Hanjeongsik set for three in Wolseong-dong, Daegu: Geumdeungeo Dalseo

2026.09.18

Yesterday my mom passed the written exam for her hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) craftsman certification. She'd barely had time to study lately with so many personal things suddenly coming up, and by her own account she scraped by with the bare minimum to pass. Still, a pass is a pass, so I took my parents out to dinner to celebrate. We went to Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, a well-known Korean restaurant in Dalseo-gu.

Where is Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, and which parking entrance is easiest?

Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch is within a 10-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jincheon Station on Daegu Subway Line 1. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the Jincheon Food Town building, so you can easily use the building's own parking lot. Eating there gets you a full 4 hours of free parking, so there's no rush after the meal either.

We followed my dad's car navigation and first arrived at the 1st floor parking lot of Jincheon Food Town, but unfortunately there was no space. So we drove a full loop around the building and found the separate entrance to the 3rd/4th floor parking lot. The 3rd and 4th floor lots are very spacious with plenty of room, so if you're driving, I'd recommend heading straight for the 3rd/4th floor parking entrance across from Wolbae Church.

The entrance and waiting area at Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch

Walking into Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch, a well-known Korean restaurant in Dalseo-gu, I was surprised by how much bigger and more pleasant the interior was than I expected. Near the entrance there were all kinds of the restaurant's own packaged food products on display, which was fun to browse.

Luckily there was no wait when we visited, so we got seated right away. When it's busier, it looks like you'd register with Catch Table and wait in the spacious waiting area.

Ordering the Geumdeungeo pot rice set for three and the partitioned seats

Here you order at the counter first before being shown to your table. We ordered three servings of the Geumdeungeo pot rice set plus a side of neopttigi (flounder) beef jeon. Once we ordered, the staff kindly showed us to our table. Going into the inner dining area, there were so many seats. Interestingly, each table was separated by partition walls, with blinds you could lower to fully close off the space. There weren't separate private rooms as such, but the separation was solid enough that I thought it would work great as a venue for all kinds of gatherings.

Is one plate of neopttigi beef jeon enough for three people?

After we sat down, savory doenjang (soybean paste) soup came out first. While the soup was bubbling away, they brought the side dishes and the beef jeon we'd added.

The beef jeon was bigger and thicker than I expected, so it passed the visual test right away. Dipped lightly in the soy sauce that came with it, the meat was tender and really tasty. My parents, who often go to the Deuranggil branch of Geumdeungeo, said this was their first time trying the beef jeon here and that it was better than they expected. It's big enough that one plate is plenty for three people.

Oven-grilled mackerel, pot rice and nurungji (scorched rice)

While we were eating the beef jeon and side dishes, the oily, golden-brown mackerel grilled in the oven finally arrived along with the warm pot rice. We scooped the pot rice into our bowls and ladled out the doenjang soup that had been simmering. Then we poured hot water into the pot to make it into savory scorched rice water, and the real eating began.

We picked apart the nicely browned mackerel and dipped it in both soy sauce and salt. Wrapped in the crispy seaweed that came with it, the rice disappeared in no time.

Unlimited banchan refills at the self-serve bar

All the basic side dishes were so tasty that we refilled several times. One of this restaurant's biggest strengths is being able to grab as many delicious side dishes as you want from the self-serve bar. Even the fresh cabbage kimchi was really good, with the seasoning clinging perfectly to every leaf. We scraped the rice and mackerel bowls completely clean, and finished off by scraping up the savory scorched rice we'd poured earlier for a satisfying end to the meal. My parents said it was a really satisfying meal, which made it all worth it to bring them along.

Why Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch works for a meal out with parents

If you're looking for a nice, orderly Korean set-meal restaurant in Dalseo-gu, Daegu to bring your parents to, I'd strongly recommend Geumdeungeo Dalseo Branch. Between the spacious parking with 4 hours free, the pleasant, privately partitioned seating, and the excellent food quality — from the fragrant oven-grilled mackerel to the thick beef jeon — everything is well done. The self-serve bar stocked with neat side dishes you can help yourself to as much as you like rounds it out, making it a perfect spot for family meals or any kind of gathering.