Boneless mackerel set meal near Wolbae E-mart, Daegu: Geumdeungeo

Every single side dish was delicious — I finally understood why so many older diners come here. Moist boneless grilled mackerel, pot rice, and homemade side dishes all laid out together. If you're looking for a hanjeongsik restaurant in Dalseo to take your parents to near Wolbae E-mart, this place was solid.

Where is Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, and where do you park?

I visited Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, located on the 3rd floor of Jincheon Food Town near Wolbae E-mart. The building has parking on floors 1, 3, and 4, and I parked on the 3rd floor. Parking on 3F was the most convenient since it leads straight into the restaurant.

Inside, the place was quite spacious and clean overall. Even though it's open hall seating, every table has an automatic blind installed, so you can lower it whenever you want and eat privately without worrying about other tables' eyes on you. I noticed older guests kept coming in throughout the meal, and I thought this would be a great spot for a meal with parents in Dalseo.

What comes with the 18,000 won pot rice set for two?

We ordered the Geumdeungeo pot rice set for two. It's ₩18,000 per person. The spread came out with more variety of side dishes than I expected.

From namul to fried eggplant, kimchi, lotus root, japchae, and salad, there were about 8 basic side dishes, and none of them felt thrown together — they were all clean and tasty overall. I really liked the side dishes here in particular. At some hanjeongsik restaurants in Daegu, aside from a few main items, there are side dishes you barely touch, but here I kept reaching for one thing after another.

What's on the self-serve banchan bar?

At Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, you can help yourself to as much extra banchan (side dishes) as you want from the self-serve bar. There was quite a variety prepared — seaweed, japchae, chili paste, doraji namul, cucumber-perilla namul, water kimchi, seaweed salad, and octopus jeotgal.

Since they're homemade side dishes, the seasoning wasn't overpowering — it had that clean, home-cooked taste I liked. I think this kind of side dish spread is exactly why so many older diners come here looking for a hanjeongsik restaurant in Wolseong-dong. They even sell your favorite side dishes separately, so next time I plan to buy some of the kimchi and side dishes I enjoyed.

Mallow doenjang soup and the two induction burners per table

The Geumdeungeo pot rice set also comes with mallow doenjang soup. Each table has two induction burners, and you put the soup on one of them to keep it simmering. It was nice to eat warm throughout the meal, and eating the savory doenjang soup together with the pot rice — that's exactly the combo Korean food should be, haha.

How was the boneless grilled mackerel?

And now, today's main event — the grilled mackerel! Above all, having it boneless made things so much easier. Even if you love fish, picking out the bones can be a hassle sometimes, but here you can just pick up a piece and eat, which seemed great for eating with kids or older family members too.

The mackerel was grilled golden on the outside but really moist inside. I also liked that it wasn't seasoned too strongly. They give you salt on the side, and dipping the mackerel meat lightly in salt added a savory saltiness that made it even more delicious. If you're looking for a grilled mackerel restaurant in Daegu, this mackerel alone would make me want to come back.

When the mackerel arrived, they turned on the second, previously empty induction burner for us, and setting the mackerel on it meant I could eat every last piece warm. These small touches were quietly satisfying.

Kkotseolgi dessert and the coffee bar at the entrance

Topping warm pot rice with a moist piece of mackerel and adding a bit of each tasty side dish made for a really filling meal. Once we finished eating, they gave us a pretty kkotseolgi (flower-shaped rice cake) for dessert.

And that's not all. At the self-serve bar by the entrance, there's a coffee machine using Starbucks beans, plus lemonade, plum tea, and sikhye, so you can handle both the meal and dessert in one place. Whether you prefer coffee or something sweet like sikhye, you can pick to your taste — good for bringing your parents along too.

Is Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch worth it for a family meal?

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch isn't just a place where the mackerel is good — the whole spread won me over. The moist boneless grilled mackerel was great, but the homemade side dishes were tasty one by one, and being able to help myself as much as I wanted at the self-serve bar was another plus.

Watching older guests keep coming in throughout the meal, I thought — of course, it's the older generation who first spots a good Korean restaurant with plenty of tasty side dishes, haha. Parking is easy, and lowering the blinds lets you eat privately, so this seems like a great spot for a family meal or a meal with parents in Dalseo.

If you're looking for a good lunch spot in Wolbae or a restaurant near Wolbae E-mart, or if you just love a well-put-together spread, Geumdeungeo is worth a visit. Next time, I plan to go back mainly to buy the kimchi and homemade side dishes I enjoyed so much.