Daegu bar for fried chicken cartilage and Asahi draft: Gyodong Nakwon

Looking for a second-round spot in Gyodong, Daegu, I ended up walking into Gyodong Nakwon because the vibe looked so good! Let me introduce this Daegu Gyodong bar with strong Japanese izakaya energy and seriously good food, too 𓂃𓈒𓏸

Where is Gyodong Nakwon, and what are its hours?

Gyodong Nakwon is a Gyodong izakaya in Jung-gu, Daegu, at 627 Gukchebosang-ro. It's open from 18:00 to 02:00, so it's great for a second round.

• Gyodong Nakwon · Gyodong bar in Daegu · Gyodong izakaya · date-night bar in Gyodong
• 📍 Location: 627 Gukchebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu
• 🕒 Hours: 18:00 - 02:00

Inside Gyodong Nakwon: what are the dachi counter seats like?

Gyodong Nakwon's interior is much bigger than it looks from outside. The space near the entrance with the dachi (counter) seats has a different feel from the dimly lit inner area.

From outside it looked like a cozy little bar, but once we walked in, it was actually way bigger than expected! The moment we stepped in I thought, wow, the vibe is amazing... ✨

The entrance area has a strong Japanese izakaya feel, and there are dachi bar seats set up! We sat at the counter that day — easy to sit side by side, and since I love this kind of atmosphere, it was totally my style :)

A bit further in there's a space with dimmed lighting, which gives a totally different feeling from the front! I think the charm of Nakwon is how different it feels depending on where you sit ◡̈

Overall the lighting is soft and the mood is great, so it's a good Gyodong, Daegu bar for a date! The interior is also bigger than expected with plenty of tables, so I'd also recommend it as a Gyodong group bar in Daegu.

Gyodong Nakwon's menu and what we ordered

Nakwon's menu ranges from nabe (hot pot) to pasta, stir-fries, and fried dishes — a proper izakaya lineup of drinking snacks! There are also plenty of light options that are perfect for a second round ◡̈

The drink selection was huge too — draft beer, soju, traditional liquor, highballs, sake — so it's great for picking whatever suits your taste. Since this was already our second round, we just ordered the dishes we were craving >_<

• Crab tomalley pasta ₩16,000
• Fried chicken cartilage ₩14,000
• Asahi draft beer ₩8,000
• Jinro soju ₩5,000

The basic side snack was crispy shrimp chips! Perfect for picking at one by one while waiting for the main dishes, haha — salty and crunchy.

First to arrive was the Asahi draft 🍺 It was seriously hot that day, and the moment that cold first sip hit, it was pure bliss 🥹 After walking around outside in the summer heat, coming into an air-conditioned izakaya and drinking cold draft beer — how good is that.. It went down fast even before the food arrived haha

How is the crab tomalley pasta at 16,000 won?

Nakwon's crab tomalley pasta is ₩16,000, and the sauce alone looks rich and clearly delicious. The deep umami of the crab tomalley soaked right into the noodles, and the first bite was so good, I nearly teared up.

The thick, rich sauce clings perfectly to the noodles, and you can really taste the distinct nutty flavor of the crab tomalley. It's the kind of sauce you want to scrape up completely! There's plenty of mushroom and crab meat in there too.

There's also shrimp and pine-cone-cut squid in it! The shrimp was springy and the squid was surprisingly tender. Eating them coated in that rich sauce was seriously delicious...

You know pasta actually goes surprisingly well with soju, right?! Even though it's a Western-style pasta, the flavor practically calls for soju, so it felt like a great pick for a second-round snack ◡̈

Fried chicken cartilage, 14,000 won: the must-order at Gyodong Nakwon

Nakwon's fried chicken cartilage is ₩14,000, and this is a dish I genuinely want to recommend. The batter outside is super crispy, but when you bite in, the cartilage inside is crunchy and chewy — that crispy-outside, chewy-inside combo is just insane.

Piling on the cabbage that comes alongside makes it taste amazing too ෆ

It's bite-sized, so it's easy to pick up one at a time, and I dipped it in the sesame salt that comes with it — salty with an extra nutty kick, absolutely heavenly 🥹 If you personally go to Nakwon, please definitely try the fried chicken cartilage, highly highly recommend it ෆ I personally loved it so much that I'll definitely order it again next time I visit..

If you're looking for a bar in Gyodong, Daegu, a Gyodong izakaya, or a good-vibe Gyodong date bar, I'd recommend Gyodong Nakwon :)