Pork spine braise in Sinseong-dong, Daejeon: Seommaeul's ppyeo-jjim

I heard there was a famous restaurant near Jaundae in Sinseong-dong, Yuseong, Daejeon, known for 17 years for its octopus stir-fry, monkfish braise, and bone braise — so I went to check it out.

Inside Seommaeul: private rooms and a hall built for group dinners

The inside of the restaurant is quite spacious and comfortable to use, with some private rooms and a hall that's also slightly divided up — a great structure even if you're visiting as a big group for a work dinner.

What side dishes and egg custard come with the meal

These are the basic side dishes they bring out. They all looked delicious, and once I tried them, they really tasted like something you'd eat at home, which made the meal even better.

Egg custard (gyeranjjim) also comes as a basic side, and you can order more if you want. Egg custard is essential alongside the spicy main dishes.

What does Seommaeul's ppyeo-jjim taste like?

The bone braise I ordered arrived. It's quite different from what you'd typically imagine as a bone braise — it's actually more similar to agujjim (monkfish braise). The look is exactly like agujjim!!

It's packed with bean sprouts and vegetables, which let you really taste the sauce and enjoy a healthier-feeling flavor overall.

The sauce isn't overly harsh and blends well with the vegetables — the combination of crunchy texture and a light spiciness in the mouth was really good. Delicious.

How much meat is on the pork spine bones

Think of the bone braise simply as the pork spine you'd find in ppyeo-haejangguk (bone soup). If you think there won't be much meat on it, that's the wrong assumption.

Every bone has meat packed onto it, so eating the meat together with the vegetables gives you even better texture and it's really tasty.

This is Seommaeul Agujjim & Nakjibokkeum, and you can see why it's famous in Daejeon for agujjim and bone braise. I'll have to order the octopus stir-fry next time — looking at the next table, the octopus looked so plump and firm, I already want it for my next visit.

Mixing rice in the sauce and finishing with knife-cut noodles

The portion is generous and satisfying, and mixing rice into the sauce is genuinely delicious. You can order fried rice separately, or just order a bowl of plain rice and mix it in yourself — either way it completes the meal perfectly.

I ordered the knife-cut noodle (kalguksu) add-on. It's boiled first and served separately, along with sauce from the braise so you can mix it in yourself.

Once you mix it well, the sauce soaks into the noodles and it becomes delicious. The chewiness is just right, and it fills you up perfectly as the finish to a meal.

Their menus with fresh seafood are even more popular, and I think that's thanks to their know-how in making great braises and their friendliness.

Homemade sikhye to end the meal at Seommaeul

After finishing the meal, they have homemade sikhye (sweet rice punch) ready for you. I took a cup in a paper cup on my way out and tried it — genuinely delicious.

It's not just sweet or artificial-tasting, and it refreshes your mouth after eating something spicy, which made for an even more satisfying, happy meal.

Why Seommaeul also works for lunch near Jaundae and Sinseong-dong

Seommaeul is famous mainly for its monkfish braise and octopus stir-fry, but you can also get individual dishes like galbitang (short rib soup) or ppyeo-haejangguk (bone soup), so a lot of office workers came in for lunch.

If you're deciding on lunch near Jaundae or Sinseong-dong, or looking for a dish to go with drinks, or if you like seafood — this is a restaurant you have to try at least once.

Seommaeul hours, address and parking

• Address: 1163 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Closed: every Sunday