Buk-gu Office Station, Daegu: pork belly and gukbap at Don Gukbap

Where is Don Gukbap and what does it serve?

Don Gukbap is a Korean restaurant at 8 Oksan-ro 7-gil, Buk-gu, Daegu, open from 10 AM to 10 PM. I was looking for somewhere to eat near Buk-gu Office in Daegu and ended up here this time.

With gukbap in the name, I first thought this was a soup-only place, but once I got there I saw they also serve grilled pork, so there were more menu options than I expected. It's a place where you can go for gukbap and end up eating grilled meat too, which made it seem like a good fit for a group.

Inside Don Gukbap and how to walk there from Buk-gu Office Station

Don Gukbap isn't a huge place, but it had that comfortable feel of neighborhood regulars dropping by for a meal. It's also an easy walk from Buk-gu Office Station, so it's worth keeping in mind if you're looking for somewhere to eat nearby.

What we ordered at Don Gukbap

This visit, we ordered a spread: 4 servings of fresh pork belly along with boiled pork, doenjang jjigae, and sundae gukbap. Looking at the menu, there was more variety than expected — different kinds of gukbap, meat dishes, and boiled pork all on offer.

It's easy to just have a simple bowl of gukbap by yourself, but also great for a group to grill meat and add on other dishes. With this much variety, it's easy for everyone to pick what they want and share.

Side dishes that come with the meal

Broth is everything at Don Gukbap! They also had blood sausage innards and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) on the side, which made the whole spread feel even more generous.

Every one of these side dishes was delicious too. Definitely living up to its reputation as a go-to spot near Buk-gu Office!

How was the fresh pork belly at Don Gukbap?

The fresh pork belly at Don Gukbap had a good amount of thickness to it, and once it hit the grill, the smell alone got my appetite going. I personally prefer thicker-cut pork belly over the thin kind, and grilled until golden brown, it had a really nice savory flavor.

Rather than piling a lot on the grill at once, we grilled just enough to eat right away, which meant every bite stayed hot until the very end.

We kept dipping the well-grilled pork belly in ssamjang (dipping sauce), eating it with garlic, and wrapping it in lettuce — I couldn't stop picking at it. We ordered 4 servings, but split between several people, it disappeared faster than expected.

What are the sundae gukbap and doenjang jjigae like?

Since we were at Don Gukbap, I figured we should try a gukbap too, so we ordered the sundae gukbap. Having already eaten quite a bit of meat, I wasn't sure we could finish it, but once the hot broth showed up, the spoon kept going back in.

I tasted the sundae gukbap broth first, then added seasoning to taste. With both blood sausage and meat inside, this bowl alone would make for a satisfying meal on its own.

The doenjang jjigae was also a standout. Having a spoonful of hot doenjang jjigae between bites of meat worked really well — eating meat non-stop can get a little greasy, but the stew cut through that cleanly and paired nicely with rice too.

Is the boiled pork worth adding?

You have to try the boiled pork (suyuk) at Don Gukbap! It has a completely different feel from grilled pork belly, so picking at it between bites was a nice change of pace. The pork was boiled until soft, and eating it with salted shrimp had a clean flavor along with pork's signature savoriness.

Paired with the well-cooked chives, it was a perfect match. Chu-rai chu-rai.

Who should eat at Don Gukbap?

Don Gukbap is a great fit for a group near Buk-gu Office in Daegu wanting to eat pork belly and gukbap together. This time we ordered a wide spread — 4 servings of fresh pork belly plus boiled pork, doenjang jjigae, and sundae gukbap — and it worked well as a filling meal covering meat, soup, and stew all in one sitting, good for a group visit.

Eating meat and then finishing with a hot bowl of gukbap left us really full. It's a place you could visit just for a simple bowl of gukbap, or go all out with a spread like we did — either way, it's the kind of spot that comes to mind again next time I'm eating near Buk-gu Office 🌿