Daegu mackerel restaurant with spicy pork for the family: Geumdeungeo

What is Geumdeungeo Deulanguil Main Branch like?

To enjoy a neat, hearty Korean meal with my family, we went to Geumdeungeo (금등어) Deulanguil Main Branch, a well-known restaurant in Suseong, Daegu. It's already famous for its tidy full table spread, so it's hugely popular for family meals and group gatherings in Daegu. I'm leaving this review for anyone looking for a Korean set meal around Deulanguil or Suseong Lake.

Address, hours and parking

• 🏠 Address: 57 Deulan-ro, 2F, Suseong-gu, Daegu
• 🕝 Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:20 (last order 20:40) / Sun 11:00–20:40 (last order 20:00)
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• 🚘 Parking: in front of the restaurant

It's close to Suseong Lake, so it's also a perfect route for a stroll after eating.

There's even a staff member who helps with parking, and there are spaces both inside and outside the building, so you can bring a car without worrying about parking.

The 2nd-floor dining room and group seating

Walk up to the second floor and you're greeted by a bright, clean dining room.

Modern yet warm wood-tone interiors give it a upscale feel.

Tables are well spaced, the seats are roomy, and there's group seating too, so it was ideal for bringing parents or having a private conversation. No wonder it's counted as a top Suseong restaurant and a go-to spot for gatherings in Daegu!

Self-bar and dessert coffee bar

There's a self-bar, and items for sale too.

There's also a bar where you can have a coffee or juice after your meal.

Side dishes from the serving robot, and what we ordered

A serving robot brought out the neat side dishes (banchan). To try a variety of Geumdeungeo's signature dishes, we ordered the following.

Grilled mackerel (₩19,000 × 2 servings)

The signature dish, grilled mackerel, comes out of a high-heat oven crisp on the outside and moist inside, the textbook example of "겉바속촉" (crispy outside, juicy inside).

There was no fishy smell at all, and the nutty, mild flesh melted softly in the mouth. It's a total rice thief (밥도둑, a dish that makes you finish your rice)!

Cockle salad (₩9,000)

Just as the name ("generous cockle salad") says, it's packed with cockles. The sweet-and-sour seasoning with the chewy cockles was perfect for whetting the appetite.

Eaten together with the grilled mackerel, the pairing was excellent.

Spicy stir-fried pork (₩20,000)

It's a grilled fish specialist, but the stir-fried pork (jeyuk bokkeum) was in a class of its own too. It had a faint smoky flame flavor and was gently spicy-sweet, the kind of taste anyone would like. The meat was good quality and well seasoned, so we enjoyed it to the last bite.

Would I recommend it for a Deulanguil or Suseong Lake meal?

It was a meal where the neat side dishes and main dishes balanced perfectly. With a clean atmosphere and a menu that satisfies all ages, I recommend a visit if you're looking for a good restaurant near Suseong Lake or Deulanguil. It has all three: taste, atmosphere and service, so I plan to come back for another gathering soon.