, a kaoyu restaurant had opened on the 2nd floor of a building right there!

Bantiannyao Kaoyu, which is apparently trending right now, has opened a branch in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon. So I went and checked it out!

Kaoyu is a steamed fish dish that Chinese people love, and here you get the fun of adding all sorts of vegetables and noodles as add-ins, which makes it feel fresh and different.

Inside Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch and the seating

Head up to the 2nd floor of the building and Bantiannyao Kaoyu, a well-known kaoyu spot for Chinese food in Daejeon, is right there. Once you open the door and walk in, it's surprisingly spacious inside, much more than it looks from outside.

There's a separate hall and private rooms, making it a great choice for dinners out, gatherings, or group get-togethers.

Is a reservation a must for evening waits?

Bantiannyao Kaoyu in Dunsan-dong, a favorite spot for Chinese food in Daejeon, gets more crowded at dinner than at lunch. Since way more people come for dinner and group dinners than for lunch, if you're planning to visit in the evening and don't want to wait, a reservation is a must. Both Naver Reservation and Catch Table work, so pick whichever is more convenient!

How to order kaoyu — just remember these 4 steps

Steamed fish isn't as common in Korea as grilled or braised fish, so ordering it can feel intimidating. If this is your first time ordering kaoyu, just remember this.

• Pick your steamed fish sauce
• Pick your fish (texture differs)
• Pick your noodle add-in (optional)
• Pick your side menu (optional)

There's a paper menu laid out on the table. Just follow it in order and you're good.

1) Choosing your steamed fish sauce — recommended: mala, honghuajiao

The options are mala / green Sichuan pepper / suancai (pickled mustard greens) / garlic / honghuajiao / braised mushroom / tomato / mala tripe. Personally, I recommend going with a strongly seasoned kaoyu that you eat as a side dish with rice. Also, since the fish is freshwater fish, if you're sensitive to smell, the fish can have a distinct freshwater aroma, so it's better to go with a stronger sauce. Bottom line: I recommend mala or honghuajiao. Since this was our first meal of the day, we went with honghuajiao instead of mala. (Not very spicy.)

2) Choosing your fish — texture differences

Ningbo fish / sea bass / qingjiang fish. Ningbo fish has soft, moist flesh, sea bass is firm and springy, and qingjiang fish is said to be elastic and chewy. We went with Ningbo fish since it's the most common choice.

3 & 4) Noodle add-ins and side dishes

Steps 3 and 4 are totally optional, but if you're visiting with a group, I recommend adding a noodle. We chose gungchae and fresh shrimp tofu skin. If you like adding shrimp balls to hot pot or mala tang, I'd recommend the fresh shrimp tofu skin.

The ₩2,000-per-person self bar and its sauce bar lineup

Once you've picked your kaoyu sauce, fish, and noodles, there's one last stop — the self bar!

The self bar costs ₩2,000 per person, but you get unlimited rice, soda, snacks, and access to the sauce bar. If you can, I recommend paying for the self bar too and eating your kaoyu with rice.

Peanut sauce, mala sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce — they had everything, so it was great for mixing your own dipping sauce.

Bantiannyao Kaoyu, a go-to spot for Chinese food in Daejeon, even has detailed recommended sauce combinations written out. If you're not sure what to do, I recommend just following the guide.

Honghuajiao kaoyu with Ningbo fish — our review after eating it for two

And here it comes! It's been so long since I had kaoyu — more than 10 years, maybe?

Our combo: honghuajiao kaoyu (Ningbo fish) + fresh shrimp tofu skin + gungchae + self bar. Here's the honest review!

I was curious how big the fish would actually be, and wow, it was bigger than I expected. Really big! But even so, we finished it completely without leaving anything behind. ^^ If you love kaoyu, two people can absolutely finish it.

It comes out almost fully cooked, so you can eat it right away, but I wanted it to simmer down a bit more so I waited. While waiting, they added the fresh shrimp tofu skin (you just stuff shrimp inside the tofu skin) and gungchae into every corner of the pot.

Once all the noodle add-ins were in, we brought over sauce and rice too, and it was just about perfectly timed. The kaoyu was bubbling away! I took my first bite and — yes!! This is it!!! That taste of real Chinese kaoyu I hadn't had in so long. If you love kaoyu, you absolutely have to try Bantiannyao Kaoyu, a favorite for Chinese food in Daejeon!

It's on the strongly seasoned side, so it goes perfectly with rice. Rice + kaoyu + sauce = pure bliss ^^ Just keeps going in.

They have alcohol too

To think you can now eat kaoyu in Korea this easily — that surprised me. For reference, Bantiannyao Kaoyu, a go-to Chinese restaurant in Dunsan-dong, sells soju, beer, and cheongha, plus other drinks like Yantai gaoliang liquor and Harbin beer, so it's worth pairing something with your meal.