Personal-grill pork and octopus sets in Chimsan-dong: Cafe Dongyi

These days a single meal out costs at least ₩10,000, so I've gotten more careful about picking where to eat. Today I think I picked well, so I'm writing this review in a good mood. I went to a Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant inside the Samsung Changjo Campus — Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch.

Where is Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch, and is there parking?

Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch is at 51 Hoam-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, on the 1st floor of dormitory building E at Samsung Changjo Campus. First-timers might get a bit confused since it's inside the campus, but once you head toward building E you'll spot it right away.

Parking is free for 2 hours once you register, so bringing a car isn't a hassle. Finding a Buk-gu, Daegu restaurant with parking can be surprisingly tricky, so this was definitely a plus.

A wait even at 2pm on a weekend: inside Cafe Dongyi

Cafe Dongyi started in 2014 as a roughly 50-square-meter neighborhood restaurant in Daegu serving Korean home-style food. Now it runs 8 branches in total, centered in Daegu with locations extending to Ansan in Gyeonggi and Yeungnam University. Their core value is said to be 'a healthy, thoughtful meal like home cooking,' and the moment you step in, you get exactly what that means.

The interior is bright and clean. With wood-tone décor and good lighting, there's no stuffy feeling at all, and the tables are spaced generously so you can eat comfortably. I saw quite a few solo diners, along with families and what looked like nearby office workers. With this atmosphere, it seemed like a great Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant to bring your parents to.

By the way, if there are 2 or more parties waiting, you can remote-queue through the Tabling app. If you're planning to go during peak hours, I'd recommend registering ahead of time! What surprised me was that even at 2pm on a Saturday, the place was packed enough to need waiting. I had no idea it was this popular... whoa.

The self-serve bar: unlimited fried eggs, rice and barley snacks

Being able to keep grabbing fried eggs and barley snacks was genuinely great. I picked up a few barley snacks for dessert and it wrapped up the meal perfectly. That's exactly why so many people were there even past 2pm on a weekend. Places with unlimited fried eggs are really rare these days T_T Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch really goes above and beyond for customer satisfaction.

Looking at the menu, there were quite a lot of options.

The main lineup is the personal-grill Korean set meals — fire pork, grandma's stir-fried octopus, and more, all sizzling right on your own tabletop grill. There's also the tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) Cafe Dongyi is known for. Sides include the crispy bite-size kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake) and the 50-year tradition juicy fried dumplings.

And the real charm of this place is the self-serve bar! Fried eggs, rice, barley snacks and seaweed are all unlimited. For people with a big appetite, this alone is reason enough to come haha.

They said they get rice directly sourced from Gimpo Geumssal, and make everything, including sauces and side dishes, in-house. In 2020 they were selected as Naver's Best Order Business of the Year, so its reputation as a Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant isn't just talk.

What two people ordered at Cafe Dongyi, and what it cost

• 🔥 [Personal grill] Fire pork Korean set (special promo) ₩12,900
• 🔥 [Personal grill] Grandma's stir-fried octopus Korean set ₩16,900
• 🥬 Crispy bite-size kimchi jeon ₩2,900
• 🥟 50-year tradition juicy fried dumplings ₩4,900
• 🥤 Coca-Cola Zero ₩2,000

Flame-grilled pork Korean set on a personal grill, 12,900 won

Recommended for spicy food lovers! But it actually wasn't that spicy — about the same heat level as regular jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork).

The seasoning is sharp but backed by a slight sweetness, so you keep reaching for more. It's good mixed into rice, and also good wrapped in seaweed.

Grandma's stir-fried octopus set on a personal grill, 16,900 won

The octopus wasn't chewy and was nice and plump, so the texture was great. Pork comes piled on the personal grill, and just the sizzling sound alone stirs up your appetite.

The seasoning wasn't too spicy or too sweet, just right, and the meat was cut to a good thickness so there was something to chew on too. Keeping it on the grill the whole time meant it stayed warm until the end, which was the best part. For ₩12,900, this kind of spread feels like a real steal.

Crispy bite-size kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake), 2,900 won

True to its name, it comes in bite-size pieces, so it was easy to share. The outside was crispy and the inside was packed with kimchi — really good. At ₩2,900, there's no reason not to order it.

50-year-recipe juicy fried dumplings, 4,900 won

This one was genuinely delicious. The outside was fried crispy, and one bite released a burst of juice. The dumpling skin wasn't too thick either, so it didn't feel greasy.

The basic side dishes were also neatly done across the board. The claim that everything is made in-house wasn't just talk.

39,600 won for two: was Cafe Dongyi good value?

For two people, ₩39,600 got us two set meals, two sides and a drink, so the value was good. The flavors weren't overpowering and felt like home cooking, so I think it would appeal across all age groups.

With free parking for 2 hours, plenty of seating and unlimited rice refills, this is worth checking out next time you're looking for a Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant. Good for bringing your parents, and no pressure for solo dining either. If you want a hearty meal near Samsung Changjo Campus, I recommend Cafe Dongyi Chimsan Branch as your go-to Chimsan-dong Korean restaurant! Next time I'm planning to go back for the tangsuyuk.