Chinese restaurant in Dong-gu, Daegu for lard ganjajang: Gyeryonggak

The autumn weather was so lovely that No. 1 skipped kindergarten for a day on a weekday, and the two of us went on a little date, haha. On a day like this, you have to eat something a bit more special than usual, right? When I asked No. 1 what they wanted to eat, the answer was a very confident: jjajangmyeon!

I asked my partner, who happened to be working nearby, and they recommended Gyeryonggak (계룡각), a newly opened Chinese restaurant in Sincheon-dong. They said its traditional ganjajang, stir-fried in lard (pork fat) and made with 100% Korean-grown onions, was delicious, so I went with No. 1.

To give you the conclusion first: if you like ganjajang, give this place a try, haha. We enjoyed it quite a lot :)

Gyeryonggak exterior and waiting

The neat, clean exterior immediately gave me the feeling that this was a newly opened place. We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and luckily got straight in without waiting.

But quite a few customers came in while we were eating. Food turns over quickly at a Chinese restaurant, and there is a menu posted outside, so if you choose ahead while waiting, I think you could get in sooner than expected.

Open kitchen and seating for solo diners and families

Once inside, I could see the open kitchen and a Korean painting hanging at the front. The tiger was so cool, haha. It somehow felt like the tiger might come here for a bowl of jjajangmyeon too. It is a Chinese restaurant, but the painting’s distinctly Korean atmosphere was quietly memorable.

There was also a bar table on one side, so it looked easy enough to come alone for a meal. Baby chairs were available too, making it seem fine for a visit with children. When I went upstairs, I found private rooms as well. They looked great for a more private family gathering or group reservation.

A self-service bar for whatever you need

The self-service bar had danmuji (yellow pickled radish), onions, and kimchi, so we could comfortably take as much as we needed. There was also the broth that feels missing at a Chinese restaurant if it is not there, plus maesil tea and coffee for after the meal. These little touches are quietly so nice :)

Extra-large lard ganjajang and 10 fried dumplings

We sat down and ordered at the kiosk. Our order was extra-large lard ganjajang plus 10 fried dumplings. Since No. 1 and I were sharing, I ordered the ganjajang in the extra-large size.

At last, the lard ganjajang arrived! I already like jjajangmyeon and eat the regular version often, but ganjajang stir-fried in lard definitely had a different depth of flavor. The first bite was richly nutty, and it went so well with the deep flavor of chunjang (Korean black bean paste).

I especially liked that the onions were nicely crisp and sweet. I piled plenty of sauce onto the noodles and mixed it all together, and ah... so this is why they call it lard ganjajang, haha. It was rich and nutty, the kind of flavor that keeps making you reach for another bite.

No. 1 also polished off a whole bowl of jjajangmyeon. The menu did not feel difficult to choose from when dining with a child, so I think it would be nice for eating out alone with your child like I was.

Ganjajang alone felt a little incomplete, so we ordered 10 fried dumplings too. The golden-brown dumplings were crisp outside and moist inside. Since the ganjajang was on the rich and nutty side, having a crisp dumpling in between changed up the texture and made the meal much more filling. Really, jjajangmyeon plus fried dumplings is a combination that is hard to get wrong!

A weekday jjajangmyeon date with my child

This time, it was a weekday jjajangmyeon date with No. 1, and I was satisfied because we ate better than expected. I especially recommend the lard ganjajang if you enjoy rich, nutty ganjajang! Perhaps because they use Korean-grown onions, the onions were sweet and crisp, and I loved the distinctive nutty aroma from stir-frying in lard.

The bar table made it look suitable for solo dining, while the baby chairs and second-floor private rooms made it seem good for visiting with children or holding a family gathering. More than anything, the best part of that day was simply going on a date with No. 1 after skipping kindergarten 🤭 It was a lovely place to take your child by the hand for a delicious bowl of jjajangmyeon on a day with a gentle autumn breeze. I think I will come back the next time I crave ganjajang :)