Korean restaurant near Hwanggeum Station, Daegu: Cafe Dongyi bibimbap

A while back I went to 'Cafe Dongyi Daemyeong Branch' and was so impressed with how tidy and delicious the food was, that this time I brought my mom to Cafe Dongyi Branch 1, near her place. Being the No. 1 branch, the store was packed with customers and full of lively energy near Hwanggeum Station — here's my review!

Cafe Dongyi Branch 1: location, hours and parking

• Location: 1st floor, Suseong SK Leaders View, 95 Dongdaegu-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu (98m from Exit 1, Hwanggeum Station)
• Hours: Monday–Sunday 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–16:30)
• Last order: 14:00 / 20:00
• Parking: Free 2 hours at Homeplus parking lot

The interior has an open-kitchen setup with two floors. The 2nd floor has more tables than the 1st, and that's where the unlimited fried eggs and barley candy (bori-gangjeong) are set up.

For parking, you just enter the last digits of your license plate on the pad provided.

Cafe Dongyi Branch 1 menu and prices

Dongyi home-style rice set menu

• Zucchini doenjang jjigae set ₩8,900
• Dongyi charcoal-grilled pork stir-fry set ₩9,900
• Dongyi charcoal-grilled pork bulgogi set ₩9,900
• 40-year master's kimchi jjigae set ₩9,900
• Beef brisket doenjang jjigae set ₩10,500
• Shoulder meat Japanese curry set ₩9,900
• Yeolmu rice bowl 3 types (basic/tuna/bulgogi) ₩7,900 / ₩8,900 / ₩9,900

Premium single-serve hanjeongsik with a personal brazier

• Solo grill Dongyi charcoal pork stir-fry hanjeongsik set ₩12,900
• Solo grill Dongyi charcoal bulgogi hanjeongsik set ₩12,900
• Solo grill Grandma's octopus stir-fry hanjeongsik set ₩16,900

Dongyi nuruk pork loin sweet and sour pork

• Large (720g) ₩39,600
• Medium (360g) ₩23,900
• Small (180g) ₩17,800
• Mini taster (100g) ₩9,900

We ordered a variety of the restaurant's popular menu items to share this time. We got yeolmu tuna bibimbap, yeolmu bulgogi bibimbap, the 40-year master's kimchi jjigae, and a side of pan-fried dishes and dumplings.

Free refills of barley candy and fried eggs

Just like at the Daemyeong branch, the barley candy (bori-gangjeong) is unlimited, whether you want it before or after your meal.

You can also make your own unlimited fried eggs on the 2nd floor. While we waited for our order, we made some fried eggs. The eggs were so fresh too.

After a short wait, our food arrived! It smelled amazing and looked so generous 🥰 Having it come as a set table made everything feel so clean and put-together.

How did the yeolmu tuna bibimbap taste?

Cafe Dongyi Branch 1's yeolmu tuna bibimbap (₩8,900) had crisp, refreshing yeolmu kimchi (young radish greens) with plenty of savory tuna mixed in — when I stirred it and took a bite, the texture was great and it was really delicious. It felt like a healthy meal, and since it had been a while since I'd had bibimbap, my mom was very satisfied with this dish too!

The seaweed soup and side dishes that came with it were also fresh — taking a bite of bibimbap, then a side dish, then the soup, made me feel like I was properly enjoying a tidy Korean meal.

Yeolmu bulgogi bibimbap topped with a grilled egg

The yeolmu bulgogi bibimbap (₩9,900) was an even better combination! The bulgogi had a subtle smoky char that paired with the fresh yeolmu for a really clean bite. Topping it with a grilled egg and mixing it all together made it so much smoother and richer. The sauce was seasoned just right, so once I mixed everything in, it wasn't salty at all — the seasoning was spot on and it was delicious.

The 40-year master's kimchi jjigae

The kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) we also ordered had a rich, spicy broth that went great with the bibimbap. My husband ordered it for himself, but it was so good I ended up eating most of it haha. With that deep broth flavor, a whole bowl of rice disappeared in no time.

Thanks to the generous, fresh ingredients, the broth was so delicious. The seasoning wasn't sharp or overpowering — just the right balance that keeps you coming back for more — so I finished the whole broth! I think I'll keep craving this spicy, refreshing kimchi jjigae.

Sides: assorted jeon and dumplings

We also had the assorted pan-fried jeon and dumplings that came as sides — the jeon was crispy outside and moist inside. They were fried just right, so it wasn't greasy at all and felt clean. The dumplings were also packed full of filling, and when I dipped one in the soy sauce that came with it and took a bite, the juices just came flowing out 👍👍 The seasoning was spot on too, so they were tasty even without the soy sauce. Once I started, I couldn't stop popping them in my mouth haha.

A home-cooked Korean meal worth sharing with parents

The combination of the savory assorted jeon, the hearty dumplings, and the neat Korean-style meal made for a very satisfying dinner! The jeon was fried to a nice golden brown so it wasn't greasy at all, and the dumplings had a satisfyingly full filling. Including the bibimbap, the whole meal wasn't over-seasoned — it was just right, and we enjoyed it a lot.

My mom said she had no idea there was such a tidy, well-put-together Korean restaurant so close to home, and she ate so happily that I really felt it was worth bringing her along. If you're ever craving a neat home-style meal or a hearty Korean spread, I don't think you'll regret visiting. I'd recommend this to anyone in the Suseong-gu, Hwanggeum-dong area looking for good Korean home cooking ❤️❤️