Daegu Jongno makchang restaurant with mayo dip: Bongja Makchang

When you think of Daegu, makchang (grilled pork intestine) is one of the first foods that comes to mind! While looking for a can't-miss makchang restaurant, I found a place nearby with amazing reviews. After trying it myself, the makchang was so soft and chewy with absolutely no off smell. If you're looking for a restaurant near Gwak Hospital, or a Jungangno Station spot, or just a great makchang restaurant in Daegu, I want to recommend this place!

Where is Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch, and when is it open?

This is Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch. The address is 49-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea, 1st floor, close to Jungangno Station Exit 1 and near Gwak Hospital, so it's very accessible. I looked it up and found that the original Bongja Makchang location is in Gyeongsan, and since it's a chain, there are branches in Seoul too.

• Hours: Mon–Thu 17:00 – 02:00
• Fri–Sun 16:00 – 02:00
• Last order 00:30

On weekdays it opens at 5pm, and on Fridays and weekends it opens an hour earlier at 4pm!

How long is the wait at Bongja Makchang?

True to its reputation as a top makchang restaurant in Daegu, there was a wait. I put my name down and sat on the chairs outside the restaurant, waiting a little over 30 minutes.

From the moment we walked in until we finished eating and left, the place stayed completely full. Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch definitely earns its reputation!

What comes with the set, and what's on the self-serve bar?

At Bongja Makchang, you order a basic set menu and add more meat if you need it. The set comes with unlimited refills of steamed egg, ramyeon, and patbingsu! I made great use of the free steamed egg refills.

After the basic side dishes are served, you can freely grab extra side dishes from the self-serve corner! There was a nice variety of ramyeon too. You can just cook it yourself whenever you like.

As soon as we sat down, the steamed egg came out first. It was great for settling the stomach before the greasy food. After that, I think we refilled it about three more times. Fluffy and moreish — the unlimited steamed egg refills are so good!

A cold draft beer 300cc (₩2,900) — can't skip that! The size was small enough to drink light and cold. It tasted so good I had three glasses.

Bongja Set, 41,000 won: half raw makchang, half seasoned

The Bongja Set (₩41,000) — we chose one plate of raw makchang and one plate of seasoned makchang! (You can change the meat combination.) It comes with bracken, steamed egg, ramyeon, and patbingsu.

The raw makchang came out first and was grilled to a nice golden brown on the pan. No off smell at all, nothing chewy or tough — it was so soft and chewy and delicious.

We ate the grilled bracken alongside it, and personally I'm not a big fan of ssamjang, so I dipped it in mayonnaise instead — it was so good!!

Seasoned makchang arrives already grilled from the kitchen

By the time we'd almost finished the raw makchang, the seasoned makchang arrived — since it's fully grilled in the kitchen, you can dig in right away, which was so convenient! If you plan to order extra seasoned makchang, I'd recommend ordering early since it takes some time to cook.

It comes with makchang, rice cake, garlic, and onion, and the sauce is soooo good... The makchang and rice cake were nice and chewy, and the garlic and onion were grilled just right.

Mayonnaise is actually a better pairing with seasoned makchang than raw makchang!! The combination of sweet-spicy and savory... it went so well together, I really enjoyed it. Personally, I liked the seasoned makchang even more than the raw one!

A ramyeon burner at every table, jjashulaeng included

What's surprising and convenient about Bongja Makchang is that every table has its own separate gas burner for cooking ramyeon! So you can grill makchang on one pan while cooking ramyeon or stew right next to it without any interruption. We grabbed jjashulaeng from the self-serve bar and cooked it up — haha, it was great.

Finishing with self-serve fried rice for 2,000 won

Self-serve fried rice (₩2,000) — we were full, but you've got to have the fried rice. We ordered one serving. Since you cook it yourself, you get to enjoy it at a very reasonable price. Self-serve is actually a plus.

Fried rice cooked by a true fried rice master, fried, fried, fried. Cooking it on the pan with a bit of savory makchang fat left over gives it real depth of flavor.

Just as we were finishing up, they served patbingsu. A cold, sweet patbingsu to wrap things up! It was so refreshing as a palate cleanser!!

Hair ties, floss and odor spray on the way out

There are hair ties, floss, and even toothpicks thoughtfully set up in one corner of the restaurant, and when we finished eating and headed out, a staff member came along and sprayed deodorant on our clothes — such a touching bit of service♥

If you're looking for a makchang restaurant near Jungangno Station, a restaurant near Gwak Hospital, or just a great makchang spot in Daegu, I recommend Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch!