Jung-gu Daegu Korean restaurant parking and weekday wait: Banwoldang

Banwoldang Bujasikdang, famous as a Korean restaurant near Banwoldang! It's popular enough to have a wait, so I was curious and went to check it out.

This restaurant near Banwoldang Station has two locations — the Suseong branch and the original in Namsan-dong. I went to the one closer to Banwoldang Station.

How long is the wait at 11:30 on a weekday, and where do you park?

I arrived around 11:30 and there was already a wait... How early do people even come?! At this rate, isn't this basically an opening run? haha. I was even more surprised to see the line was longer when I left.

Parking at Banwoldang Bujasikdang is limited to just 3 spots in front of the restaurant. I walked since it's close to home, so I didn't need parking, but if you're driving, wouldn't it be smarter to just use a nearby paid lot from the start?

Right as you walk in, you see autographs from celebrities! Lots of photos too, and it seemed like a lot of athletes come here. Maybe because both the pork stir-fry and squid stir-fry are packed with protein? haha. I'm not really into sports, so I didn't recognize many names — proof of my own ignorance, lol.

What to order: fire-grilled squid-pork stir-fry and glutinous black rice

Of course they have beer and soju, but I'll hold off on daytime drinking... If you come in the evening, this would be perfect with beer!!! Just thinking about it sounds nice haha.

When I went, there were 3 teams ahead, so we ordered before even registering for the wait. We ordered the fire-grilled squid-pork stir-fry and 2 bowls of glutinous black rice. The countryside cheonggukjang comes included by default, so no need to order it separately. The cheonggukjang bibimbap set also looked good for lunch. My Korean-food-loving heart was pounding.

The spoons and chopsticks come individually wrapped, which is hygienic. Even with the place packed and busy, the staff moved quickly and the store was well managed — impressive.

Side dishes and the self-serve ssam bar

I'm not sure what this fried side dish was, but it was so good I had it twice. The rest — bean sprouts, radish — are great for mixing with the pork stir-fry, and they taste good too. The portions were a bit small, so refills are basically required if you're mixing them into your rice. The self-serve bar only had ssam vegetables, so you have to ask staff for anything else.

It took a while for the food to come out at this Korean restaurant near Banwoldang. But some waiting is worth it for good food! With the place so packed, I was curious just how good it could be. It looked so well put together just from the presentation. If you love Korean food, you have to try this place!!!!!

Enoki mushrooms on the stone plate and choosing your spice level

These enoki mushrooms are meant to be cooked together on the hot plate. They come out sizzling, and if you tuck them under the meat, they cook quickly. That red seasoning looks so good ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ. You can also choose your spice level, so you can order it just the way you like.

The ssam vegetables are self-serve. Wrapping it up with a cheongyang chili — so, so good. Just the right amount of spicy for an old-lady palate like mine 🩷

They even have high chairs. I should come back with all four of us next time~

Aprons are self-serve too. It's so good you might get lost in eating and spill something, so put one on.

Cheonggukjang stew with black rice

Doenjang jjigae... how does it taste this good?! Maybe because it's made with cheonggukjang, the savory depth is next level. I love Korean food so much that plain soybean paste alone can finish off a bowl of rice for me, and with this salty, savory stew alongside glossy black rice, it's pure happiness ㅠㅠ

The squid-pork stir-fry, ordered spicy

The squid-pork stir-fry. I'm not usually a fan of squid, but this was the first time I've ever enjoyed it this much. I ordered it spicy and it was packed with savory depth, an absolute rice-thief ㅠㅠㅠㅠ. The meat was tender too, and the seasoning was so good I'll definitely be back. With plenty of both squid and pork, it's really filling!

Mixing in bean sprouts and radish and eating it every which way, wrapped in ssam or not, it's all delicious.... it completely melts away stress, it's so good ㅠㅠ. When you wrap it, adding a cheongyang chili gives you a nice, pleasant kick of heat that clears right through your mouth.

If you love Korean food, you absolutely have to try this Korean restaurant near Banwoldang, Bujasikdang!!! Their meal kit looks good too, so I should give that a try soon :) The end.