Open-kitchen Korean set meal in Daemyeong-dong, Daegu: Cafe Dongi

In short

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch is a Korean set-meal restaurant in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu, about 299m from exit 1 of Daemyeong Station. An order totalling 39,700 won brought sample tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), smoky charcoal-grilled pork bulgogi and jjukkumi (stir-fried baby octopus) served on a mini brazier that kept everything hot to the last bite, plus unlimited fried egg, five-grain rice and barley gangjeong from the self-bar. The open kitchen puts the whole cooking process in plain view, which makes Cafe Dongi an easy choice if hygiene matters to you.

Neatly arranged individual Korean set meal

Good to know

Order total
39,700 won
Unlimited refills
Fried egg, five-grain rice, barley gangjeong (self-bar)
Hours
Daily 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Break time
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Amenities
Groups welcome, takeout, delivery, reservations, high chairs, waiting area, subsidy cards accepted
Location
299m from Daemyeong Station Exit 1
Parking
Available in front of the restaurant
Price reference
₩39,700 ≈ $29 (2026-09-25)

as written by the visitor on Aug 20, 2026

The blog is up and running as usual haha ^^ Looking for a genuinely good restaurant around Daemyeong-dong? Let me give you an honest review of the Korean set meal I had at Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch, a well-known spot in the area. My review might just help you decide on your next meal! I'll drop parking info at the very end, so check the last paragraph if that's useful to you.

First look at Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch

What kind of restaurant is Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch?

Cafe Dongi apparently started out back in 2014. Since then it's been recognized for the quality of its food and became a neighborhood favorite, and now it's grown into a proper Korean restaurant franchise that's widely known, packed with customers.. ^^ We went in with high expectations, curious how the Daemyeong Station branch would measure up.

Bright, cheerful storefront of Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch

The restaurant itself has a pretty bright, cheerful look. First impression? A definite pass.

Interior blending white and wood tones

White tones mixed with wood tones gave the interior a sleek vibe. The overall calm atmosphere was really to my liking.

Seating in the calm-toned Korean restaurant

Noticing toothpicks and hair ties set out on one side of the restaurant gave me a peek into the owner's thoughtfulness.

Toothpicks and hair ties set out on one side of the restaurant

What can you refill for free at the self-bar?

At Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch, fried egg, five-grain rice, and barley gangjeong are refilled without limit. Yesss! That was my honest reaction.

Sign for unlimited fried egg, five-grain rice and barley gangjeong refills

Even this small detail quietly showed how much they care about their customers.

Self-bar at Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch

Every corner of the restaurant clearly reflects the owner's years of know-how and effort. Just looking at the self-bar, you can tell how much genuine care goes into the food.

Time to fry my own egg self-service style~~

This place has an open kitchen, so you can see the whole cooking process live. Since everything's visible, it really builds trust on the cleanliness front. All the staff wore gloves too, which put my mind at ease hygiene-wise.

Menu and what a 39,700-won order gets you

Alright, let's take a look at the menu together. There's a solo Korean set, a kids' meal set too, so take note if that's relevant. Shrimp tempura, kimchi pancake, meatballs are also on offer, so pick whatever suits your taste.

Menu board with solo Korean set and kids' meal set
Menu board with shrimp tempura, kimchi pancake and meatballs

Total: ₩39,700

Korean set meal ordered for a total of ₩39,700

Served neatly as an individual set, it was impossible not to love it.

Neatly arranged individual Korean set meal

Honestly, I fell for how neatly arranged the whole spread was.

Side dishes arranged neatly on the table

Sample tangsuyuk: how much comes and how does it taste?

What you see in the photo is the sample-size tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), but the portion was far from small. Plenty for two people to share. I took a bite, and the rumor that it beats most Chinese restaurant tangsuyuk turned out to be true.

Plate of sample-size tangsuyuk

Fried in clean oil, so it's really light and savory. The batter isn't thick either. The meat inside is thick-cut, and when you chew gently, it's so tender. It doesn't feel thrown together — it feels made with real care. I evaluated the taste critically, weighing every detail, and it was genuinely delicious.

Cross-section of tangsuyuk showing thick-cut meat

The sauce, with a splash of lemon dropped in, was more tangy and sweet than I expected. The food quality here is impressive. Absolute champion. Truly happy moment~^^

Tangy sweet lemon-infused tangsuyuk sauce

Charcoal pork bulgogi and jjukkumi on a mini brazier

The dish that really won me over was the pork bulgogi, packed with smoky flame flavor. That charcoal aroma was deeply infused into the meat.

Charcoal-grilled pork bulgogi with deep smoky flavor

They lit a mini brazier for us so we could eat everything warm right through to the end of the meal. That was what I loved most.

The plump jjukkumi (baby octopus) was so good-looking I was practically breathless just taking photos of it. Really tender and soft. The texture was outstanding.

Plump jjukkumi stir-fry on the mini brazier

It's easy to see why customers keep lining up here. Wrap it in seaweed and you're guaranteed paradise. It looks spicy, but by my standards it wasn't spicy at all. Even someone with a low spice tolerance could enjoy it comfortably. The chewy texture was seriously addictive. Daemyeong-dong's Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch really nails Korean set meals, doesn't it?

Jjukkumi wrapped in seaweed with sauce

Dip it in the sauce and it's so good it's speechless-good. Good enough to make your shoulders dance on their own.

A piece of meat dipped in sauce

The side doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) that came with it was rich and delicious too. Good stuff.

Savory doenjang stew served as a side dish

They gave us candy for dessert afterward~ Love that.

Candy served as dessert after the meal

Hours, break time and parking at Cafe Dongi

  • Hours: Daily 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Break time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
  • Group seating available, takeout, delivery, reservations, baby chair, waiting area. Subsidy accepted.
  • Located 299m from Daemyeong Station Exit 1
  • Parking: available in front of the restaurant

Is Cafe Dongi worth a visit in Daemyeong-dong?

That's my post on the Korean set meal at Daemyeong-dong favorite Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch — how was it? Hope you all enjoy some delicious food today too and have a great day!^^ ❤️

Where it is

Cafe Dongi Daemyeong Station Branch카페동이 대명역점

122 Daemyeongbokgae-ro 4-gil, 1st floor, Nam-gu, Daegu, South Korea대구광역시 남구 대명복개로4길 122 1층

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