Daegu tuna restaurant: abalone sushi and eel tempura at Jongno Darang

What is Jongno Darang like?

I visited Jongno Darang (종로다랑) because I'd heard you can get a good-value bluefin tuna course in Jongno, Daegu. I liked that they use only premium bluefin, so I went right at opening time, full of expectations.

Jongno Darang location and hours

Jongno Darang sits on the main Jongno street in Daegu, so it was easy to find. It's close to Banwoldang Station, which makes it convenient by public transport, and you can stroll around Dongseongno and 2.28 Memorial Central Park before or after your meal, so I'd recommend it for dates and get-togethers too.

• Hours: 15:00-01:00 (last order 00:00)
• Address: 46-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• Reservations available on Naver

What are the interior and seating like?

The inside of Jongno Darang has a clean white-and-wood interior with partitioned tables and a group area at the back. It was much bigger inside than it looks from the street.

White and wood blend nicely, and the accent lighting adds an upscale feel. The tables are spaced comfortably and the partitions let you eat in peace.

At the back there's a large space for groups, which looks great for company dinners, family gatherings and other meetups. The whole place felt calm and private, so it was easy to focus on conversation, and I think it suits important meals too 🙌

Menu and when à la carte ordering opens

The menu at Jongno Darang centers on bluefin tuna courses, and à la carte dishes can be ordered from 9 pm. It seems like a good place to drop in lightly late at night, too.

There's a wide drinks list too: sake, soju, beer, highballs and more, so you can pair them with the tuna. It works well for both a meal and a drinking session.

What starters come with the ₩50,000 bluefin course for two?

The Jongno Darang bluefin course (₩50,000 for two) starts with chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard) and a salad. The chawanmushi came first, and its soft texture was really impressive.

It was warm and mild, easy to enjoy, and perfect for settling the stomach before the course really begins 💛

The salad was generously piled with cherry tomatoes, banana and fresh greens. The fresh dressing tied it together and woke up the appetite, a light start before the main bluefin.

How do you eat the herring roe tofu?

The herring roe tofu at Jongno Darang is eaten on a sheet of seaweed topped with tofu, spicy seasoned herring roe, cucumber and cheongyang chili pepper. The staff explained the best way to eat it, so I followed along~ The mix of textures and flavors was really good.

The popping herring roe went well with the mild tofu, and with the crunchy cucumber and the gentle heat of the chili at the end, I kept reaching for more.

Abalone sushi and yakisoba

For the abalone sushi in the course, thick slices of abalone go on sushi rice with an abalone liver sauce. The abalone was chewy yet tender, and the savory liver sauce made the umami even richer.

Eating it on the rice as sushi felt even more luxurious. The deep ocean aroma and richness of the liver sauce paired well with the abalone, and it was especially memorable among the course dishes.

Next came the yakisoba. Topped with a soft-boiled egg and a heap of bonito flakes, it looked delicious on sight, and I thought the course was really well put together. Breaking the egg and eating it with the chewy, smoky noodles was so good! The savory sauce and egg went together nicely, it felt like a hearty meal on its own, and the quality rivaled a yakisoba specialist, which impressed me.

Which bluefin cuts come as the main?

The main bluefin in the Jongno Darang course comes arranged by cut: back meat (deungsal), fatty belly (daebaetsal), navel meat (baekkopsal) and throat (ulttae). The vivid color alone showed how fresh it was! 😍

I also liked the clean plating, focused on the bluefin itself rather than flashy decoration. It felt like they win on good ingredients with nothing extra, which made me trust it more.

Each cut had its own texture and flavor, so tasting them one by one was fun.

• Back meat (deungsal): mild yet chewy, very appealing
• Fatty belly (daebaetsal): rich, melt-in-your-mouth savoriness
• Navel meat (baekkopsal): savory flavor balanced with a chewy texture
• Throat (ulttae): springy texture and deep umami

How to enjoy the bluefin

The bluefin at Jongno Darang had plenty of true tuna flavor even on its own, and wrapped in seaweed it had a different charm. The soft, savory taste wasn't heavy, so I enjoyed it to the very end 😋

Put on sushi rice as tuna sushi, it's different again~ Being able to enjoy it in several combinations, rather than just one way, made it even more satisfying.

Grilled tuna head, mulhoe, conger eel tempura and seafood ramen

Later in the Jongno Darang course come grilled tuna head, mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), conger eel tempura and seafood ramen. When I picked the meat off the grilled tuna head, there were way more edible parts than I expected.

The outside was golden with a faint smoky aroma, and the inside was moist and tender, getting more savory the more I chewed. Mild yet deeply umami, it'd be great as a drinking snack, I think.

The mulhoe, served after plenty of bluefin, cleansed the palate. The sweet-and-sour broth was loaded with fresh raw fish and vegetables, and it was refreshing.

Then came the conger eel tempura! The crisp outside and moist flesh were a nice contrast, and the savory flavor deepened as I chewed. The sweet pumpkin, shishito peppers and enoki mushroom tempura served with it were all fried crisp and satisfying. The tempura let the ingredients' own flavors shine, so it wasn't greasy, and it paired well with the bluefin course for an even fuller meal.

The course ended with spicy seafood ramen. Loaded with seafood, the broth was cool yet kicking, and it was a perfect finish. It was easy to enjoy even after a hearty meal, so I was satisfied right to the end.

Overall verdict on the Jongno Darang bluefin course

The Jongno Darang bluefin course for two was well put together and generous, filling and satisfying~!! Every dish came out neatly, satisfaction stayed high throughout, and the seasoning wasn't overpowering, so the ingredients' own flavors came through. If you want to properly taste a variety of bluefin cuts, this is a place I'd like to visit again 😊🙌