Jongno, Daegu makchang restaurant, raw and seasoned at 11pm: Bongja

Today I went to Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch to eat makchang (grilled pork intestine) — apparently a must-eat if you're in Daegu.

Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch / 36-3 Jongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu / 4:00pm–2:00am / Paid parking lot

Arriving past 11pm: how long is the wait at Bongja Makchang?

Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch stays open until 2am, so you can still get makchang late at night. Since we were heading out after work, I was worried nowhere would still be open by the time we arrived — but Bongja's late hours were a lifesaver. We got there past 11pm and there was already a wait. I couldn't even imagine how good this place must be.

While waiting, I read through the guestbook on the wall — full of ex-boyfriend stories. Give me back my 4.8 million won!

Bongja Makchang was packed even at this late hour. There were more locals than out-of-towners, which made me even more excited.

There are tables outside too, but if you head further in there's group seating. We got seated there because a group ahead of us in line no-showed. (No-shows, please stop!)

Bongja Makchang's self-serve bar: banchan and 7 kinds of ramyeon

One of the best things about Bongja Makchang was the wide variety of banchan (side dishes) on a self-serve bar, so you could eat without feeling shy about asking for more. (I love green onion kimchi.)

There are also 7 kinds of ramyeon to choose from~ Since makchang can get greasy after a while, it's nice they have spicy ramyeon options. We planned to try the ramyeon at the end.

Hair ties, floss — you could feel the owner's thoughtfulness.

We got a variety of side dishes including green onion salad, kimchi, and bean sprouts, plus we grabbed some green onion kimchi from the self-serve bar.

And the most important thing — makchang dipping sauce!! I mean, isn't the dipping sauce basically the whole reason we eat makchang?

What comes in the Bongja set, and how to order it

First you pick the Bongja set, then choose which meat you want. The set also includes ramyeon and bingsu (shaved ice dessert).

Since we were in Daegu, we went with raw makchang plus seasoned makchang. Overhearing the table next to us, they said the raw pork belly was good too, and ordered it — regulars, probably students who come often. They also strongly recommended the kimchi noodle soup.

How do the steamed egg, raw makchang and seasoned makchang taste?

First out was the steamed egg. Do you know that super soft, brothy kind of steamed egg? The one that reminded me of eating it with rice as a kid! It was so good.

Next, the raw makchang, already pre-cooked once. Even before grilling, you could see how plump it was.

The outside grilled up golden and crisp, and the more you chewed, the more the chewy, savory flavor of makchang came through. It had zero odor, was clean-tasting, and had this savory fat spreading through it that kept me reaching for more.

Then the seasoned makchang! It came already fully cooked so it took a bit longer to arrive. As soon as it landed on the table, the subtle smoky flavor was insane. Seasoned makchang has a gochujang base, so it was spicy and sweet at once, and the seasoning matched the chewy texture of the makchang perfectly — total drinking food.

We threw everything onto the grill together and ate it all warm.

The seasoned makchang paired perfectly with the mayonnaise they gave us.

Ending the meal with odongtong ramyeon and bingsu

As we were nearing the end of the makchang, we wanted ramyeon, so we picked odongtong. There were even instructions on how to eat the ramyeon the best way, so everyone should follow along.

It was late at night so I thought we'd only eat a little, but we finished it all along with the green onion kimchi. After eating nothing but makchang, the ramyeon really settled our slightly greasy stomachs, haha.

Last, the dessert bingsu. Since a lot of customers come here to drink, the bingsu at the end must be super popular. Shaved ice, red beans, cereal, and condensed milk — the classic combo, right? Maybe because the whole meal course is so perfect, the other tables really had soju bottles piled up, haha. I wanted to drink so badly too.

Fabric softener spray and candy handed out on the way out

After we finished eating, a staff member followed us out and gave us fabric softener and candy. Isn't that almost too kind? They were so friendly throughout the whole meal, and this little gesture at the very end made me feel really taken care of.

Every type of makchang was delicious, and I was especially impressed that none of it was tough — all chewy in the good way. I think this might be the best makchang I've had recently. Now I get why everyone says Daegu means makchang. Daegu makchang restaurant, approved!