Daegu Korean restaurant, spicy pork stir-fry for two: Banwoldang

Banwoldang Bujasikdang: the Korean restaurant Daegu office workers recommend

Banwoldang Bujasikdang is a Korean restaurant in an alley off Gwandeokjeong-gil, at 938-8 Nam-san-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu. I was reeeeally craving Korean food today. My friend and I went looking for a good Korean restaurant. We were after something red and mouth-on-fire spicy!!

So we went to Bujasikdang, a Banwoldang spot recommended by actual office workers~

Is there parking at Banwoldang Bujasikdang?

Banwoldang Bujasikdang has a lot in front of the shop with room for 3 cars~ And since it's in an alley, people also park along the roadside next to it.

If there's still no spot, you can use a nearby paid parking lot, but note that there's no parking validation!

Apparently it was also aired on MBC's Live Tonight. They said it's an office-worker favorite, and now I'm even more excited... !! Getting a little thrill from a place that's been on TV haha!! You know a real favorite is one that's earned the seal of approval from office workers and the older crowd haha

A 2pm visit: dining room and seating

We got there around 2pm, and even though the lunch rush was winding down, the tables were still full. There's a room further inside past the photo, but it was full, so we sat at an outside table! Being a Korean restaurant, the crowd was all ages. Lots of dishes here that anyone, young or old, can enjoy~

If you leave food, that's a 100-million-won environmental fine hahaha, so if you don't have 100 million won lying around, don't leave anything.. !! But honestly, no need to worry about leftovers — it's genuinely delicious. The lettuce was super fresh too, and the ssam vegetables are unlimited refill~

The side dishes that come first

Here are the basic banchan. Just looking at them, you'll already be thinking this place knows what it's doing!! Personally, the bean sprouts, seaweed, and cabbage salad were exactly my taste. (I secretly refilled them twice more, shh haha)

Ordering the fire-grilled pork stir-fry, spicy version

Here's the Banwoldang Bujasikdang menu. Looking around at the other tables, a lot of people were eating the grilled pork ribs and the pork stir-fry too~~ Today I was craving that spiiiiicy red flavor, so I went ahead and ordered the fire-grilled pork stir-fry (spicy version), yay~

It comes out on a hot plate, sizzling away!! Seriously, the smoke keeps rising the whole time you're eating a bowl of rice. Somehow it tastes even better while it's hot~

The soybean stew included with the meal

And now let me introduce this place's insanely good default side stew. This soybean stew is out of control;;; I love cheonggukjang so much. It's somewhere between doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and cheonggukjang...? Packed with beans, and best of all, this isn't something you order — it just comes free with the meal!! The quality is what you'd expect from a dedicated cheonggukjang restaurant. Honestly the best.

How much food is the set for two?

It's a set for two, but the portion is seriously generous haha. The two of us ate until our stomachs practically split, and there was still a bit left over.

Two ways to eat the fire-grilled pork

Way number one! Wrap up enoki mushrooms, the meat, bean sprouts, and a dab of soybean paste all together in a lettuce wrap — pure perfection haha. And if you ask, they'll bring you garlic on the side!

Way number two! They give you a small bowl so you can mix your own combination of rice with the stir-fry. The pork stir-fry was full of smoky char, the meat was thick and good, and it just felt like they didn't skimp on any ingredient — the seasoning soaked in beautifully too. We ate so well.

How spicy is the spicy pork stir-fry?

I ordered the spicy version, and it did lean fairly spicy. I'm honestly a wimp when it comes to spice, but I'd say it was a bit spicier than Shin Ramyun!

Would I go back to Banwoldang Bujasikdang? Final verdict

If you go to the restroom, there's even a cute little garland the owner put up with a sense of humor — 'escape the garlic princess' or something like that. Overall, I felt this was a generous, honest restaurant. The food was excellent, and I really loved how smoky and char-rich the pork was. I'd definitely want to visit again! If you're looking for a good Korean restaurant near Banwoldang, give this one a try~