Although Daegu is famed for it’s Galbijjim Alley, downtown, there are scattered restaurants around the city that are so good that it makes you wonder as to why bother with having to get your 갈비찜 fix in the busy city center. Once such place is 팔도강산 in Siji.
스시이로까 (Sushi Iloca) is great sushi place that doesn’t deserve to be overlooked by sushi lovers. Look for it on the west end of downtown, just north of Jungangno Police Station.
Source: Edenhi
Ddeok-Sam-Sidae (떡삼시대) has a good thing going. I just don’t understand why no one clued in to the concept and did it before. Or the others are certainly not doing it on the franchising scale as they are. What’s the big deal? Same old Korean BBQ environment, with thick-ass slabs of samgyeopsal, moksal, and/or Korean hanwoo beef. But reaching over to your usual basket of leafy greens to wrap in and then–Eeeek! What the hell is that! No ever-present leafy greens, but…but…*sniff*..why, that’s thinly sliced ddeok that we use for wraps, instead. And not just that, but multi-colored ddeok, each with differing flavor hints of coconut or pumpkin. 떡삼시대 in Seoul has actually been around since 1999, but its lone location near Deurangil of Daegu is making good buzz on some of the blogs of Korean Daegu-ites. (Yes, I said Deurangil, which does make it a bit of a pain in the ass to get to, given that that popular restaurant strip is a ways from a subway station. But it’s in the same general area as Ariana Brau, so if you are taking a taxi, show them the map below.) Pohang also has one near the bus station.
Siji Taco is the new Mexican eatery in Siji. The restaurant has a small selection including chicken or beef tacos/ or burritos as well as nachos. I ordered a chicken taco (4,000 won) and a beef burrito (6,000). The chicken taco was stuffed with salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce and tomato. It was satisfactory, but the chicken was a little dry. The beef burrito was made from refried beans, rice, cilantro, salsa, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ground beef. It was quite delicious and filling. I would have it again. My companion ordered the Nacho Supreme. It was extremely disappointing with imitation cheese and little accompaniments. Also, disappointing was the lack of any side dishes to go with the meals. I found the prices a bit steep for what I received. Also, I suggest taking earplugs because they play a terrible mix of music from the 1980′s (I mean songs you’ve never heard of). However, if you are just dying to get some Mexican, then Siji Taco might be your answer!
Written by Michelle Van Balkom-Nicholson
I just recently went to Xin Chao Steamboat. The restaurant is downtown, just down the street from the regular Xin Chao and Gallery Zone. For 15,000 won, you can choose one of three sets. The set I chose had no seafood as I was dining with someone with an aversion. It came with a huge plate of veggies, another plate of pork and beef. These were for boiling in the hot pot and then dipping into one of the four sauces available. The sauces were delicious, they were a Korean sesame garlic, Thai Fish sauce, Lebanese cream sauce and a Chinese chili sauce. We also received a green papaya salad as our appetizer. The salad was wonderful; spicy and tangy. We then received Vietnamese wraps. Rice paper and veggies which you wrapped yourself and which you could add the boiled meat into if you wished. Lastly we got rice noodles to put into the water to make a warm-hearted soup. Along with all of that we also got a glass of dry red wine. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Published by Michelle Van Balkom-Nicholson
2nd (pronounced ‘two-N-D’) is a great addition to the ever-changing Samdeok nightlife scene. Billing themselves as an ‘ethnic-style’ restaurant and bar, their Mediterranean-esque interior certainly sets that kind of vibe. The menu has a range of influences, such as Spanish, Italian, Mexican, and Western.
Some other notable menu features:
Calzone
Chicken and sausage burrito
Teriyaki chicken kebab
Ribeye steak and veggies, with balsamic vinegar
Jumbo shrimp in hot chili sauce
Into is a very small, European restaurant located in downtown Daegu. Into has been around for 10 years, yet still only has 4 tables and has an open kitchen right in the room, giving it a cozy feeling like you’re eating in someone’s villa in Italy. They have a very small menu with a pasta and soup that changes every week, and also has 3 kinds of baguette sandwiches to choose from (smoked salmon, curried chicken, and tuna salad).
The owner/chef is a former chef at an Italian restaurant in Seoul’s Hilton Hotel, and also happens to operate the restaurant, Dijon, located next door.
Source:psycholjy’s blog
As we mentioned earlier this summer, the popular Korean BBQ franchise, Bulgogi Brothers, has continued its aggressive expansion outside of Seoul and has finally opened up in Dong-A Department Store in Suseong-gu. Great place for wine-lovers to get their drink on while gorging on the succulent Australian beef grilled at your table.
If you haven’t tried it already, you need to have a big helping of Kimchi-jjim while in Korea. Big hunks of braised pork mixed with kimchi and simmered for hours. The most popular place for this in downtown Daegu is at 한옥집, across from the northeast corner of Gukchaebosang Park. If you know where Galbijjim Alley is, its on the same side of that street, but before you get to the sign pointing to the alley. For everyone else, easiest way to get there is to go the corner with bell to your back, head north across the main road (should be at KT building on the left now) and then turn and go east across the other street. Then turn left once on the other side. Look for the sign on the right leading down a small alley. A perfect place to start your evening and within stumbling distance of your 2nd stop, wherever that may be in downtown. Only 5000 won per person and comes with unlimited ramen!
In Korea, barbeque pork restaurants are ubiquitous; however, Don-yah Barbeque stands ahead of the pack. Located just behind the Suseong-gu Government Office subway stop, across from the LG store in Beomeo-dong, Don-yah is a small restaurant easily identifiable from the amazing smell of meat and wood fire wafting from it.
Like many pork restaurants, Don-yah is self-service. Vegetables offerings such as lettuce, carrots, peppers and cucumbers are available as well as a couple of other side dishes. There are a variety of sauces such as soy sauce and wasabi, sweet mustard, and chili sauce. However, it is the wood fire that makes Don-yah different. The fire is situated in the middle of the back wall. It looks like it would be more comfortable at an Italian pizza place, but it has found its true calling. Once you order, the owner places the meat in the oven. The meat is cooked, and infused with the smoky flavor of the wood. Just before it is fully cooked, the meat is removed and vegetables like onions, kimchi, and garlic are added to the pan. The meat is brought to your table and cooked for the final minutes before your eyes.
Menu items include your regular pork offerings of samgyupsal and moksal in a soy or hot marinade. For me, though, if I’m indulging myself, it is the ribs. A row of baby back pork ribs with a spicy smoky marinade might be the thing that dreams are made of. You can get a half or full order. They are a little on the pricey side at 18,000 won an order, but in my opinion are well worth it.
By Michelle Van Balkom-Nicholson
