Doan-dong, Daejeon pollock restaurant, weekday dinner: Myeongtaerang

Maybe it's the weather going back and forth lately, but I had a strange craving for something spicy and hearty, a proper Korean dish. One weekday evening I was wondering what to eat, and one place came to mind.

It's Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch (명태랑 류명호 본점), near Hare Hare in Doan-dong. Honestly, braised pollock and braised half-dried pollock (kodari) are everywhere, with lots of chains, so I didn't expect much. But when I actually went, I walked out happy with the much cleaner atmosphere than I expected and the deep flavor of the sauce, haha. The pollock was tender and the seasoning had soaked right in, so I kept wanting more rice. So here's my honest review for anyone looking for a proper braised pollock place in Doan-dong!

Where is Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch, and where can you park?

Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch is at 51-5 Doandong-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, 1st floor, and there are four parking spots beside the restaurant. It's near Doan-dong Café Street so it wasn't hard to find, and the famous Hare Hare bakery is nearby, so it's a great spot to follow your meal with a bread run, haha. We visited on a weekday evening and there were quite a few customers, including families.

There are four parking spots beside the restaurant. Depending on the situation, you can also use the stream side or nearby parking. It was a convenient location for anyone looking for a meal in Doan-dong.

What is Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch like inside?

The best thing when I first walked in was how clean the place is.

This is the menu. When you think of a braised pollock place you might picture something a bit old-fashioned, but this one is bright and pleasant overall, which I liked.

The tables weren't cramped, and it's a good space for a family meal. There's also a space at the back suited to groups, so it looked good for gatherings too. Above all, maybe because the owner runs it personally, they explained the food kindly and treated customers warmly, so we had a really pleasant meal, haha.

What we ordered and which spice level we chose

We ordered the small spicy braised pollock (₩30,000) and seed hotteok nurungji (₩5,000). The braised pollock can be adjusted across 5 spice levels, and we chose level 3, the medium and safest option.

If you're good with spicy food it might feel a little mild, but for us it was just right for enjoying the food. It wasn't just heat; it was a spiciness with real savory depth, so we kept reaching for more, haha.

How does the spicy braised pollock taste? Tender fish and siraegi

The braised pollock finally arrived! Big pieces of pollock came piled generously with siraegi (dried radish greens) and bean sprouts. The first thing I liked was how tender the pollock was.

Sometimes at braised pollock places the fish is dry or the sauce just sits on the surface, but here the seasoning had soaked all the way into the flesh, and it tasted great.

The spicy-sweet sauce went really well with rice, and the siraegi had soaked up the seasoning so well it was every bit as good as the pollock. Personally, the siraegi was the real treat, haha.

Why wrap braised pollock in gim (dried seaweed)?

Braised pollock is best with laver (gim), of course! Put a piece of pollock on the laver, add a little siraegi and sauce, and take a bite... it was truly a rice thief (a dish that makes you eat endless rice), lol.

The nuttiness of the laver, the spicy sauce and the tender pollock all come together, so you just keep eating. I really recommend wrapping it in laver instead of eating it plain.

Is the 5,000 won seed hotteok nurungji worth adding?

I was told seed hotteok nurungji (crispy scorched rice with a seed filling, like hotteok) is a specialty of Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho, so I ordered out of curiosity. To get straight to the point: glad I did, haha. There are nutty seeds inside the crispy nurungji, so it's tasty even on its own,

and dipping it in the braised pollock sauce gives it a different charm. Sweet, nutty flavor comes in between the spicy sauce, and the combination worked. At ₩5,000 it's not a burden either, so I recommend adding one when you visit.

Side dishes and the self-service bar

Not just the main dish: the side dishes were satisfying too. The selection isn't flashy, but each one was neatly prepared and went well with the braised pollock.

There's also a self-bar, so you can easily grab more of any side dish you run out of, and the whole place felt well kept and clean. Taste matters at a restaurant, but so does hygiene, and I was happy on that front.

Is Myeongtaerang good for a weekday dinner in Doan-dong?

On a weekday evening, Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch had a relaxed, pleasant mood. I imagine weekends bring lots of families, while weekday evenings feel a bit more comfortable for eating. It seems like a good place for a day you crave something spicy, or want a hearty meal after work.

Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch opening hours and closing day

• Address: 51-5 Doandong-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon (1st floor)
• Hours: 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Closed: every Thursday

I recommend checking that they're open before you go :)

After dinner, on to Hare Hare: a Doan-dong date course

Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho is near Doan-dong Café Street, so it's easy to visit a nearby café after eating. Next time we'd like to stop by Hare Hare after the meal and take some bread home, haha. A tasty meal plus a sweet dessert would make a perfect date course.

Why I'd go back to Myeongtaerang

I'd always assumed braised pollock tastes about the same wherever you eat it, but this time it stuck with me because of the sauce and the tender pollock. Wrapping pollock and siraegi in laver was the best, and the seed hotteok nurungji was a nicer treat than I expected, haha. We cleared every last bit of food that day and left very satisfied.

With the owner's kind service on top, it was a really pleasant meal, and I'd like to return next time I crave spicy Korean food :) If you're looking for a good braised pollock place in Doan-dong, I recommend Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch!