Kid-friendly Daegu restaurant: tteokgalbi and noodles, Daeheungmyeonok

Picking a menu is always the hardest part of eating out with a kid, isn't it? You want somewhere that suits the adults and that the child will actually eat at. This time I went to Daeheungmyeonok (대흥면옥), known as a lunch spot in Suseong.

It turns out Daeheungmyeonok even appeared on a Comedy TV eating show featuring Yoo Min-sang and Kim Min-kyung! There's a poster signed by the two of them in the restaurant, which made me even more excited, haha. It's also famous in Suseong for its kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup), so I was curious about the dishes with godi (freshwater snails). I ordered a bit of everything, from godi tteokguk to mul-maekguksu and handmade tteokgalbi. Best of all, my child ate so well, which made me even happier. :)

Where is Daeheungmyeonok, and what are the hours and parking?

• Address: 49-8 Cheongsu-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: 10:30–16:00
• Closed: every Monday
• Parking: available in front of the restaurant
• High chair: yes
• ※ Please re-check the hours before you visit.

Daeheungmyeonok is in Jungdong, Suseong-gu, behind Hyosung Hospital. The menu is varied: milmyeon (wheat cold noodles) and maekguksu (buckwheat noodles), but also godi kalguksu, godi tteokguk and handmade tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties). It's known for making its own noodles, so it's worth a look if you love noodle dishes.

Daeheungmyeonok, visited by Yoo Min-sang and Kim Min-kyung

What caught my eye in the restaurant was the poster for the show with Yoo Min-sang and Kim Min-kyung! Knowing the two stars from the Comedy TV eating show had been here made me even more curious about the taste. The poster has their signatures on it.

They're so famous for eating shows, after all. I couldn't help thinking, "What on earth does it taste like?" haha. If you're looking for a lunch spot in Suseong, visiting a place that's been on TV like this seems like fun too.

What we ordered at Daeheungmyeonok with a child

We ordered four dishes in total at Daeheungmyeonok.

• Godi tteokguk (rice cake soup with snails)
• Handmade tteokgalbi
• Mul-maekguksu (cold buckwheat noodles in broth)
• A bowl of rice

The adults would enjoy warm broth and cold noodles, while the child would have the tteokgalbi and rice. The menu at Daeheungmyeonok changes with the seasons, and godi kalguksu and godi tteokguk are said to be cold-season dishes. If you come for the famous Suseong kalguksu, check the seasonal menu too.

What does Daeheungmyeonok's godi tteokguk taste like?

The godi tteokguk at Daeheungmyeonok comes with maesaengi (fine seaweed), godi and chewy rice cake slices, and the broth was deep and nutty. This was the dish I was most curious about. Godi is what people in Gyeongsang call freshwater snails. Godi soup is familiar, but tteokguk with godi is a little unusual, right? Even the look of it, so different from ordinary tteokguk, caught my eye.

The soft texture of maesaengi plus the savory depth of godi made the broth rich and nutty. Not harsh, yet refreshing, if that makes sense? Spoonful by spoonful of hot broth, I felt warm and full. With the chewy rice cakes, one bowl was plenty. If you like soupy dishes, give Daeheungmyeonok's godi tteokguk a try.

Is the handmade tteokgalbi a good pick for kids?

Daeheungmyeonok's handmade tteokgalbi is sweet and a little salty with a soft texture, so it was a good choice for kids. We came with a child, so a meat dish was a must! The nice thing about tteokgalbi is that you can cut it into bite-size pieces and eat it with rice.

And above all, my kid enjoyed it so much, haha. I cut it into bite-size pieces and served it with the rice, and the child ate it all up. When eating out with kids, sometimes they won't eat and mom ends up busier than anyone, but that day I had no such worries. One piece of tteokgalbi, one spoonful of rice! Watching the child eat happily made me proud. If you're looking for a Suseong lunch spot to eat with a child, the tteokgalbi and rice combo works well.

Can kids eat the mul-maekguksu cold noodles?

Daeheungmyeonok's mul-maekguksu is a dish of chewy house-made noodles in cold broth, and since a portion was set aside before the spicy seasoning was mixed in, the child ate it well too. I ordered it to go with the warm godi tteokguk, and the two had very different charms, which I liked.

And the person who ate the mul-maekguksu best that day? My child! Haha. Before mixing in the spicy seasoning, I'd set aside a child-sized portion. I wondered if it would refuse, but what do you know? It slurped those noodles up so well! Tteokgalbi, rice, and then the cold noodles too, and mom was just happy watching.

I'd suggest setting aside the child's portion before the spicy seasoning is mixed in, and cutting the noodles to an easy length. Of course, you should also check whether the saltiness of the broth and the seasoning suit your child. Thanks to this, the child enjoyed the maekguksu I'd assumed was only for adults.

Why adding a bowl of rice was worth it

When eating out with a kid, a bowl of rice is really a must. This time too, I ordered rice so the child could eat it with the tteokgalbi. With rice, I could give the child a filling meal along with the meat. Slurping some mul-maekguksu in between, I thought we'd chosen well. I liked that at Daeheungmyeonok you can enjoy rice, noodles and meat together.

Lunch with kids at Daeheungmyeonok: final verdict

Daeheungmyeonok was a place where both adults and the child left happy. I loved the deep broth of the godi tteokguk, where maesaengi and godi come together, and the mul-maekguksu was charming with its cold broth and chewy noodles. The handmade tteokgalbi goes well with rice, so it worked nicely as a kid's dish too.

What I'll remember most is that the child ate the tteokgalbi and rice, and even slurped the mul-maekguksu from before the seasoning went in. Since it's known as a Suseong kalguksu place, I'd like to try the godi kalguksu next time. It has the fun detail of Yoo Min-sang and Kim Min-kyung having visited, and the menu is wide. If you're looking for a lunch spot or a Korean restaurant in Suseong to visit with a child, check out Daeheungmyeonok!