Weekend dinner for three: fire-grilled squid pork at Banwoldang

On a weekend evening, I headed out with friends for a good dinner to Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch, located on the bokgae-doro (covered road) in Beomeo-dong, Daegu. This stretch is famous for having all kinds of great restaurants packed together, so it's always the first place that comes to mind when I want a good meal.

Among them, Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch is known for its pork stir-fry and squid stir-fry, so it seemed like a good fit for a dinner with friends. One friend had actually been before and said the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry was amazing, so this time we didn't hesitate to order it.

Location and hours of Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch

• 📌 22 Beomeocheon-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• ⏰️ Mon–Sat 11:00 – 20:45
• ⏰️ Closed every Sunday
• ⏰️ Break time 15:30 – 17:00
• ⏰️ Last order 20:00
• 🚗 Parking available

A clean, calm-vibed Korean restaurant in Suseong-gu

Walking into Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch, the interior felt cleaner and more polished than I expected. You'd usually picture a Korean restaurant as having a somewhat rustic vibe, but this place had a tidy interior with a calm atmosphere, giving off a more refined feel overall.

We visited a bit early in the evening, so there weren't many customers yet, which let us settle in at a relaxed pace.

Thanks to that, I could casually take photos of the interior and table setting before the food arrived. It seemed like a great fit for anyone hunting for a good Korean restaurant in Suseong-gu with a clean atmosphere, especially since it's likely busy on weekend evenings.

A simple menu lineup

The menu at Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch was simpler than expected. The main items were

• 📍 Buja stone-grilled galbi
• 📍 Fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry
• 📍 Fire-grilled squid stir-fry
• 📍 Fire-grilled pork stir-fry

That was pretty much it. Rather than a huge variety, the menu centers on stone-grilled galbi and fire-grilled stir-fries, which honestly made choosing easier.

Since there were three of us, after some thought we ordered three servings of the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry our friend had strongly recommended.

Being able to enjoy squid and pork in one dish had me pretty excited personally.

A neat spread of basic side dishes

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out first. That day's lineup was seaweed stem, radish salad, bean sprouts, and fried chili. Not a huge or flashy variety, but each was neatly plated, which I appreciated.

These felt especially well-matched for a spicy, smoky fire-grilled main dish, building anticipation before the meal even started.

Lettuce, garlic, and gochujang (red chili paste) weren't set on the table by default — instead, they were available at a self-serve bar.

Being able to grab as much as we needed was convenient too.

Sizzling on the stone plate! Fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry

After a bit, our fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry arrived.

It came out generously piled on a stone plate, and the moment it hit the table, the sizzling sound alone was enough to get my appetite going.

Best of all, being able to enjoy it warm right off the hot stone plate was great.

Spice level — how mild is 'basic'?

The fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry comes with adjustable spice levels, and we went with basic. Personally, food that's too spicy can get overwhelming after a while, but basic was milder than I expected — just moderately spicy and easy to keep eating.

Having both squid and pork meant we got to enjoy two different textures and flavors at once, which was a real plus.

The savory pork flavor combined with the chewy texture of the squid worked together better than I expected.

It was tasty just picked up like a side dish, but this kind of fire-grilled stir-fry really shines wrapped in lettuce as ssam.

Piling the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry on a lettuce leaf with garlic and gochujang, then taking a bite, gave a spicy yet savory combination that worked really well.

Tasting it, I finally understood why my friend recommended the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry here.

A free cheonggukjang stew, too

There was one more thing that made me especially happy — at Banwoldang Buja Sikdang, ordering any menu item gets you a free cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste) stew.

The fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry alone was filling enough, but a Korean meal really does feel more satisfying with a hot stew alongside it.

The cheonggukjang stew came in a stone pot with plenty of ingredients, and it went well with rice too.

Eating the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry as ssam while pausing now and then for the cheonggukjang stew balanced out the spiciness nicely — a really good combination. When hunting for a good Korean restaurant in Suseong-gu, it really does add to the satisfaction when the main dish comes with a proper stew to eat alongside rice.

A hearty weekend dinner for three

Chatting away with friends over the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry and cheonggukjang stew, the plate emptied out before we knew it.

Getting both squid and pork in one dish made it great for splitting three ways, and wrapping it with lettuce and garlic made it even more filling than expected.

Above all, it wasn't spicy just for the sake of being spicy — the moderate heat kept us reaching for more. If you're looking to enjoy good Korean food comfortably with friends on a weekend evening, this place is worth a visit.

If you're hunting for a good Korean restaurant in Suseong-gu along Beomeo-dong's bokgae-doro, this one will especially suit anyone who likes fire-grilled dishes.

If you like both pork stir-fry and squid stir-fry, I'd recommend the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry that lets you enjoy both at once.

Being able to enjoy tasty fire-grilled stir-fry and a warm cheonggukjang stew in a clean setting made this weekend dinner with friends quite satisfying. If you're looking for a good meal along Beomeo-dong's bokgae-doro, or craving a spicy fire-grilled stir-fry, Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch is worth stopping by.

Visiting with friends and sharing the fire-grilled squid pork stir-fry among several people, like we did, seems like a solid choice. Thanks to good food, this weekend evening turned into a fun time with friends.