Korean restaurant in Seo-gu, Daejeon: chicken hot pot at Onban

Onban, a Korean dining spot near Mokwon University

On a day when we were looking for somewhere to eat near Doan Lake Park, the two of us visited Onban (온반), a Korean dining pub. We ordered Set A for ₩35,000, which let us enjoy chicken hot pot and mini spicy beef tendon stir-fry together. Adding a spicy stir-fry to the warm hot pot naturally made a complete table, without having to split dinner and drinking snacks into separate orders. It is a good choice for anyone looking for a set menu that two people can share near Mokwon University.

Onban is listed as about a 3-minute walk from Mokwon University on Doanbuk-ro in Seo-gu, Daejeon, making it easy to reach from the university and the Doan-dong campus area. It is introduced as a spot suitable for everything from students' post-class dinners to office workers' lunch get-togethers and company dinners, as well as dates. If you are searching for a restaurant or pub near Doan Lake Park after a walk or an appointment, it is also worth a look.

Onban, where meals and drinks go together

The name Onban carries the idea of bringing meals and drinks together. The owner has built more than 10 years of kitchen experience across Japanese, Korean, and Western cooking, and is said to have wanted to create warm Korean dining rather than simply a pub where you fill your stomach. Onban aims to be a space where anyone can sit down comfortably for a meal rather than somewhere flashy, and it says every menu item is prepared in generous portions at reasonable prices. The restaurant says it preps ingredients and cooks everything in its kitchen each day.

Set A: chicken hot pot and mini spicy beef tendon stir-fry

The Set A we chose is a recommended set of chicken hot pot and mini spicy beef tendon stir-fry. At ₩35,000, it made choosing easy when we wanted both a soupy dish and a stir-fry. First, the chicken hot pot is a signature menu item that the restaurant introduces as having a deeply flavored broth. With the warm hot pot anchoring the meal, it was nice to slowly serve ourselves and keep eating, and it was more than enough to give us that hearty Korean-meal feeling.

The mini spicy beef tendon stir-fry alongside it brought a different appeal from the hot pot. A meal of broth alone can feel a little monotonous, but alternating it with the spicy stir-fry gave the table more variety in both flavor and temperature. The warm broth of the chicken hot pot followed by the fiery flavor of the beef tendon stir-fry worked well both for dinner with rice and for a drink or two. It was also an easy combination for two people to serve themselves however they liked.

Set A costs ₩35,000. Because it is put together as a set from the start, rather than adding a hot pot and a mini stir-fry separately, ordering was simple; it was not excessive for two, yet the meal did not feel lacking. On a day when you want to keep talking after dinner, it would also be nice with one of the various traditional Korean alcoholic drinks that Onban has prepared.

Menu items I noticed for next time

I also noticed options for a future visit, including chilled boiled pork with Yeosu gat kimchi, white pollack roe bibim pasta, fire-kissed spicy beef tendon stir-fry, and barley shrimp minari jeon (water parsley pancake). For a larger group, it would be nice to add hot pot, pancakes, and stir-fried dishes according to everyone's tastes.

If you want warm-broth hot pot and a spicy stir-fried dish on the same table, remember Onban's set. It was a good place for two to visit on a day when you are looking for a restaurant or pub in Seo-gu, Daejeon, want to naturally carry a meal into drinks near Mokwon University, or are after relaxed Korean dining near Doan Lake Park.