Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant, ₩36,900 set for two: Cafe Dongyi

Trying to decide what to eat on a weekend evening, my baby (still in the belly, haha) signaled 'Korean food today!' so my husband and I headed to Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch, a Korean restaurant we love 😆 It's located inside the Samsung Changjo Campus. The campus itself is really well set up, so you can have a great meal and then take a walk, and if you're visiting with kids there's even a playground to spend time at :)

Where is Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch and where to park

Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch is at 51 Hoam-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, on the 1st floor of Dormitory Building E at Samsung Changjo Campus. Parking is available, and having such a spacious parking area feels like a big plus.

As a Chimsan-dong, Daegu favorite, this restaurant's parking is available and the lot is spacious — a real advantage. So many restaurants these days don't have parking, and parking stress is real 😂 Park easily, then head over to the restaurant!

The restaurant sits on the 1st floor of Dormitory Building E on the Samsung Changjo Campus — easy to find if you head from the central plaza toward the east dorm building (the one covered in ivy).

When to arrive for a weekend dinner without a long wait

Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch lets you join a remote queue through the Tabling app. Every time I've come here, there's been a wait. But the app only works once there are 2 or more parties already waiting!! If you show up without the app, you can just put your name down for a walk-in wait.

I got there a little after 6pm and there was only one party ahead of us, so we got seated quickly. By around 7pm the place was absolutely packed ㅠㅠ Timing really matters here!

There was cool heotgae tea (Korean raisin tree tea) set out outside the restaurant. Nice touch from the thoughtful owner 👍🏻 — waiting felt pleasant thanks to that, before we got seated.

Inside Cafe Dongyi and eating out with kids

Inside Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch there are about 8 tables, a mix of 2-seaters and 4-seaters. The space isn't huge, but since baby chairs are provided, you can dine comfortably even with young kids. Since we visited on a weekend, there were a lot of families around us.

Free service bar: unlimited fried eggs, five-grain rice and barley crisps

At Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch you can use the service bar for free — fried eggs, five-grain rice, seasonal drinks and barley candy, all ✨unlimited✨!!! haha, just take as much as you'll actually eat~

Every time I come here, I end up eating way too much barley candy .. 🙄 I have it as an appetizer before the meal, and then again as dessert after.

The eggs are self-serve! It's fun making them exactly the way you like 😆

Cafe Dongyi menu

You order via the tablet at the table. Spicy pork set, pork bulgogi table, jjigae dishes, yeolmu bibimbap table, and more — a proper spread of Korean dishes befitting a Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant.

Cafe Dongyi also has a separate kids' menu, which makes it even better for family visits ~!

Dongyi Big Table Set for two at 36,900 won: our review

Before eating, they gave us aprons first ~ shall we dig in?

The Dongi Big Table Set is ₩36,900 (kimchi jjigae swap +₩1,000). We ordered one set for two people! It comes with stir-fried pork + tangsuyuk + kimchi jjigae + 2 servings of yeolmu bibimbap + side dishes. We picked the big set because we wanted to try a bit of everything.

I definitely didn't have much of an appetite going in… but once the food came out, my appetite came right back 🙄

The dishes started coming out one by one, and before we knew it the table was packed! It was a really generous spread for two people. My husband finished his bibimbap and then went back to the service bar for a refill of five-grain rice ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 👍🏻

I tried the kimchi jjigae broth first — the tangy kimchi flavor came through along with a rich depth from the pork, but it wasn't too spicy or intense, just right to eat with rice. The stir-fried pork had the seasoning well soaked in, not just sitting on the surface, with a spicy-sweet flavor. And the tangsuyuk I'd been quietly looking forward to in this set — I wasn't sure it would fit a Korean table, but it actually worked really well. The batter was nicely crisp and the meat inside was clean-tasting! Dipping it in the tangy-sweet sauce made it even better.

We finished off with omija (schisandra berry) drink ~

Register your parking before you leave

Don't forget to register your parking before heading out!!! Grab your 2 hours free parking ✨ Plus there are toothpicks, and phone charging is available near the entrance.

Is Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch worth it?

• Located inside Samsung Changjo Campus, so it's easy to plan a next stop after eating
• 2 hours free parking at Samsung Changjo Economic Zone lot
• A wide range of Korean dishes with broadly likable flavors
• Great for a family outing with kids or with parents

My husband and I visited together and were happy to get to taste a variety of dishes — we're planning to come back. If you're looking for a Chimsan-dong or Korean restaurant recommendation in Daegu, I'd recommend Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch 🫡