Tomato kaoyu with fuzhu and fensi noodles in Daejeon: Bantiannyao

This time I went for Sunday dinner at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch. I've had plenty of mala tang and hot pot before, but kaoyu was a bit unfamiliar to me. Kaoyu means grilled fish, but it's not just plain grilled fish — it's a Chinese-style fish dish where you add broth and spices and keep simmering it at the table, adding noodles and other add-ins as you go.

For anyone wanting to try something new, anyone searching for hot pot in Dunsan-dong, or anyone who likes the shabu-shabu style of eating in Dunsan-dong, this is a dish I'd recommend without hesitation. I went with the tomato kaoyu, which had a moderate level of spice, so it was clean and easy to eat. The combination of tomato, mala broth, and tender fish meat was great.

Location and parking for Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch

• Address: 13 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, 2nd floor unit 1, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
• Hours: 10:30–23:00 / open every day / no break time
• Signature menu: Mala kaoyu ₩43,000, cheonghwajiao kaoyu ₩43,000, suancai kaoyu ₩43,000, garlic kaoyu ₩43,000, hongshao mushroom kaoyu ₩43,000, tomato kaoyu ₩43,000, mala beef tripe kaoyu ₩55,000
• What I ordered: Tomato kaoyu + fensi noodles + fuzhu

Since it was the weekend, parking spots were a bit tight, so I just parked at Galleria Department Store for convenience — it costs money, but it's easy. You can also use the dedicated lot behind the restaurant or public parking lots. Since it's Dunsan-dong, parking can get a little congested, so paying at Galleria is convenient even though it costs a bit.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the Ohayami Building. Hours are 10:30–23:00. For reference, kaoyu is also available for takeout.

The restaurant had a feel that was both Korean and Chinese at once. Since it's newly opened, it felt clean and fresh. The window looked out onto a view of Galleria, and being right behind Galleria Department Store made it very accessible.

The lighting fixtures on the tables were very Chinese in style. It made me feel like I was traveling in China, which made the experience even better. That exotic feeling sparks my inspiration — and so does trying new food, haha.

What is kaoyu, exactly?

I wondered, what exactly is kaoyu? At first I figured it was just some kind of Chinese dish, but according to the owner's explanation, kaoyu means grilled fish — but not just ordinary grilled fish. It's a dish where you add broth and spices and simmer it as you eat. It's basically grilled fish combined with hot pot.

Apparently there are 1,600 locations worldwide. A handful of those are in Korea. And one of them is right here in Daejeon!!! The appeal of Bantiannyao Kaoyu is that you can choose from a variety of flavors. There were many options — mala, cheonghwajiao, suancai, garlic, hongjiao, hongshao mushroom, tomato, and more. I picked the flavor first. I went with tomato kaoyu.

Then you choose the fish. Today only ningbo fish was available, so I went with that. Next time I want to try sea bass — I'm looking forward to that chewy texture.

Next you add noodles for the hot pot broth. A mixed noodle set is also recommended, but since I love fuzhu (dried tofu skin), I chose fuzhu and fensi (glass noodles). There was also a variety of side dishes — sweet and sour pork, cream sweet and sour pork, cream shrimp, and boiled dumplings among them.

The self bar and amenities

For ₩2,000 you get unlimited rice, snacks, sauces, and soft drinks. Since the kaoyu portion is so large, I didn't really end up using the self bar.

They had prepared a variety of amenities too — burn ointment, band-aids, dental floss, fabric deodorizer, hair ties, and more. They even lent out phone chargers, which was nice.

They were also running various review events — I subscribed to their YouTube channel and got to try newjin noodles for free.

How was the tomato kaoyu?

The tomato kaoyu arrived. The fish was huge — enough for two people to share plenty. Unlike just eating plain grilled fish, simmering it in the tomato broth meant the flavor of the broth naturally soaked into the fish meat.

The fish was incredibly thick. The tomato kaoyu had a subtle sweetness along with the tartness of tomato, which made it delicious. The tangy-sweet tomato flavor tamed the fish's distinct aroma, and the two went together better than I expected.

There were also egg noodles, so I tried those too.

There were plenty of spicy chili peppers in there, but it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy, which I liked.

They time it with a sand timer, and once it's done, they debone and prep the fish for you so it's easy to eat.

It almost felt like fine dining. They cut and served the tasty belly portion for me. Eating the fish meat with the broth made it incredibly tender, while the umami of the tomato and mala came through. A touch of spiciness really brought out the fish's flavor, and the mala gave it a clean finish. Kaoyu really lets you experience the distinct taste of Chinese cuisine.

They also set aside the cheek meat separately as a special treat. Being grilled fish, you could really taste the smoky char, and it was delicious.

The fuzhu and fensi noodle combo

Fuzhu and fensi noodles paired well with the kaoyu too. When eating hot pot or mala tang, I always add plenty of fuzhu — as it absorbs the broth it turns soft, and biting into it releases the flavor of the tomato broth inside, which tasted great. The newjin noodles and fensi also absorbed the broth well and were delicious. If you like hot pot, I think you'd like kaoyu too. It's not a dish where you throw in raw meat and vegetables, but since you can add various noodles and add-ins to the fish broth, it does feel similar to hot pot in that way.

Final thoughts

The tomato kaoyu's distinctive tangy-sweet umami went really well with the ningbo fish meat. The chewy texture of the fensi noodles and the fuzhu also had great texture, and since they absorbed the broth so well, they tasted even better. If you like mala tang or hot pot, this is worth trying at least once. If you're looking for hot pot or shabu-shabu style food in Dunsan-dong, I'd recommend this as a different kind of dinner option.