Yuseong Spa Supper · 59 stories
I write about meals and restaurant visits in Daejeon and Chungcheong. · Writes about: Beauty products · Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Things to do
Izakaya Honma is a Japanese-style izakaya in the Dodam-dong food alley in Sejong, known for seasonal seafood. The writer phoned ahead and picked up a small-size order of seasonal large yellowtail for 2, which came with sushi rice, radish sprouts, white kimchi, seaweed and 3 sauces, and was pleased with the thick cuts. For seasonal large yellowtail to go at a reasonable price in Sejong, Izakaya Honma is a recommended choice.
Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch (용자1 관평점) is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant with handmade noodles in Gwanpyeong-dong, Yuseong, Daejeon, tucked in beside Lotte Mart near Hyundai Premium Outlets Daejeon. The writer ordered kalmanduguk (knife-cut noodle and dumpling soup, 10,000 won), steamed dumplings (9,000 won for 8 large, well-filled pieces) and a cider, and found the kalmanduguk spicy but still comfortable for someone who struggles with heat. With fair prices and generous portions, Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is worth a try for good-value kalguksu in Gwanpyeong-dong.
Sushi Resto Sejong Sodam Main Branch is a sushi and futomaki (thick Japanese roll) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Icom Star City in Sodam-dong, Sejong. The writer and a close friend ordered futomaki for ₩19,000 and a 10-piece basic sushi set for ₩13,000. Every order came with mini soba and a salad, the fish was thick-cut and the futomaki was generously filled. Sushi Resto ranks among the best-value Japanese restaurants the writer has tried, and one worth revisiting.
Planet Egg Tart is a takeout-and-reservation egg tart shop on a side street of Gallidan-gil in Galma-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. Planet Egg Tart makes Portuguese- and Hong Kong-style egg tarts with French gourmet butter; one 4-piece box and one 6-piece box with a milk tea delivered a crisp shell, a moist filling and a deep butter flavor. Planet Egg Tart is a high-quality egg tart shop worth adding to a Galma-dong bakery tour.
Downtown Burger Galleria Timeworld is a handmade burger shop in the B2 food court of Galleria Timeworld in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. On a weekday afternoon the writer ordered a Downtown set, garlic butter fries and a side of onion rings, and the flame-grilled patty burger, thick-cut fries and crispy onion rings all beat expectations. With a clean dining area, a self-serve bar and drink refills, Downtown Burger Galleria Timeworld is an easy lunch recommendation in Dunsan-dong.
Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch is an Italian restaurant tucked inside the busy Dunsan-dong streets near City Hall Station in Seo-gu, Daejeon. Under a Christmas tree in the restaurant's exotic-feeling dining room, the writer had the 2-person gnocchi set (seasonal salad, truffle cream gnocchi, shrimp and scallop aglio e olio), with bread, pickles and soup included. For a set in the ₩40,000 range in such an upscale setting, Bologna Daejeon Dunsan Branch is an easy recommendation for a date or an anniversary.
Ssangdung Suyuk Gukbap Wolpyeong Seonsa Branch is a gukbap (rice soup) and pork restaurant in a Rainbow Apartment shopping arcade in Wolpyeong-dong, Daejeon, near Government Complex Station. The meal was a special suyuk gukbap (boiled pork and rice soup) for 11,000 won, a pyeonyuk (pressed pork) and sundae (Korean blood sausage) platter for 13,500 won, and a 6,000 won patbingsu (red bean shaved ice) topped with vanilla ice cream. Because a gukbap order alone unlocks the free kimchi pancake and sundae self-serve bar, Ssangdung Suyuk Gukbap is a good-value lunch spot near Government Complex Station in Daejeon.
Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang (연암숯불뼈구이&감자탕) is a grilled pork bone and gamjatang (pork bone stew) restaurant in Daeheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon, across from Hyeondae Sikdang near Sungsimdang bakery. Two of us had a small gamjatang (34,000 won) and fried rice for two (6,000 won) for dinner; the deep broth was packed with dried cabbage greens, and sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and glass noodles came included, so there was no need to order extra noodles. For a reasonably priced dinner near Sungsimdang, the gamjatang at Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang is worth recommending.
Hong Hodu is a newly opened walnut cake (hodu-gwaja) café tucked inside the Galma 2-dong food alley in Seo-gu, Daejeon. The blogger tried the 20-piece gift set in four flavors (sweet potato, red bean, milk salt and matcha) for ₩15,000, a strawberry latte made with house-made strawberry syrup and an iced homemade lemon tea. The generously filled walnut cakes and natural-tasting drinks were both satisfying, making Hong Hodu a good-value Daejeon dessert café for warm walnut cakes and homemade drinks.
Frank Coffee Bar Daejeon Dunsan Branch is a salt bread and baked-goods dessert café in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, near Galleria. On this visit we ordered a pollock roe mayo salt bread (3,400 won), a cream brûlée madeleine (3,600 won), a salty caramel financier (3,200 won) and the signature Frank coffee (6,000 won), and the in-store baking and reasonable prices left us happy with everything. Verdict: on a return visit to Frank Coffee Bar, the pollock roe mayo salt bread is a must-order.
Ssangdung Suyuk Gukbap Wolpyeong Seonsa Branch is a gukbap and Korean BBQ restaurant in Wolpyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, a 5-minute walk from Government Complex Daejeon Station near the Seonsa prehistoric site. The writer ordered 2 servings of pork belly (₩32,000) and got free Han River-style ramyeon, doenjang-jjigae and cheonggukjang stews, and a self-serve kimchi pancake, and liked the thick pork with no gamey smell and the spacious dining room. Because the free extras grow to sundae and patbingsu as servings add up, Ssangdung Wolpyeong Seonsa Branch is a pork belly spot that gets better value the bigger the group, such as a year-end company dinner.
Sori is a sushi omakase izakaya in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, across from the Seodaejeon Tax Office. The writer booked Sori's lunch course that morning and tasted sakizuke, hassun, wanmono (soup), dry-aged sashimi and sushi, irori-grilled fish, pot rice and dessert. Verdict: with quiet private rooms and an upscale course, Sori is a good pick for a date or anniversary lunch.
