Broth-cooked rice paper kaoyu in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon: Bantiannyao

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch in three lines

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is a genuinely good Chinese kaoyu (braised whole fish) spot right in the middle of Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, grabbing your taste buds with sheer visual impact. The melt-in-your-mouth, mild ningbo fish meat and the clean green Sichuan pepper broth were a dream combination.

With a range of events and an unlimited-refill self bar, it's great value too!

Where Bantiannyao is and when it opens: 2nd floor near Galleria Timeworld

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is on the 2nd floor at 13 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon. It sits right in the heart of Dunsan-dong's downtown, so it's very easy to get to. Since it's near Galleria Timeworld, it's a perfect date spot to stop by after shopping with my husband.

If you're looking for a Daejeon Chinese kaoyu restaurant, you won't have to wander through confusing alleys to find this one. For parking, the building's basement lot or the nearby Nice Park parking lot are both convenient.

• Address: 13 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, 2nd floor
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:30
• Parking available

The mint-colored exterior in Dunsan-dong

A cool mint-colored exterior with a sleekly lettered sign catches your eye from far away and gives off a strongly exotic vibe.

Bantiannyao Kaoyu's distinctly trendy, bright sensibility stands out — the moment you're standing in front of the store, it feels like you've traveled to a fine restaurant in China.

Inside Bantiannyao: atmosphere and how clean the self bar is

Open the door and a spacious, comfortable hall greets you.

With soft, warm lighting and tables kept spotlessly clean with no stickiness, it was more than fine for a cozy chat.

The seating is generously spaced, and the unlimited-refill self bar set up on one side of the store kept even the area around the sauces clean, so I could enjoy my meal with extra peace of mind on the hygiene front.

How the kaoyu menu works: picking your broth and your fish

The main dish at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is, without question, kaoyu — a Chinese-style grilled and braised fish. You can choose from various signature sauces like mala, green Sichuan pepper, and garlic, and you also get to choose the base fish.

You then add a variety of sides — vegetables, mushrooms, glass noodles — and simmer it all like hot pot.

We went with the green Sichuan pepper kaoyu, said to be the signature best-seller here, choosing ningbo fish (a freshwater fish), and ordered plenty of the vegetable-mushroom side to make the broth even richer.

What does green Sichuan pepper kaoyu with ningbo fish taste like?

The visual impact alone was overwhelming — a whole ningbo fish arriving in a specially made, large square pot. The bubbling, boiling sound combined with an aromatic yet tingling scent hit my sense of smell hard.

A staff member kindly came over and skillfully removed the fish's large bones for us right at the start, explaining in detail how to eat it for the best taste — it made me feel really well taken care of.

It was fascinating to see a whole fish go into what's usually a hot pot dish — and the moment I took a spoonful of the broth, a harmonious, savory blend of spicy-sweet sauce spread all through my mouth.

The pleasant tingle unique to green Sichuan pepper broth — made with green chili and Sichuan peppercorn — was seriously addictive.

The ningbo fish meat was so soft it melted in my mouth the moment I pulled it apart with chopsticks — no fishy smell at all, just pale, clean, and mild.

Mixing your own sauce at the 2,000 won self bar

There was also fun in dipping the thick fish meat into a custom sauce I made myself at the self bar (₩2,000 per person), heaping on chopped green onion, garlic, and peanut sauce to my taste.

The trick: cooking rice paper right in the kaoyu broth

And here's my own tip! Try dipping chewy rice paper wraps straight into the hot kaoyu broth to cook them lightly.

Soaked in broth until soft, the rice paper clings beautifully in your mouth — the texture is truly something else.

Review event extras and the Chinese liquor Xueyuan

Thanks to a variety of review events, we got a refreshing, crunchy cucumber salad, chewy New Jin noodles, and clean-tasting mokmyeon tofu as complimentary extras, making the spread even richer. And with a perfect side dish like this, drinks were a must!

We paired it with clean-finishing Saero soju and Xueyuan, a Chinese liquor with a faint pineapple aroma — it went incredibly well with the rich, tingling Daejeon Chinese kaoyu broth.

Frequently asked questions

Are the spices at Bantiannyao too strong?

Green Sichuan pepper has Sichuan peppercorn in it so it does tingle, but it's tuned to suit Korean tastes with a pleasant level of spice, so even first-timers can enjoy it fully.

Is a whole fish annoying to eat around the bones?

Staff take out the large bones right after serving, and ningbo fish itself has almost no small bones and thick flesh, so it's easy to just scoop it up with a spoon.

When should you add the rice paper and side noodles?

I highly recommend eating some of the plain fish meat first, then adding broth (stock) from the self bar and the sides, and simmering it all like hot pot.

Final verdict: a Daejeon dinner that isn't the usual

If you're tired of the same old grilled-meat night out, this place offers a special, vivid dining experience that isn't run-of-the-mill.

Plump, soft ningbo fish with zero fishy smell, an addictive green Sichuan pepper broth that keeps pulling your spoon back in, and a variety of sides to pick to your taste — it all added up to a perfect meal.

If you want to try real Daejeon Chinese kaoyu, Bantiannyao Kaoyu in Dunsan-dong will not disappoint.

The attentive service and nice little events kept me in a good mood the whole time — next time I want to bring the kids along and try the milder garlic-scented kaoyu too.