Dunsan-dong kaoyu restaurant with shrimp fish maw topping: Bantiannyao

Back again at Bantiannyao Kaoyu in Daejeon. Haha.

I got hooked on kaoyu (Chinese-style steamed freshwater fish) on a trip to Shanghai, and the moment I got back to Korea I went looking for places that served it. Hehe. Then a well-known kaoyu chain opened in Korea, and it opened a branch in Daejeon too! I was so excited I had to check it out.

Haha, I visited with my college friends who are also Shanghai lovers, back when the place had just opened and we waited in line for a table. This time we were trying to figure out where to get something good for a Friday night, and ended up back here.

Where is Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch, and what are its hours?

Bantiannyao Kaoyu is located right across from Galleria Timeworld in Dunsan-dong. Such a great spot... 🤎🤎 It's open every day, from 11 AM to 10:30 PM, so keep that in mind.

If you work in Dunsan-dong, it seems like a great spot to grab lunch with your mala buddies, and just as good for a night of good drinks and dinner like we did — Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon has both covered.

Seating and reservations at Bantiannyao — private rooms included

This is the interior, haha. There's a whole range of seating, from group tables to 2-, 4-, and 6-person tables. We came with a reservation — you can book through Naver Reservation too, so I'd recommend reserving ahead. 🤓🤓🤓 No break time and no days off — another thing I love about Bantiannyao Kaoyu.

This was our table, and the whole restaurant has that same spacious, comfortable feel. There's also a private room, so it'd be perfect for an even more private meal or for group gatherings. And you can see Galleria Timeworld right behind our seats — it's a 10-second walk, so it's a great pick whenever you're hunting for good food near Galleria Timeworld.

What is kaoyu, and how do you order honghuajiao kaoyu?

Here's the menu. For anyone unfamiliar, kaoyu is basically a Chinese-style steamed freshwater fish dish. I ordered the honghuajiao kaoyu, and you actually get to choose your fish. Haha.

• Fish choice: Ningbo fish | sea bass | qingjiang fish
• Add whatever extra toppings you want, then dig in

Think of it as the fish-stew version of mala tang! That framing makes it a lot easier to order and approach.

Since it's a steamed fish dish, it's basically fully steamed in the kitchen before it comes out, so it takes a little bit of time. Haha. 😗 Good excuse to sip a draft beer while you wait — turns out Bantiannyao Kaoyu's corkage fee is only ₩10,000. Worth keeping in mind for your visit? Hehe.

The base kaoyu pot and tableside fish prep by the staff

The look of it alone — wow, incredible. 🐠🐟 This is the base kaoyu with zero toppings added, so I'd recommend adding a reasonable amount of toppings. Every time we go, we end up spending more on toppings than on the kaoyu itself... hehe.

A staff member preps the fish right at your table and explains the different cuts, too — the staff at Bantiannyao Kaoyu are always so friendly, which I really appreciate. 🤎

Best topping to add: shrimp-stuffed fish maw

We loaded up on toppings like these, but personally, I highly recommend the shrimp-stuffed fish maw! It's fried tofu skin stuffed with shrimp meat and cooked in the sauce, and it's seriously, seriously delicious. Haha. And you know you've got to make sure to grab a few toppings smartly when there are review events like this going on... 😗🤎

The 2,000 won self bar: worth it for the sauces alone

For an extra ₩2,000 per person, you get access to the self bar. Haha. There are snacks, rice, soft drinks, and sauces. But out of all of it, I only really go for the sauce — and that alone is worth the ₩2,000, so you really shouldn't skip the self bar. Every time I go, I stand there tweaking my Bantiannyao sauce recipe like it's a science... haha.

Make it like this, and dipping the kaoyu in it makes it twice as good! Hehe. Be sure to add plenty of minced garlic — I mean, I'm Korean, what can I say...

Why a non-mala fan keeps returning to Bantiannyao

This is a photo from our last visit. The fish itself is so tender and delicious! Even the first time I tried it in Shanghai, I was blown away that a steamed fish dish could be this soft.

I actually don't like mala tang but I love mala xiang guo. Even though I'm not exactly a huge mala person, the taste of this fish and the way all the different toppings simmer down in the sauce is just so good that I keep thinking about it and coming back.

Free ice cream to finish the meal

Once you're done eating, they have ice cream ready for you, so you can cool your spice-hit mouth and finish off with dessert on the way out. My college friends forgot about it and had already headed downstairs yesterday, but the moment they saw me eating mine, they went right back up to grab theirs... haha.

Great taste, great location, great service — Bantiannyao Kaoyu is a Daejeon kaoyu spot I'm very satisfied with. If you're craving good mala-adjacent food in Dunsan-dong, definitely give it a visit.