Sangin-dong, Daegu mackerel restaurant: fire-show pork, Geumdeungeo

I visited Geumdeungeo (금등어), an oven-grilled fish restaurant in Sangin-dong, Dalseo-gu! Let me start with the conclusion: 10000% I'll be back, no question!!! Not one thing let me down, starting with the taste!!!

Where is Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, and what about parking and hours?

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch is on the 3rd floor of the Jincheon Matta Town building, and the building's parking lot gives you a generous 3 hours. It's open 11:00–21:30 with a break time of 15:00–17:00. The parking lot is big too, so it was easy to use!

Atmosphere and how to order at Geumdeungeo

At Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, you get menu recommendations at the counter, receive a table number, then head to your seat. The moment I stepped onto the 3rd floor I was shocked at how huge the place is!!! And everything is so well organized! I ordered the mackerel with spicy pork added on!!!

The tables are split left and right in two long rows, it's super spacious, and there are baby chairs, which I liked haha. Plus you can pull down a blind at each table, so it feels even more private!!!

Banchan for sale at the entrance, puffed grain snacks and dessert coffee

At the entrance, Geumdeungeo sells banchan (side dishes) and several kinds of soup separately. After eating here, I get why they sell them haha. The banchan really have that home-cooked touch, so insanely delicious!!! You can also see puffed grain snacks (ppeongtwigi) being made right there haha.

Next to it, you can even get coffee to go for when you leave. There's plum tea too, so thoughtful, I'm tearing up! Rice cake for dessert, and then a real final dessert of coffee!!!

Why "Geumdeungeo" instead of mackerel?

I heard the name comes from "geum" in nuruk-sogeum (koji salt) and "deungeo" from godeungeo, the Korean word for mackerel! It's an oven-grilled mackerel place where the koji salt keeps the fish moist and the oven gets it nicely golden!

Fire-show spicy pork and oven-grilled fish in the open kitchen

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch has an open kitchen, so you can see the spicy pork being stir-fried with a fire show right in front of you and the fish grilling in the oven. That made me trust it even more!!! A feast for the eyes, and for the taste buds too!

Banchan self-bar and tablet orders for extras

Geumdeungeo has a banchan self-bar with all kinds of food, so you can refill without feeling awkward! Sometimes I feel a bit self-conscious asking for more banchan, so the self-bar is great haha.

You can order extra items from your seat on a tablet! There's also a free seasoned cockle (kkomak-muchim) service, so if you qualify, be sure to take it.

A soybean paste soup (doenjang-guk) comes by default too! It was so good, and you can order more if you want!

What are the basic banchan?

The basic banchan at Geumdeungeo include japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), gim (seaweed), and doraji-muchim (seasoned bellflower root), plus a salad before the meal, and they even give you a dessert at the end. I'm moved,,, The broccoli was good and everything was good, but the homemade-style japchae and the fried eggplant were out of this world!!!

Can you go with a baby?

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch has baby chairs, and they thoughtfully gave us baby tableware too haha. A baby can eat mackerel, but they also set out snacks in front of the baby, which was nice!!!

How was the koji-salt oven mackerel?

Geumdeungeo's oven-grilled mackerel came out soon after we ordered, and the flesh was plump and full. Ta-da~~~ This is the mackerel grilled in the oven!!!! Doesn't it look delicious??? Look how plump the flesh is!!!! Totally packed!!!

The fish is so good,, and the seasoning is just right, and you can dip it in the koji salt next to it! Wow, did mackerel never smell this un-fishy before??? I was shocked haha. What have I been eating all this time?!

Honestly, I kept thinking of my parents while eating. You always think of them when you find a really good place, right? Next time I'm definitely bringing my parents!!!!

There was gim as a banchan too, so I wrapped things in it!!! Every single banchan was delicious, and they didn't feel cheap or low-effort, they were full of care, which I loved!!! Eating mackerel with all sorts of things, a whole bowl of rice vanished,, extra rice please,,!!!!

Geumdeungeo's spicy pork: recommended even for people who don't eat fish?

Geumdeungeo's spicy pork had a smoky fire flavor with green onions on top, spicy and delicious. You have to eat the rest of your rice with this place's amazing pork!!! Piled on top and yum, you can tell a lot from one dish, right???

Some people don't like fish, right? Just have the pork. It's better than at pork specialty restaurants. I get why it's famous as a top spot in Sangin-dong and Jincheon-dong. It was packed with people, and there's a reason for that!!!

So Geumdeungeo isn't only good at mackerel??? Both the mackerel and the pork were delicious, so next time I want to try other fish haha. They have course meals too, I wonder how much more delicious those are,, haha

Finishing with rice pot nurungji tea

Geumdeungeo's rice comes in a pot, so they scoop rice into a bowl and pour water over the rest to make nurungji tea (sungnyung, scorched rice tea)! Ta-da~~~ gentle-on-the-stomach sungnyung!!! I put the seasoned mackerel on the nutty, hot sungnyung and dug in. The pork is even better on sungnyung, I'm tearing up! I put mackerel on it in the photo, but both are delicious haha.

It was a hearty, clean meal after a long time, so I'm happy! Fish is good for your body too!!! Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch is a really, really great place to come with your parents and the whole family!