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Cafés, restaurants and places in Gyeongbuk, written by bloggers who went there.
Buja Hodu is a rice-dough walnut pastry shop at the entrance to Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju. Visiting with a baby on their first Gyeongju trip, the writer took the Best Mix (red bean, pea cream cheese, matcha) to a picnic spot near Daereungwon, and the low-sugar red bean filling with plenty of walnuts was the standout. It also sits far enough from the Hwangnidan-gil crowds to make a good breather on any Gyeongju itinerary.
Sonsi Sushi Yeungnam University Main Branch is a sushi restaurant near Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. On a weeknight family visit, the writer ordered the value set (10-piece assorted sashimi, udon, chojang sashimi rice bowl, fried shrimp) plus 10 pieces of salmon nigiri, and was won over by small details like the chojang sauce and sesame oil served separately and pickled plums tucked inside the soy sauce container. There was a short wait for a table, but with salmon nigiri the kid loves, it's an easy place to come back to.
Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch is a seasonal Korean set-menu restaurant on Samseonghyeon-ro in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. Revisiting after six months, the writer and her mom ordered the summer set (live abalone mulhoe and mini abalone porridge) and autumn set (live abalone porridge and doenjang stew) side by side, seated in the quiet back corner on a late visit. A solid pick if you're looking for a calm Korean meal spot to bring your parents in Gyeongsan.
Goyu is a fusion Korean restaurant on Sajeong-ro near Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju. Three diners ordered two servings of pork kimchi jjim (stewed kimchi with pork), mackerel perilla oil buckwheat noodles, and a potato pancake, and the kimchi jjim was so good they added two extra bowls of rice. The potato pancake topped with snow cheese stole the show, and the spot fits neatly into a Daereungwon–Hwangnidan-gil walking route.
Tareudang is a fresh fruit mochi dessert shop on the main road of Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Visiting at 4pm on a Saturday when kiwi and fig were already sold out, the writer boxed up four mochi — mango, pineapple, and Greek yogurt peach — got a ₩500 discount per piece, and ate them right there on the street. The thin glutinous rice skin wraps a whole fruit inside, so the fruit flavor really comes through, and since weekend stock can run out early, going earlier in the day is the way to go.
Dongyang Baekban is a Korean restaurant in a hanok tile-roof house near the main street of Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju. Visiting on a weekday around 6pm, the writer ordered sumi dakbokkeumtang (chicken stew) for 2-3 people at ₩28,000, pork kimchi dureuchigi (stir-fry) at ₩27,000, plus soy-egg rice and pollack roe rice, and both mains came in a sweet-spicy sauce mild enough for spice-shy eaters. If you like sweet-spicy seasoning and a big lineup of signature rice bowls, Dongyang Baekban fits the bill.
Yeonggwang Hoe Daegae Center is a raw fish and seafood restaurant in Jukdo Market, Pohang. With snow crab out of season, the writer ordered the red snow crab (hongge) set for two and worked through banchan, mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), assorted sashimi, the crab itself, ramyeon, crab-shell rice and maeuntang (spicy fish stew). The 90,000 won hongge set's generous spread was especially satisfying.
Otters Jisan Saetgang Main Branch is a large bakery café on Seonsan-daero in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, open from 11:00 to 22:00. Visiting with a child, the writer ordered the autumn-season chestnut latte and an americano with melon bread, milk bread and a crème brûlée doughnut, and found the big parking lot out front, a nursing room, baby chairs and second-floor floor seating made it easy to stay a while as a family. The crème brûlée doughnut was the most satisfying pick at Otters.
Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch is a briquette-grilled Korean restaurant in Apo-eup, Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk. At lunch the table held two servings of osam bulgogi (pork and squid) grilled over briquettes, spicy-sweet grilled deodeok (mountain bellflower root), a chive pancake fried to order, eight house-made side dishes and a complimentary soybean paste stew. With a glass-walled private room and a large dedicated parking lot across the street, Sonamu Sikdang works well for a roomy lunch near Gimcheon Innovation City or Gumi.
Kkotdwaeji Sikdang Gyeongsan Branch is a pork restaurant on Seongam-ro in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, where staff grill the meat at your table. A family dinner here covered the Gourmet Set (premium pork belly, premium pork neck, premium pork jowl) with a side order of Korean beef tripe ramyeon and a small daechang (beef intestine) hot pot. Between the hands-off grilling and the soup dishes, Kkotdwaeji Sikdang Gyeongsan Branch is an easy pick for family meals or group dinners.
Hwangnam Dukkebi Restaurant Hwangnam Main Branch is a Korean restaurant on Poseok-ro in the Hwangnidan-gil area of Gyeongju. Visiting at lunchtime with children, the writer ordered three dishes — aged jar-fermented kimchi rib stew (mugeunji deunggalbi-jjim), golden corn pancake and Gyeongju royal tomb steamed egg — and the adults took the spicy rib stew while the kids finished the corn pancake and steamed egg. Ordering one spicy dish alongside two mild ones made Hwangnam Dukkebi Restaurant a foolproof lunch stop for families.
Bibibidang Gyeongju is a Korean dessert tea house in the Bomun Lake district of Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, a branch of the Bibibidang made famous by its Haeundae Dalmaji-gil original. The signature dawan coffee (hand-drip coffee in a tea bowl) and matcha arrive in white porcelain bowls hand-thrown by ceramic artists and big enough to fit your whole face, so a startling first look turns into something close to a tea ceremony. For a tea break that feels different, Bibibidang Gyeongju is the answer.
