Daemyeong-dong Korean meal at opening: barley gangjeong, Cafe Dongi

Today I visited Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch (카페동이 대명역점), a Daemyeong-dong favorite for hanjeongsik (Korean set meals). It's a neat, tidy set-meal place that I think suits any occasion: family meals, gatherings, dates, haha. Let me introduce it right away!

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch: location and hours

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch is at 122 Daemyeongbokgae-ro 4-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu, and it's open 11:00–21:00. Break time is 15:00–16:30, and last order is 14:30 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner.

This is the exterior. Maybe it's because the name has "cafe" in it? The outside really had a café vibe.

Outside, there was water set out for passersby, and a banner introduced the signature dishes. It was so hot that day... we skipped studying the menu and went straight in.

Opening-time run at Cafe Dongi: is there plenty of room?

When we walked in right at opening, there was only one other group. The luxury of the opening run! And then it was full in under 30 minutes... wow.

I liked the clean interior in bright, café-like wood tones. (So clean, I love it!)

We came for lunch, and Cafe Dongi, a favorite near the Seobu Bus Terminal, has a hand-washing area by the entrance, so it's easy to wash up before eating.

Cafe Dongi menu and how to order

You order through the table order device at each table.

The menu is organized as below, and I noticed there's a separate kids' set.

• Signature menu
• Side dishes
• New menu
• 1-person hanjeongsik set
• 1-person Dongi basic set
• Kids' set
• Drinks

Have a look through the menu! When you tap an item, some have further choices in the options. For the tasting-size tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), picking it through the options was a bit cheaper. Just a heads-up!

After ordering, look around, because they're running various events. Check them out!

Unlimited self-serve fried eggs and the gangjeong, rice and tea zone

Cafe Dongi has zones for gangjeong (crunchy sweet snack), self-serve fried eggs, rice and tea, and all four are unlimited refills, so take as much as you like. After ordering, we wandered around and tried the fried eggs first.

A fried egg has to be sunny-side up with a runny yolk, you know that, right? haha. I added oil and fried it up nicely, then grabbed some seasoned seaweed (gim) next to it too.

Ordering the kimchi stew set, jjukkumi set and mini tangsuyuk

Meanwhile, our food arrived. We ordered the kimchi stew set, the 1-person Grandma's jjukkumi stir-fry set and the tasting-size mini tangsuyuk. I'd been eating only bread and flour things lately, so I was craving refreshing kimchi stew and red jjukkumi, haha.

Lots of people were eating alone at Cafe Dongi! I hear many people live alone nearby, so if you're thinking of a hearty Korean meal, head to Cafe Dongi!! Recommended.

Tasting-size mini tangsuyuk

Cafe Dongi's tasting-size tangsuyuk has tender meat inside and a crispy batter! I'd tried it once before and it was still delicious. The combination with the sauce is the best!

Kimchi stew set

Cafe Dongi's kimchi stew is packed with kimchi and true to the basics. I hadn't even finished half the stew and I'd already eaten a whole bowl of rice... that's how good it was!

It has tofu, meat and kimchi in it like this, and I recommend wrapping it in seaweed too.

1-person Grandma's jjukkumi stir-fry set

Last is Cafe Dongi's jjukkumi spread! It's a jjukkumi set meal that comes with stew too, so the value is great.

There's a flame under the plate so it stays warm the whole meal, which I loved, and the jjukkumi with the sauce was so good. Dip it in the sauce and wrap it in seaweed again! Seaweed really is a do-it-all, haha. If you want a main meat or seafood dish along with stew, I recommend the hanjeongsik set.

Barley gangjeong for dessert

Finally, the barley gangjeong from the unlimited zone! I had it as dessert, and I wish I'd eaten it earlier, haha. It was so good^^ I was full and could only manage one, which was a shame. I recommend Cafe Dongi, a Korean restaurant near Daemyeong Station in Daegu.