Daejeon kaoyu restaurant, egg noodles and medium spice: Bantiannyao

What is kaoyu, and what is Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch?

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is a Chinese kaoyu restaurant in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, and this time I ordered the mala kaoyu for ₩43,000 plus the ₩2,000 self-bar for two people.

Kaoyu has finally landed in Korea~~ I fell in love with it back when I tried it in China — it felt like mala hotpot and was sooo delicious! And I heard there's kaoyu in Korea now?? So I went straight to the Daejeon branch >< Bantiannyao Kaoyu turns out to have tons of franchise locations nationwide and even worldwide! Let me show you the review right away.

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch location and hours in Dunsan-dong

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is at 13 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, 2nd floor, Unit 1, Seo-gu, Daejeon, and it's open daily 11:00–22:30.

Bantiannyao Kaoyu is on the 2nd floor! So just take the elevator or stairs up, haha. Once you're up there you'll see the entrance right away.

Inside Bantiannyao: induction burners at every table

The inside of Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is quite spacious, mostly 4-person and 2-person tables, and each table has its own induction burner so you can keep the kaoyu simmering while you eat.

The inside of Bantiannyao Kaoyu was really spacious! I didn't expect it to be this big before going in — looks like it could totally handle group dinners too?? Mostly 4-person and 2-person tables, so it seems great for couples or friends alike, haha.

First off, kaoyu is like a steamed/braised fish dish, so there's an induction burner right on the table so you can keep it simmering while you eat, haha.

How to order kaoyu at Bantiannyao, step by step

They also had a menu set up like a table stand, so it's easy to keep browsing and order more while you eat~~ First you pick which kind of kaoyu you want, then pick your fish, then pick your noodles/toppings — done!! There are also side dishes like dim sum, so if you like hotpot, adding toppings and ordering some sweet and sour pork sounds great too, haha.

Bantiannyao Kaoyu had a nice explanation of what kaoyu is, too! Looks like they use good rice and source the fish directly, and you can really feel the pride behind it, haha.

What's in the ₩2,000 self-bar at Bantiannyao?

The self-bar at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is ₩2,000 per person and gives you unlimited rice, drinks, snacks, side dishes, and a variety of sauces.

Like a hotpot restaurant, you can mix and match various sauces to make your own combo! You can go with whatever combination you like, and there's a written recommendation for the best combo too, so if you're new or unsure it's easy to just follow along, haha.

And rice — absolutely essential with kaoyu! Rice isn't an extra order either, you can refill it as much as you want, no problem. Kaoyu really needs to be eaten with white rice~ and pairing it with soda to cut through the spice is the perfect match too ><

I grabbed my own sauce combo, rice, and some of my favorite side dishes from the self-bar too, haha.

The mala kaoyu arrives: 5 more minutes on the hourglass

The mala kaoyu at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch arrives piled high in a big pot, already nearly cooked, and once the table's hourglass (about 5 minutes) runs out, a staff member comes to debone the fish for you.

The kaoyu comes out piled up like this in the pot! It's usually already nearly done cooking, but simmering it a bit more makes it even tastier, haha.

Every table has an hourglass like this! It runs for about 5 minutes, so you simmer for 5 more minutes, and once it's done the staff come over to explain and debone the fish for you, haha.

Such a striking-looking kaoyu! There are lots of flavors — if you like mala, go for mala kaoyu; if not, there's garlic, soy sauce, and more to choose from, haha.

How spicy is medium mala kaoyu? About Sinramyeon level

Since I ordered mala flavor, there were chilies piled all on top! You can also adjust the spice level — I went with medium, and it wasn't too spicy, just about as hot as Sinramyeon instant noodles, haha.

Why ningbo fish is the pick at Bantiannyao

I went with ningbo fish, and I liked that you could actually choose your fish, haha. The most popular, standard choice was ningbo fish! It was pretty big and had nice plump flesh, so there was plenty to eat!

Once the hourglass ran out, they came and prepped it for me with an explanation, haha.

They told me it was the tastiest part and placed it on my plate one piece at a time, haha. Such great service >< and so friendly too,,

Egg noodles and white rice with the mala broth

I figured I'd get full anyway so I didn't add extra noodles, but the egg noodles that came standard were like this — soft and delicious, haha. I'll have to add extra next time ><

An unmissable combo with kaoyu!! Of course you gotta eat it with rice! Put the white fish flesh right on top of the white rice~ and soak it with the broth, and it's truly a rice-thief in the best way ㅠㅠ

Is Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch worth it?

From the moment I walked in until I left, the mala aroma filled the whole place~ and the fish was plump and tender, making this such a delicious Chinese kaoyu restaurant in Daejeon — Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch! If you're looking for a great kaoyu spot, it's got to be Bantiannyao~