Daejeon Korean restaurant for basil cream sujebi: Usul

I had been curious after seeing it under construction as I passed by. Then I saw the fusion Korean menu, got even more curious, and the food looked so pretty too—so I went!

Usul in Daehung-dong: location and parking

Usul, a great fusion Korean lunch spot in Daehung-dong, Daejeon, is on the first floor of the Twosome Place building opposite Daehung-dong Lifelong Learning Center. They support three hours of parking in the building, which was so nice. Parking in Daehung-dong is tough and paid, so having building parking was a real plus!

And the very best part: they operate with no break time! These days it feels like every restaurant has one, which is always a shame, so I was happy to find Usul—a place with no break time and alcohol, meaning daytime drinks are possible too? >_<

Spacious seating in warm wood tones

True to its fusion Korean concept, Usul has an interior with warm wood tones and a hanok-inspired feel. There are bar seats and four-person tables, but above all, I loved the generous spacing and the large tables!!! Small tables are so uncomfortable for me ㅠ.ㅠ They even have a space to wait in, which really shows the owner’s thoughtfulness.

The fusion Korean dishes we ordered

Usul’s main focus is fusion Korean food: gochujang yukhoe tofu-skin rolls, shrimp potato pancake, basil cream sujebi, peanut chogye bibim noodles, gomtang, shiitake ink fritters, and fried chili peppers. They all seemed good both as a meal and with drinks. I was especially curious about the gomtang, but it was such a hot item that it had already sold out by lunch! We ordered the gochujang yukhoe and tofu-skin rolls, basil doenjang cream sujebi, and Chodang corn shrimp potato pancake!

The basic sides were garlic scapes and aged kimchi~

Gochujang yukhoe and tofu-skin rolls, basil doenjang cream sujebi, and Chodang corn shrimp potato pancake! Everything came quickly, and best of all, it arrived all at once, so it was great for photos~~~ The owner is quick with their hands too—good!

The gochujang yukhoe tofu-skin roll combination

Gochujang yukhoe and tofu-skin rolls! This seems to be one of Usul’s signature dishes, and I ordered it because I was curious about the rolls. I already love inari sushi, so I wanted to know what Usul’s own tofu-skin rolls would taste like.

The tofu-skin rolls contain aged kimchi, egg, and perilla leaf, and the balance was incredible? I’m going to recreate these at home exactly like this. I always used rice or ground beef, but adding aged kimchi and perilla leaf was seriously delicious! The perilla aroma was especially good-good, and I loved the texture from the kimchi too. And especially the gochujang yukhoe... the seasoning was insane. One bite and I could taste how fresh the beef was, while the seasoning was so good I kept reaching for more. Topped with the tofu skin and wasabi, it was a great combination. More than a lunch or dinner dish, this is something that would be perfect with a drink.

Rich basil doenjang cream sujebi

Basil doenjang cream sujebi (hand-torn dough soup). I love both basil and sujebi, so this was one dish I absolutely had to order! I was curious—doenjang in it? What would that taste like? In the end, I was so glad I ordered this one too!!!

It includes doenjang, basil, mushrooms, sujebi, and house-made jambon ham. Basil doenjang??? I was so curious about the flavor, but it makes more sense to think of it as basil cream sujebi rather than something strongly doenjang-scented. It was thick and rich with a basil aroma... truly delicious. That richness was exactly what I wanted! Eating it with the jambon and mushrooms gave it great texture, and the cream flavor was the best~~~

Oh, and there was such a generous amount of sauce, which I loved! Dipping the potato pancake in it was a great pairing, and I thought ordering a side like garlic bread would be nice too!!!! The sujebi was chewy, and I especially loved the mushrooms and jambon~~

Chodang corn shrimp potato pancake loaded with toppings

Chodang corn shrimp potato pancake! I thought it would simply be a potato pancake sprinkled with Chodang sweet corn, but no... I had no idea it would come with this many generous toppings! It was piled high with basil, shrimp, ricotta cheese, and Chodang corn. There is just no way it could taste bad.

The potato pancake comes with garlic sauce and hot sauce. There are so many kinds of garlic sauce, right? I was happy because this was the Banollim-style garlic sauce I love. It’s my favorite kind of garlic sauce.

It was generosity itself... among the potato pancakes I’ve eaten lately, this one had the most incredible toppings. The pancake itself was super crisp, and it was truly delicious while warm. The cream cheese can get a little rich after a few bites, but dipping it in the garlic sauce and hot sauce made it so tasty.

The little pops of Chodang corn as you bite into it were great too, and honestly, just looking at the toppings, it was a dish that could not possibly be bad—so, so delicious!!! I was so full that I left one piece... but it is still a flavor I think about now. I can’t forget that crisp texture.

Recommended from lunch through drinks

Usul, a great restaurant in Daehung-dong, Daejeon! I loved that it stays open from lunch with no break time, and the atmosphere, food, and kindness of the owners were all wonderful too! Whenever I eat several dishes, people ask what my top pick was, but that day everything was so delicious that I couldn’t even choose one!!!!! I loved trying dishes I don’t usually encounter, true to the fusion Korean concept, and every single one felt carefully considered and made. The flavor, atmosphere, and location are all really good, so everyone, go after visiting Seongsimdang!!!!! You won’t regret this restaurant!!!!! Great for a meal, great with drinks—I recommend it as both a Daehung-dong restaurant and a Daehung-dong drinking spot.