Daeheung-dong, Daejeon pub for craft lager and three dishes: Usul

Recommended fusion Korean restaurant in Daejeon < Daeheung-dong pub Usul >

Today I visited a fusion Korean restaurant in Daeheung-dong, Daejeon. I was curious about dishes that go beyond the usual Korean food I eat, so let me introduce Usul, a Jungang-ro Station spot in Daejeon that's full of familiar Korean ingredients reimagined in new ways.

Usul hours, location, and parking info

Usul is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 to 21:00, with last order at 20:00, and closed every Monday. It's located at 1F 109, 48 Jungang-ro138beon-gil, Jung-gu, Daejeon, and diners get 3 hours of free parking in the building's basement lot.

Storefront Usul is located in Daeheung-dong, close to Jungang-ro Station in Daejeon!

It's also not far from the Sungsimdang flagship store and Eunungjeongi Street, so it's easy to visit for dinner after buying bread at Sungsimdang, or to continue a date here after walking around Eunhaeng-dong and Daeheung-dong! After the meal there are plenty of cafés and pubs nearby too, so it's a great spot for a day you have plans in Daeheung-dong.

The atmosphere inside Usul

Walking in, I got a cute yet upscale feel. It's a tasteful Korean-style pub, great for enjoying food and drinks while chatting.

Usul even has hair ties, mouthwash, and toothpicks on hand!!

The Usul menu and the three dishes we ordered

Usul's menu is full of fusion Korean dishes that reimagine familiar ingredients in new ways! Pairing yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) with yubu (fried tofu pocket) rolls, or combining doenjang (soybean paste), basil, and cream into a sujebi (hand-torn dough soup), there were plenty of dishes that sparked curiosity just from the name.

We ordered three dishes in total that day: gochujang yukhoe with yubu rolls, basil doenjang cream sujebi, and crispy fried peppers to round it out.

Side dishes & craft beer

1) Side dishes & beer. The basic side dishes were pickled garlic scapes and stir-fried aged kimchi. They worked well as palate refreshers without competing with the main dishes.

It was a hot day, so the cold craft beer lager felt even more welcome, and it paired nicely with the fusion Korean food.

Basil doenjang cream sujebi (₩14,900)

2) Basil doenjang cream sujebi (14,900 won) — my favorite dish!! The cream sauce was smooth and nutty, but the doenjang kept it from being too rich, leaving a savory finish at the end!

The sujebi dough was thick with a chewy texture. It soaked up plenty of sauce, so every bite had a rich, hearty flavor, and the generous mushrooms added good chew too.

Gochujang yukhoe and yubu rolls (₩19,900)

3) Gochujang yukhoe and yubu rolls (19,900 won) — the yukhoe and yubu rolls arrived together, and the dish caught my eye the moment it landed on the table!

The yukhoe was seasoned with gochujang, so it was spicy and sweet. The meat kept its signature tenderness and chewy texture too.

The yubu rolls that came alongside were wrapped in sweet, moist yubu, filled inside with rice, egg, perilla leaves, and aged kimchi. Eaten alone, the yubu rolls were mild with a subtle sweetness, and topping them with yukhoe added a spicy-sweet seasoning that balanced the sweet and salty flavors together!

Fried peppers (₩9,900)

4) Fried peppers (9,900 won) — I ordered this to go alongside the other dishes.

The crispy fried texture made it a great bite-sized addition between the soft sujebi and the yukhoe. The fried peppers seemed to fill in the crunch that might be missing if you ordered only the fusion Korean dishes, so I'd recommend getting them together!

When is a good time to visit Usul in Daeheung-dong?

Usul in Daeheung-dong, Daejeon was a great-atmosphere restaurant where you can enjoy fusion Korean dishes that put a new spin on familiar ingredients. If you're looking for something different near Jungang-ro Station in Daejeon, or trying to pick a spot for a date in Daeheung-dong, a wedding-invitation gathering, or dinner with friends, I'd recommend giving Usul a try.