Warm Spoon Fan · 38 stories

A Warm Spoon Through Daejeon and Sejong

Writes about restaurants and cafes found while walking through Daejeon and Sejong. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Family brunch in Jeonpo, Busan: white ragù pasta at Odd Bird Oliver

Odd Bird Oliver is a brunch and pasta restaurant with a European home-cooking feel, tucked down an alley in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin, Busan. On a trip to Busan, a family of three ordered ricotta caprese, carrot soup with focaccia, and white ragù pasta made with casarecce, and everyone loved how the three dishes worked together and how cozy the interior felt. For a Jeonpo brunch that delivers both atmosphere and flavor, Odd Bird Oliver's white ragù pasta is a sure bet.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGumi, GyeongbukRestaurants

Gumi loach soup restaurant, stamina set and 4kg Shine Muscat: Irojeong

Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch (이로정 구미금오산직영점) is a loach soup and Korean set-meal restaurant on Bakjeonghui-ro in Sangmo-dong, Gumi. The writer ordered the stamina set of sanghwang mushroom loach soup, grilled Atka mackerel and warm boiled pork, plus a Hanwoo beef seaweed soup for a child. The writer also checked out Irojeong's free self-serve bar, Café Irojeong, the kids' play area and the partitioned booth seating. With good atmosphere, value and parking, Irojeong is a solid choice for a family meal out in Gumi.

Written Oct 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Weekend mackerel sotbap lunch for three in Cheongju: Oneul Haru

Oneul Haru (오늘하루) is a Korean restaurant serving sotbap (rice cooked in an individual pot) set meals, in an alley next to Hana Hospital in Gagyeong-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju. A family of three visited Oneul Haru around 1:30 pm on a weekend and ordered the grilled mackerel sotbap set and the gochujang bulgogi sotbap set, added a mini pork cutlet for 4,000 won, and also ate tteokbokki and eggplant tempura from the self-serve bar. With 1 hour of free parking in the building's underground car park and high chairs available, Oneul Haru is worth another visit for a family meal out.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Doan-dong Korean restaurant: 12,000 won weekday pollock, Myeongtaerang

Myeongtaerang Ryu Myeongho Main Branch is a Korean restaurant on a side street in Doan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, that specializes in myeongtae-jorim (braised pollock). With the weekday lunch special braised pollock (12,000 won), the writer added seed hotteok nurungji, a crisp of sunflower and pumpkin seeds pressed and toasted like a hotteok pancake, dipped it in the sauce and wrapped the pollock in Wando rock laver. Chewy pollock, a sauce with the natural kick of Korean chili flakes and the crunchy seed crisp made Myeongtaerang's braised pollock a satisfying weekday lunch.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Dunsan-dong gukbap restaurant, 11am lunch and takeout: Hanppong

Hanppong is a gukbap (Korean rice soup) restaurant specializing in galbitang (beef short rib soup) and gamjatang (pork bone soup), next to Dunsan Elementary School in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon. Arriving right at the 11am opening, the writer ate Hanppong's sandeomi galbitang (rib soup heaped with ribs) and pork bone soup, then ordered hanwoo ox head gukbap to take home, with no charge for the takeout container. At ₩12,000 for that much galbitang and broth, Hanppong ranks among the best-value meals in Dunsan-dong.

Written Aug 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDaedeok, DaejeonRestaurants

Sintanjin grilled fish restaurant, 3-dish family spread: Hwadeogeuro

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Sintanjin Branch is a grilled fish restaurant with a 500-degree clay oven on Sintanjin-ro in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, and the only Daejeon location among its nationwide branches. On a family outing we ordered kids' grilled mackerel, grilled Spanish mackerel and clay-oven spicy pork together, alongside a bibimbap corner and an unlimited self-bar with pork cutlet and soupy tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). With both flavor and portions satisfying, Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is a recommended family restaurant in Sintanjin.

Written Aug 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Butcher-shop BBQ in Boksu-dong, Daejeon: castella pork skin, Hanmaeum

Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang Boksu Branch (한마음정육식당 복수점) is a butcher-shop-style Korean BBQ restaurant on Boksu-dong-ro 73beon-gil in Seo-gu, Daejeon, in front of Sajeong Bridge. A half-pig set (500g) and castella pork skin came with unlimited doenjang (soybean paste) stew, free jjolmyeon (chewy spicy noodles), and free coffee and soft-serve ice cream for dessert, while a private room for up to 8 and a spacious play room made a family dinner with a kindergartener easy. For good value and kid-friendly convenience in one place, Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang Boksu Branch is the answer.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Pond-and-fountain restaurant in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon: Someday Romance

Someday Romance is a Western and pizza restaurant on the 6th floor of Savezone in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. A shallow pond and fountain outside, a Southeast Asian-style exterior and a water channel running through the dining room are why Someday Romance comes up so often as a first-date spot. The meal here was ricotta salad pizza, mentaiko pasta (10,900 won) and perilla cream pasta (14,900 won) with grapefruit and peach ade, plus a spice-level menu board and a self-serve bar; it is the place to pick when fine dining feels like too much but the mood still matters.

Written Aug 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYuseong, DaejeonRestaurants

Yuseong Korean restaurant with a private parking lot: Jeonju House

Jeonju House is a Korean restaurant in a standalone building next to Gyeryong Spatel in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong District, Daejeon. The meal was galbi kimchi jjigae (pork rib and aged kimchi stew) at 15,000 won and a rolled omelette at 10,000 won, served with cauldron rice and sungnyung (toasted rice tea), alongside the self-serve banchan bar and the private parking lot behind the building. The sharp aged kimchi and pork ribs cooked until the meat falls off the bone make Jeonju House worth a return trip.

Written Aug 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChungju, ChungbukRestaurants

Beef belly bibim poke takeout in Chungju, with parking: Salad Ring

Salad Ring, Chungju Terminal Branch is a salad and poke shop on the ground floor of the building next to Lotte Hi-Mart, beside Chungju Bus Terminal in Chungju, Chungbuk. Ordered ahead on the way home from work, the beef belly bibim poke, fried tofu bibim poke and Americano were sealed so tightly that everything looked exactly as it does in the shop by the time it reached the table. With one hour free in the building's underground car park, Salad Ring is an easy pickup by car.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Family lunch in a private room at Thanon55, a Sejong Thai restaurant

Thanon55 is a Thai restaurant on the 1st floor of the Best Western Plus Hotel in Eojin-dong, Sejong. Beef rice noodle soup, shrimp pad thai and chicken curry were ordered, and the staff left the hot spices out once they heard a child was eating; Thanon55 also has two private rooms and a self-serve bar. With 2 hours of free parking in the building's basement lot, Thanon55 works well for a family meal or a get-together near Sejong Government Complex.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYuseong, DaejeonRestaurants

Charcoal eel buffet in Yuseong, Daejeon: 2 hours for ₩29,900

Songrimbok Jangeo Unlimited Eel Daejeon Direct Store (송림복장어) is a large all-you-can-eat freshwater eel restaurant on Jijok-buk-ro in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. For 29,900 won per person from middle school age up, diners get 2 hours to take as much domestic freshwater eel, pork belly and duck neck as they like from the self-serve bar and grill it over charcoal, and the eel was so filling that the duck neck never made it to the grill. Songrimbok broke the assumption that an all-you-can-eat eel place has to mean lower quality.

Written Aug 15, 2026Sponsored