18,000-won Chinese lunch set for two in Mannyeon-dong: Macheonchwi

I was looking for somewhere to eat lunch in Mannyeon-dong, Daejeon, and ended up visiting Macheonchwi, so let me introduce it haha.

When you think of a Chinese restaurant, the first thing that comes to mind is usually a single bowl of jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) or jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), but Macheonchwi has set menus where you can taste a little bit of several Chinese dishes, which made it a nice lunch option lol. This time I ordered the Modern Simple Set at ₩18,000 per person and tried it out.

Where is Macheonchwi? Dunsan-daero 117beon-gil, Mannyeon-dong, Daejeon

Macheonchwi is located at 18 Dunsan-daero 117beon-gil, Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. It's in the Mannyeon-dong commercial area, close to the Daejeon Museum of Art and the Daejeon Arts Center, so it's a good spot to stop by when you have other plans in the area haha.

On the first floor of the building, there's a big sign reading Macheonchwi Chinese Restaurant, so it wasn't hard to spot while walking by. With the red signage and Chinese-style decorations right from the exterior, it really gives off that Chinese restaurant feel lol.

Inside Macheonchwi: a spacious, clean Chinese dining room

Walking into Macheonchwi, the place was bigger and cleaner than I expected. With dark wood tables and warm lighting throughout, it felt less like an old-school Chinese joint and more like a Chinese restaurant that's comfortable for family meals or gatherings haha.

The tables weren't cramped, and there were seats that looked good for dining with a larger group. Looking at the menu board near the entrance, besides the regular à la carte menu, they also had a lunch course, dinner course, and family & gathering sets set up separately depending on the number of people lol.

What comes with the 18,000-won Modern Simple Set

What I ordered at Macheonchwi was the Modern Simple Set at ₩18,000 per person. Based on the menu board in the photo, it's a lineup that goes ryu sansul, chilli king prawn, Beijing sweet and sour pork, then rice and dessert, which felt pretty substantial for the price haha.

We ordered for two that day, and the receipt showed two Modern Simple Sets. When you want to taste a bit of several dishes instead of just one single item, a set like this is definitely the way to go lol.

Ryu sansul: a mushroom-packed start to the course

The ryu sansul (stir-fried mixed vegetables and meat in a thick sauce) that came out first had plenty of mushrooms in it. It's the style where shiitake and enoki mushrooms are stir-fried with a thick sauce, and the sauce coated the ingredients smoothly, letting the mushrooms' distinctive aroma and texture come through nicely haha. It wasn't overly spicy or salty, so it was a good way to start the course.

Chilli king prawn: the best dish in the Macheonchwi set

Next up was the chilli king prawn, and the sauce color alone told you it meant business lol. Plump prawns were generously topped with a sweet, tangy, slightly spicy chilli sauce, and a salad came out alongside it.

Between the springy texture of the prawns and the rich sauce, this was personally the dish in the set I reached for the most haha.

Eating some salad in between was nice for resetting the palate too. The basic side dishes were pickled radish, onion, and jajai.

They were perfect to pick at when the Chinese food got a bit rich lol. With rice included as well, thinking about the ₩18,000 per person price, it was a clearly different kind of enjoyment compared to just having a bowl of jjajangmyeon or jjamppong.

With several dishes coming out one after another, it looked like a small amount at first, but once we finished everything it turned out to be pretty filling haha.

Is the Macheonchwi set worth it for lunch in Mannyeon-dong?

Finishing off with dessert made it feel like a proper meal. If you're in Mannyeon-dong looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Daejeon or somewhere to casually try a variety of Chinese dishes, it's worth checking out Macheonchwi's set menus.

Especially when you're visiting with several people and ordering a bunch of à la carte dishes feels like a burden, ordering sets by headcount like this was a decent choice lol. Next time, instead of the Modern Simple Set, I'd like to try the lunch course or some other menu items haha.