Makchang platter with extra pork belly skin: Bongja Makchang, Daegu

Daegu means makchang (grilled pork intestine), and makchang means Daegu. Today's post is an honest, self-paid (내돈내산) review of Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch, a recent hotspot I visited on Jongno in Daegu ࿔*:･ The taste was great, but the portions and endless service were on another level too — now I totally get why everyone around me kept recommending this place whenever Daegu makchang came up .ᐟ

Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch

A spacious restaurant that works for group gatherings too

Bongja Makchang Daegu Jongno Branch is a comfortable, roomy space that works for dates, group gatherings, family meals, and even club meetups.

These days, picking a spot for a group meal or work dinner can be tricky since everyone's tastes differ — meat lovers, makchang fans, soup people... This place perfectly satisfies everyone's preferences, so I'd recommend it to anyone doing a Daegu makchang restaurant tour or looking for a dinner spot in Jung-gu, Daegu.

Maybe that's why, even though I visited on a weekday, the place was completely full.

The Bongja platter: one plate of raw makchang + one plate of raw pork belly

You get a clean basic table setting first, and since the grill plate is huge with great heat, it's easy to grill both makchang and pork belly. You can also throw the side dishes — bracken fern, mushrooms, rice cake, fermented shrimp sauce, kimchi, and more — on the grill at the same time. The most popular menu is the Bongja platter, a set of one plate plus one plate so you can mix and match two kinds of meat exactly the way you like. Let me go ahead and order it, shall I?

The meat menu has such a wide range, so here's a reference: raw makchang, seasoned makchang, aged raw pork belly, aged raw pork neck, beef brisket, frozen pork belly, and more.

• 🏷️ My order: one plate raw makchang + one plate raw pork belly
• Pork belly skin

The second the meat arrived, one look at it and I ordered a beer right away lol

Raw makchang

Crispy outside, moist inside, and still nicely chewy. Best of all, there was zero unpleasant odor, so my mouth just filled with savory flavor. Dipping it into the special sauce loaded with chopped chili and green onion gave it a spicy, savory kick that was the best.

Raw pork belly

The thick-cut pork belly was full of juice, so it had a great bite. Wrapping it up with kimchi and bean sprouts that had turned golden brown in the pork fat at the bottom of the grill — why is this so good?! Mixing the golden, savory raw makchang with the raw pork belly to enjoy the tender meat and chewy makchang together at once was also incredibly tasty.

Being able to enjoy so many kinds of meat generously at a reasonable price really adds up to high satisfaction, I think.

Adding pork belly skin is a must

I grilled makchang, then pork belly, in that order, and added the pork belly skin ^^ I love skin wherever I go, and sure enough Bongja Makchang is a great spot for it too.

Three free unlimited refills even if you only order meat

Another reason the setup here is insane: the service is next-level. Even if you only order meat, you get three kinds of unlimited refills.

• [Free unlimited self-serve ramen, 7 kinds] When you get a little tired of the richness while eating meat, pick a ramen you like and boil it up for a clean reset
• [Free unlimited fluffy steamed egg] Soft and savory, it also works perfectly as a starter before the meat is even grilled
• [Free unlimited cooling red bean shaved ice] No need to look elsewhere for dessert after the meal — you can finish it off perfectly with cool, sweet bingsu

This is next-level service though 🥹

Starting with steamed egg, enjoying plenty of meat and makchang, warming up with spicy ramen, and finishing with bingsu for dessert — you get the full course, and it's the kind of place that impresses me every time I visit. Great value and great satisfaction 👍🏻 Definitely recommend it as a Daegu group dinner spot.

On the way out, the owner sprayed us with Fe**ze and gave us each a piece of candy — thanks to this kind of friendly service and the generous spread of food, I had a really enjoyable time.