Daegu Korean restaurant for shiitake tangsuyuk: Haenyeo Sotbap

Some days, you want more than just a quick meal — you want a proper spread of rice and side dishes. So this time I went looking for a good Korean restaurant near Suseong Lake in Daegu and ended up at Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store, where warm sotbap (hot pot rice) comes with a generous array of banchan (side dishes).

Where is Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store, and where do you park?

Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store is on the 1st floor at 65 Cheongsu-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, close to both Suseong Lake and Deuran-gil. Hours are 11:30–21:00, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00.

There's an underground parking lot, and staff were on hand to help guide parking, which made things easy.

Waiting and reservations at Haenyeo Sotbap: what to know first

What sets Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store apart is that even a single sotbap order comes with a 13-dish banchan spread made from seasonal ingredients. Word seems to have gotten around, because tables were already full not long after opening.

If you're bringing parents or older guests, or you're not confident about waiting, I'd recommend reserving ahead or joining the waitlist through the Catch Table app. Note that reservations for groups of 4 to 39 can only be made by phone.

Inside Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store and its private rooms

The interior was clean, comfortable, and impressively upscale. Even the waiting area was nicely put together.

It's a space that would be perfectly fitting even for bringing along elders or important guests.

The private rooms were nearly fully booked — they'd be great for family meals, dining with parents, or group gatherings. There are coat hangers provided, and since the rooms are separated from the main hall, you can enjoy a private meal.

There are plenty of baby chairs on hand too, so families visiting with young children don't need to worry.

This was the table we were shown to after reserving the day before. I'm not sure a table this big was meant for just two of us, but as a guest, I certainly wasn't complaining. :)

Haenyeo Sotbap menu and prices

Let me introduce the main menu at this Korean restaurant in Suseong-gu, Daegu.

• Wando abalone sotbap / abalone seafood ttukbaegi / Jeju green tea eel sotbap — ₩23,000
• Unyang-style bulgogi sotbap / Jeju abalone porridge / raw abalone salad / 1988 Namsan-dong pork cutlet — ₩20,000
• East Sea Dragon King seafood stew / abalone braised short ribs / haenyeo jeongabok — ₩65,000

There are also 2, 3, and 4-person signature set menus that bundle the restaurant's signature dishes at a discount. On this visit, we ordered the Wando abalone sotbap, the Jeju green tea eel sotbap, and added an order of grilled abalone in butter.

The 13-dish brass-bowl spread and the shiitake tangsuyuk

The neat 13-dish banchan spread arrived one dish at a time, served in fine brass bowls. Usually when a meal comes with lots of side dishes, there's always a few you barely touch — but here, every single one was well seasoned, and we were busy tasting banchan even before the sotbap arrived.

One dish that really stuck with me was the shiitake mushroom sweet and sour pork — crispy outside, moist inside, and just sweet enough that I kept reaching for more. I think my daughter Eun-i would love it too, so I might have to come back with the family.

The mackerel and Spanish mackerel were also mildly seasoned and clean-tasting, perfect alongside rice. You can order extra Spanish mackerel separately.

Butter-grilled abalone and how to use the leftover innard sauce

We can't skip the grilled abalone in butter we ordered extra! The abalone, grilled in butter, gives off a nutty aroma and has a chewy texture that's delicious on its own — but dipping it into the rich innard sauce that comes alongside completely changes the flavor for the better.

It's ordered in units of 6 or 10, so definitely try it alongside a main dish.

How to eat the Wando abalone sotbap

While we were working through the varied 13-dish spread, the main dishes arrived. First up: the Wando abalone sotbap.

Just from the look of it — the glossy rice, fresh scallions, sesame seeds — you can tell good ingredients were used. Scoop it into the large bowl provided, pour in the scorched rice water (sungnyung), let it sit, then use scissors to cut up the big abalone and mix it all together. Done!

It's already seasoned well enough to eat as is, but adding the seasoned seaweed soy sauce packet makes it even more savory.

One tip: we had leftover innard sauce from the grilled abalone, so we mixed it into the sotbap at the end — and the nutty richness doubled. Delicious.

How was the Jeju green tea eel sotbap?

We also ordered the Jeju green tea eel sotbap, and it was hard to believe it was under ₩23,000 — the eel was generously portioned and the seasoning was delicious, very satisfying.

There was also ginkgo nut, which is good for you, and it felt like I was properly treating myself to a healthy meal.

Another highlight of sotbap is the sungnyung (scorched rice tea)! Once you're pretty much full, sipping a warm, nutty spoonful at a time makes for a comfortable way to wrap up the meal.

Is Haenyeo Sotbap in Suseong, Daegu worth a visit?

After paying and heading out, there was coffee and slushies available too, so you can grab whatever suits your taste. Overall, Haenyeo Sotbap Suseong Direct Store felt like a meal enjoyed fully from start to finish — from the sotbap, to the banchan, to the grilled abalone, to the final sungnyung.

Because the 13-dish spread comes with every order, it felt much more substantial than just having sotbap alone, and the banchan wasn't overly salty or sweet — just well balanced and easy to eat alongside the rice. With both private and large rooms available, I'd recommend it for a day you want good Korean food in Suseong-gu, Daegu — whether it's a family meal, dining with parents, or a gathering with a group.