Yongam-dong omakase by a 34-year chef, Cheongju: Dining Mihyang

I visited Dining Mihyang with a friend, a place known as an omakase spot in Cheongju's Dongnam district. I found it while looking for a Dongnam-district restaurant I could enjoy without pressure during lunchtime, and I went in with high expectations after hearing the chef has 34 years of experience and personally designs the course.

It was a casual lunch get-together, but by the end of the course, I could feel the care that makes this place a proper Cheongju omakase spot.

Dining Mihyang's location and how to get there

Dining Mihyang is on the 1st floor of 8-2 Dongnam-ro 83beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, in the Dongnam district. True to a well-known Dongnam district restaurant, it was easy to access, and thanks to having a reservation, we were seated right away with no wait.

Interior and seating

Overall, Dining Mihyang's interior was clean and quiet. Besides counter seats, there were also tables for two and four, so we could chat comfortably while eating.

Baby chairs were available too, so I heard a lot of families visit.

Lunch omakase menu and pricing

Dining Mihyang runs a Lunch course and Dinner A and B courses. We ordered the lunch omakase for two, and since the course even included Mihyang's own special handmade udon, it felt like a well-rounded price for lunch.

Order details — the table laid out course by course

The lunch omakase isn't served all at once — it comes out plate by plate, in order. Here's Dining Mihyang's lunch course table laid out in sequence.

Lunch omakase course in detail

A gentle start that wakes up your appetite

Dining Mihyang's lunch course starts with warm pumpkin porridge (danhobak-juk). After settling the stomach with the pumpkin porridge, a salmon appetizer and octopus vinegar salad (muneo-chohoe) followed, naturally waking up our appetite.

Three types of fresh raw sashimi

The raw sashimi came out as three types — flounder, sea bream, and sea bass. The texture was bouncy and alive, and it was fun comparing the different umami of each piece.

A warm cooked dish in between: grilled sea bream head

Between the cold sashimi courses, the grilled sea bream head came out and shifted the mood to something warm. The flesh pulled apart easily and had an impressively savory flavor.

Three tuna cuts, one after another

The three tuna cuts had clearly distinct textures by part, and you could really feel the chef's 34 years of experience in the composition.

Four pieces of sushi to close the course

The four pieces of sushi balanced the warmth of the rice with the freshness of the toppings, smoothly wrapping up the flow of sashimi courses that came before.

Crispy tempura and cool buckwheat soba

The tempura and buckwheat soba (memil soba) that came out last filled us up satisfyingly after all the sashimi dishes throughout the course, and the omija tea cleaned our palates nicely at the end.

Watching a skilled hand slice sashimi

Partway through the meal, I caught a short moment of the chef personally preparing the sashimi. Watching his practiced hands, I really felt that the '34 years of experience' wasn't just a phrase.

Overall impressions of Dining Mihyang

Visiting with a friend, the owner explained each course as it came out and checked in carefully throughout the meal on whether the food was good and whether anything was uncomfortable, which made the meal even more comfortable to enjoy.

The value for the course composition was excellent, and we both left full and satisfied. Next time, I'd like to also try single dishes I didn't get to taste this time, like the bok-jiri set menu or the soba set menu.

A course built piece by piece with care made lunchtime feel special.