Gyodong, Daegu Chinese bar for daytime drinking: Mirim Yangjang

When you go on a trip or an outing, don't you want to seek out something distinctive and delicious that you can't easily get every day? This time, my two friends and I headed to Mirim Yangjang, a hot spot in Gyodong, Daegu, with Hong Kong vibes and proper Peking duck.

We originally went just to have a light meal with good food, but every single dish we ordered was so good and suited our tastes so well that we naturally ended up ordering somaek (soju-beer cocktail) and happily drinking through the afternoon.

Where is Mirim Yangjang Daegu, and what does it look like?

Mirim Yangjang Daegu is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Jungangno Station, so it was really convenient to get to by public transport. The red brick building with a clean black-and-white sign and a cute duck character painted on the exterior gave off an exotic yet hip vibe. Mouthwatering photos of the Chinese dishes were posted on a standing sign out front, which raised our expectations even before we walked in.

Hours: open daily from noon to 2am

✅️ Daily 12:00–02:00 (Operating from noon until late at night with no break time, it's perfect for lunch as well as a leisurely daytime drink or a late-night session.)

Hong Kong-style interior for dates and group gatherings

Stepping inside, the cozy yet stylish Hong Kong-style interior stood out. Each table was neatly set, making it easy to talk comfortably, and the mood suited a date with a partner or a get-together with friends really well.

On the table was a pretty card with Mirim Yangjang's brand story printed on it. Like the old dressmaking shops (yangjang) that once carefully sewed clothes for women, the brand's philosophy is to serve food and space with the same care and warmth, offering comfort to people worn out by daily life — which left quite an impression.

The table setting that arrives first

Once we sat down, the basic side dishes came out first. Crunchy cucumber strips, fresh scallion strips, rich yajang sauce, and salty, savory roasted peanuts along with tangy pink pickled vegetables to whet our appetite were all set out.

What three of us ordered at Mirim Yangjang Daegu

To-to-ri and my friends first ordered half a Peking duck and siumai. They were so delicious that we ended up adding black pepper fried pork, fried eggplant, and Hong Kong-style egg noodles on top, for a really generous spread.

Peking duck, 30 hours in the making: crisp skin, juicy meat

Not long after, today's glossy main dish, half a Peking duck, appeared. Apparently, making a whole Peking duck — from drying to roasting — takes at least 30 hours of careful preparation.

The golden, crisply roasted skin and the moist, tender duck meat were neatly sliced, and the warm bamboo steamer was full of thin, chewy wheat pancakes.

We spread a warm wheat pancake on the plate, piled on crispy duck skin, tender meat, crunchy cucumber and scallion strips, drizzled on sweet-salty yajang sauce, rolled it up, and took a bite.

Inside the chewy wheat pancake, the savory, rich flavor of the crispy skin, the tender meat, and the crunch of the fresh vegetables came together in perfect harmony.

There was no gaminess or greasy heaviness — just a clean, luxurious flavor that had the three of us gasping in delight and rolling wrap after wrap.

Siumai: plump and full of juice

Next came the siumai, served in a cute little steamer — the yellow dumpling wrapper was packed tight with minced meat and plump shrimp filling, looking delicious even before we tried it.

The moment we bit in, the chewiness of the dumpling wrapper gave way to a rich, moist burst of juice that filled our mouths. The plump texture of the shrimp and the deep umami of the meat blended so well that we cleared the plate in no time — truly excellent dumplings.

Fried eggplant: crisp outside, soft inside, sweet and spicy

Served generously on a colorful Chinese-style plate, the fried eggplant was cut into big chunks, fried crisp, and topped generously with a special spicy-sweet sauce, sliced chili, and scallion garnish.

Under the crispy batter, the eggplant's soft juices burst out moist and tender — the true essence of a crispy-outside, tender-inside texture.

Thanks to the umami-rich seasoning that wasn't overly sharp but stuck to your palate, even people who don't usually like eggplant could easily fall for this dish.

Black pepper fried pork with a sharp peppery kick

The black pepper fried pork — golden, crispy fried pork stir-fried with a strong whole black pepper seasoning and crispy dried chili — had a spicy aroma hitting our noses the moment it arrived.

The crispy, chewy fried pork was well infused with the sharp, heavy flavor of whole black pepper, so with every bite our mouths felt refreshed while a deep umami flavor rose up. The spiciness cut through the greasiness cleanly, making it the perfect side dish to pair with a cold somaek.

Hong Kong-style fried egg noodles, smoky and chewy

For a rice-meal option, we added the Hong Kong-style egg noodles — thin, chewy egg noodles stir-fried quickly over high heat with crunchy bean sprouts, bok choy, and onion, giving them a deep smoky aroma. The stir-fry sauce was savory and salty without being too sharp, and it coated the noodles well. The springy, bouncy bite of the egg noodles balanced nicely with the crunchy vegetables, making it a great side to pair with the other dishes.

Every single dish was so good and so well made that even though we hadn't planned on drinking at all, cold somaek kept going down easily, and we ended up having a really enjoyable daytime drinking session.

Final verdict on Chinese food and drinks in Gyodong, Daegu

Mirim Yangjang Daegu is a place where every dish was excellent, from the crispy-outside, juicy-inside Peking duck made with so much care, to the juicy siumai, to the charming fried Chinese dishes and stir-fried noodles.

Thanks to the atmospheric interior and comfortable mood, it's more than good enough as a date spot, and it was a thoroughly satisfying place to raise a glass over delicious food with people who matter to you.

Location and directions

Mirim Yangjang Daegu / 33 Gyodong 1-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu. If you're looking for high-quality Peking duck and Chinese food in Gyodong, Daegu, or want a good drink with great food in a place with atmosphere, I recommend Mirim Yangjang.