Otoro and mekadoro tuna sashimi course in Dalseo, Daegu: Hangil Tuna

Back in August, during a stretch of brutal heat, I visited Hangil Tuna, a well-known spot in Janggidong, Daegu. It's been a famous tuna specialty restaurant in Dalseo for ages, and as someone who takes sashimi very seriously, I'd been wanting to check it out for a long time — so I finally made the trip.

Hangil Tuna's location and hours

It's located on the main road across from Dalseo SK View Building 109, right next to Iroun Hanwoo, at the entrance of the Janggidong food alley, so it was easy to find.

• Hours 17:00–01:00
• Last order 00:00
• Closed every Sunday
• Takeout available

Counter seats, private rooms, and the overall vibe

The wood-toned interior felt quiet and modern, with soft lighting and a cozy atmosphere that almost gave me izakaya vibes.

Near the entrance there's standing counter seating for up to seven, set up open-kitchen style, so it was fun catching glimpses of the chef prepping the sashimi.

Further inside there were several private rooms, mostly with floor-seating tables. It seemed like a great spot for friends, couples, group dinners or gatherings, and the calm mood made me think it would also work well as a date spot.

We'd made a reservation ahead of time, and the staff set everything up quickly and neatly — it made us feel well taken care of.

Menu lineup and sake selection

Hangil Tuna uses fresh bluefin tuna, low-temperature thawed and aged for over 12 hours, giving it a distinctive taste — no wonder it's a well-known name in Janggidong, Daegu. The special menu comes in three tiers depending on the cut — Manager, VIP, and Hangil — and refills go up to two times, just so you know.

They also had a nice range of sake that pairs perfectly with Japanese-style food, including Dassai 39, Junmai Daiginjo, Kubota Senju, and Matsuri Tengu, so there was plenty of choice on the drinks side too.

Manager Special for two: a banchan spread served like a course

We ordered the Manager Special for two, and shortly after, the dishes started arriving one by one, almost like a course meal.

First came abalone porridge for each of us — light but warm, a perfect way to start and ease into the meal.

Dried seaweed for wrapping the sashimi was neatly laid out alongside palate-cleansing white kimchi, pickled radish, pickled ginger, and rakkyo (pickled shallots).

A salad drizzled with tangy yuzu dressing was sweet-and-sour and crunchy — the kind of side dish you devour without thinking.

Then the banchan started appearing one after another in earnest, and as you can see in the photos, they were all dishes you genuinely want to reach for — seeing the spread alone made me smile.

A fried egg came out sizzling on a hot plate, and it tasted worlds apart from the one you'd fry at home — I finished it off in no time.

The suimono soup, simmered with plump hard clams and topped with chives and green chili, had a spicy-refreshing kick that made it a great pairing with drinks too.

Fried shrimp shows up at a lot of Japanese restaurants these days, but this one was noticeably crunchier, with a nutty flavor that really won me over.

It looked a bit like braised short ribs at first glance, so I asked the staff what it was — turns out it's cod fillet braised in soy sauce. It was nicely salty, well-seasoned, and the tender flesh just melted — right up my alley.

The grilled toothfish, cooked to a golden brown, had a sweet, savory depth that made my eyes widen — I ended up picking it apart all by myself.

The udon came loaded with toppings like crown daisy greens, which was fun to fish out, and the broth was clean and not too salty — just right.

Otoro and mekadoro: tasting the tuna cuts

The tuna sashimi arrived alongside the banchan, and the clean, no-fuss plating alone was enough to catch the eye — even at a glance, the color was beautiful.

About 90% of what they serve is bluefin tuna, and 10% is wild swordfish belly, sourced only from fish weighing over 250kg — so the quality was outstanding from the start.

I personally lean toward otoro, and true to its reputation as a standout tuna cut in Dalseo, the richness and flavor were excellent — savoring it plain, it melted like cotton candy.

The marbling, spread evenly like a dusting of snow, delivered plenty of nutty richness — I was too busy eating to even keep up conversation.

The classic way to eat it is a light dip in soy sauce, but dipping it in vinegar-chili sauce with a bit of wasabi mixed in, the way I did, gives you a different, worthwhile flavor experience too.

The mekadoro cut, rich in fat with a uniquely crunchy texture, was also a great match as a drinking snack.

Portions generous enough that we skipped the refill

I'm the type who'd wake up from a nap for sashimi, but even I didn't ask for a refill this time — the portions were that generous, and I wasn't hungry again until the next day. It really made me feel like this Janggidong spot in Daegu is a cut above.

Since we were already pretty full, we ended the meal with tuna sushi, and as a sushi lover, it hit exactly the right note for me.

The moment it hit my mouth it melted away like ice cream, and I kept nodding to myself the whole time.

True to its reputation as a tuna specialist in Dalseo, Hangil Tuna delivered on flavor, quality, and overall composition — I get why it's stayed a beloved spot in Janggidong, Daegu for so long.