There is no doubt that South Korea has become a global leader in influencing trends at the moment. With the surge of the Korean wave and the increasingly widespread consumption of Korean pop culture you’d be hard-pressed to find someone you know who doesn’t follow k-pop, indulge in Korean television dramas, religiously cook Korean food, or some combination of all three. More and more now, the world’s close eye on what’s hot in Korea has also extended to what they’re cooking – and in both the iconic, traditional dishes and its trends.

Still, South Korean food isn’t the same throughout the country. Despite its size, regional dishes exist whose food arises from variations in resources, exposure to foreign cultures, or by some sheer stroke of genius by a single chef that spurred a whole neighbourhood of copies. These local specialities can be found in any city you visit, and while a couple of dishes have snuck its way into other cities it’s still an experience to try it where it began.

Daegu is no exception to this rule. While it isn’t at the top of many people’s city to visit, it’s famous for textiles and apples, making it a popular weekend getaway for locals. It’s also, as we found, a trove of good eats – while it may not be as well-known as the foodie paradise Busan or the UNESCO City of Gastronomy Jeonju, it is still home to some incredible things to eat that we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Grilled Intestines GopChang and MakChang (곱창 / 막창)

Pig intestines may not be the first thing on many people’s lists of foods to eat but we love them. When prepared properly it has no off-smells or flavours, just a rich, porky taste and a satisfying, almost cartilaginous chew accompanied by a tasty layer of fat. No doubt when it comes to eating offal like intestines, it’s a mind-over-matter situation, and once you’ve conquered that it opens up a world of delicious eats.

Daegu has a speciality of grilled pork intestines. Gopchang (곱창) refers to the small intestine, and the makchang (막창) the large. Makchang is supposedly based off the word majimak (마지막), meaning last, as in the last of the digestive tract that food passes through before it is, ehem, expelled. All of this started with a restaurant called ChungBuk SikDang (충북식당), whose grilled intestines were so popular that copycat restaurants began to pop up, until the entire neighbourhood became consecutive intestine restaurants, a phenomenon that is surprisingly common in Korea. This area is now called AnJiRang GopChang Alley (안지랑 곱창골목), and a popular stop for tourists looking for local food.

Ddon-Ddon-I GopChang MakChang (똔똔이곱창막창)

The restaurants on AnJiRang GopChang Alley offer very similar, if not identical menus that offer the intestines in the same general portion sizes (by weight) for the same prices. A couple of restaurants, likely trying to stand out, may also offer options such as the intestines covered with cheese or extra spicy, but if you’re there for the original experience you can virtually walk into any eatery and order yourself the famous intestines. We chose Ddon-Ddon-I due to its high reviews, and with a fairly large restaurant being quite full in the early evening, we had no hesitation with our choice.

The menu consists of intestines and a few other selections of typical BBQ restaurant orders. One 500g-portion of gopchang is ₩12,000 (US$9.80), and a 150g-portion of makchang ₩8,000 (US$6.55). There is a set menu for combinations of popular menu items so we went for the D-set of a half-portion (250g) of gopchang and 2 portions (300g) of makchang for ₩21,000 (US$17.15), for a neat ₩1,000 (US$0.80) saving. Hey, we’ll skimp where we can.

The gopchang comes pre-chopped into small, bite-sized pieces marinated in a red sauce. These only take a few minutes on the grill. The makchang, on the other hand, is a larger tube that is slapped on for a moment to get some browning before being cut up into rings and left to cook the remainder of the way. While the gopchang looks spicy, it isn’t, with a toothsome chew and a little bit of crisp from the grill. In fact, you almost don’t notice the seasoning, which is likely there to cover up any final linger smell, which is completely unnoticeable in this dish.

On the other hand, the makchang is a little chewier, with an inner lining of fat that renders to add flavour and texture as it cooks. Its lighter flavour is likely why it’s not seasoned like the gopchang, in the same sense that white meat of a chicken is not as strong in flavour as dark meat. They also provide an assortment of sides like is normal in Korean barbecue experiences, with condiments such as raw garlic, pickled radish, seasoned and unseasoned lettuce, and bean paste sauce. Combining these to make a lettuce wrap makes for an explosive mouthful of textures and flavours, thanks to cold, crisp lettuce, hot, chewy intestine, salty sauces, and spicy peppers.

In any case, thanks to the complete absence of any gamey or off-flavours, it was truly delicious and a good way to ease into eating offal for those who like barbecue but may not be sure about intestine. We recommend Ddon-Ddon-I because of our experience, but go ahead and check out any of restaurants along the alley and go with your gut – so to speak.

Braised Short Rib Jjim-GalBi (찜갈비)

By far one of the most famous dishes to come out of Daegu is jjim-galbi (찜갈비), or braised short ribs. This dish is also called galbi-jjim (갈비찜), and while this difference in name alludes us there is a heck of a difference between the traditional Korean-wide style and the one to come out of Daegu. The style more commonly found are beef short ribs that are marinated in a sweetened soy sauce and garlic, then simmered in an aluminium bowls at medium-low heat until tender. The Daegu version also uses gochugaru red pepper flakes (고추가루) and a whole lot more garlic, resulting in a distinctly spicier, sweeter dish.

Many people who visit Daegu know the city for this specialty. Unsurprisingly, with such a specialty comes a group of restaurants gathered on Jjim-GalBi Street (찜갈비 갈비골목), which has been operating for over 50 years. Like before, and is the typical case for Korean eating streets, the menu and prices are fairly consistent between restaurants. We know of one variation, and that’s in the way that the ribs are sweetened. As Korean food often uses fruit to add sugar, we’ve heard of some places using kiwifruit to sweeten their jjim-galbi, whereas another may use pears. While the dish can be found generally throughout Daegu, the Jjim-Galbi Street might make choosing a place to eat a little easier. Or harder, depending on your personality.

WolSeong Jjim-GalBi (월성찜갈비)

Our method of hunting a restaurant typically takes into consideration how many locals leave reviews and how high its score is on various platforms. Our original choice of SuBok Jjim-GalBi (수복찜갈비) was unfortunately closed for the day during our visit, but WolSeong Jjim-Galbi (월성찜갈비) was a close second, and one that we ended up not regretting. The restaurant is right at the entrance of the street and on our visit appeared newly renovated, and as such, spotlessly clean.

The menu is simple: galbisal-jjigae (beef rib stew) is a common add-on for ₩7,000 (US$5.70), or of course the main course of jjim-galbi. These are sold in 180g portions with a minimum of 1 portion per person. You can order the high-grade Korean hanwoo beef at ₩28,000 (US$22.90) per portion, or the standard Australian or American imported beef at ₩18,000 (US$14.70) per portion. We were not allowed to order 1 of each of the cheaper and more expensive options, but there will likely be allowances if ordering more portions. Rice is an extra ₩1,000 (US$0.80) per bowl.

This is generally not the cheapest of meals, but we recognise that it’s pretty reasonable when trying a local specialty in a place that does it best. Still, with our budget constraints we opted for the cheaper imported beef, figuring that we wouldn’t know what we were missing out on if we never tried the hanwoo. Both of our portions were served in the same aluminium bowl, bright red from the red pepper powder, and orbited by a selection of side dishes including the standard fresh lettuce, garlic, and peppers, an assortment of pickles, and a pan-fried tofu (that was freaking delicious, by the way).

We’ll be honest, the colour of the meat terrified us a little with how spicy it could be, but it was a case of the bark being worse than the bite. The tender beef was the first thing we noticed, followed by a surprisingly mellow blend of sweetness and fragrance from the red pepper powder and garlic. To our surprise, it was hardly as fruity as we expected from something sweetened from fruit, and as such the blend of the spices and garlic was much more reminiscent of Southeast Asian cuisine such as Indonesian food despite the mildness of the flavour.

In a way, the fact that the dish wasn’t as intense and punchy as we expected made it moreish – as we ate, the beef became more savoury, saltier, and sweeter, all at the same time. This was an incredibly satisfying dish, and one that we continued to crave for weeks after – and every time we think about it. This was an easy twins’ pick, and it is no surprise that it is the top dish to try if you’re in Daegu. This is not something to miss out on.

Fried Chicken Gizzards Dak Dong-Jib (닭똥집)

Perhaps in the least appetising description of them, chicken gizzards in Korea are sometimes called dong-jib (똥집) or literally, poop houses, despite being part of the digestive system more similar to a mammalian stomach, rather than a storage for poop. In Daegu, rather than the customary method of cooking offal in stews, soups, or by grilling, they take these weird, crunchy-chewy organs, batter them up, then fry it in the same style as Korean fried chicken. It was originally a cheap way to sell protein to labourers.

If you’re not aware of the now-global dish of Korean-style fried chicken, it is generally prepared by twice-frying chicken in a thin, incredibly crispy batter before being served or first tossed in a variety of sweet, sticky, spicy, or creamy sauces. Similarly, dak dong-jib in Daegu is deep-fried and often has 3 options of the most common flavours: plain-fried, yangnyeom seasoned (양념; sweet, spicy red pepper sauce), or ganjang soy sauce (간장).

As is also customary, you can visit Dak Dong-Jib Alley (닭똥집골목) located within the Pyeonghwa Market (평화시장). Rather than an alley, it is a small neighbourhood of restaurants over a couple of short streets, with plenty of chicken-related artwork and murals on the walls throughout just in case you’ve forgotten about the chicken-related dish that you may be looking to consume.

Go-In Dol (고인돌)

We went with the restaurant Go-In Dol for its good score on Google, but there are plenty that are well-rated. Fewer restaurants, however, were open at the slightly-obscure time of 4.30pm when we visited, so the street was pretty empty and the restaurant only just opening. Go-In Dol has a fairly extensive menu that includes not only the gizzards but also standard fried chickens, other chicken-related dishes, and a number of side dishes. We opted for the mixed-flavour dish modeum dong-jib (모듬 똥집), which has all 3 of the basic flavours of fried, seasoned, and soy for ₩14,000 (US$11.45).

The portion is huge, and probably not just by our standards. It could easily feed 2 people, or maybe even 3-4 for a snack. It comes with a few cubes of fried sweet potatoes too, just for a little break. The meal itself was pretty much exactly what we expected – crisp, thin batter and crunchy-chewy, almost cartilaginous gizzards, that demand a lot of chewing but in the best kind of way much like cooked octopus. The plain gizzards are not seasoned so it is best to dip in the little dish of salt provided.

The yangyeom gizzards have the standard, familiar, red-pepper flavour from the red-pepper paste sauce, a little sweet and just the slightest touch spicy. Similarly, the ganjang gizzards have a light soy sauce flavour, a mix of sweet and salty. None of the seasonings are all too heavy, so it easily becomes a dish you can eat a lot of without getting tired of it (besides the laborious chewing). If you like Korean fried chicken, chicken gizzards, or chewy things, this dish is definitely one to try.

Flat Poor-Man’s Dumplings NapJak ManDu (납작만두)

Dumplings have always been one of those staples that are easily adapted to whatever is on hand or for the situation, and napjak mandu (납작만두) is a variation created to be cheap, flavourful, fast, and filling, for workers who have little time to eat. Characteristically flat, these crescent-shaped dumplings are filled with the sparsest fillings of glass noodles and vegetables then boiled, before being pan-fried until it becomes crispy.

When served, it is usually up to the diner to season with soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. This Daegu specialty is usually eaten with ddeokbokki rice cakes (떡볶이) or noodles.

MiSeongDang NapJak ManDu (미성당납작만두)

Our accommodation was located surprisingly close to the original restaurant which is supposed to have created the napjak mandu, so we figured it would be a good place to give it a go. It has likely undergone a couple of renovations since it first opened as it’s a very bright and modern restaurant. The menu is very minimal, with napjak mandu coming in small or large portions for ₩3,500 and ₩4,000 respectively (US$2.85; $3.30). There are 3 options of noodles: jjol-myeon spicy, chewy, cold noodles (쫄면; ₩4,500; US$3.70), udong warm soup udon noodles (우동; ₩4,000; US$3.30), or ramyeon spicy soup noodles (라면; ₩3,500; US$2.85).

We opted for the jjol-myeon cold spicy noodles and a small portion of the napjak mandu. The dumplings were, to be frank, disappointing. Flimsy, greasy, and very little flavour besides general wet dumpling-skin and slight blackened char, it had really no redeeming flavour or texture besides the spring onions on top. It’s a dish that needs to be drowned in condiments, or else understandably, eaten with the much more flavourful noodles.

The jjol-myeon we were much happier with – the chewy noodles are combined with plenty of finely-slice cabbage making for an additional light, refreshing crispness, and the sauce sweet and spicy from the red pepper paste. It was much more outstanding than the dumplings, though otherwise a pretty standard, if tasty, dish.

We recognise that we may have been expecting too much from a poor man’s dish, but it’s likely better to nab the dumplings if you see them being fried fresh at a market, or even order a side of them if you see it on the menu at restaurants around Daegu, which we noticed is a pretty common occurrence. We wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat it at any specific restaurant, but there’s no reason to stop anyone from seeking out this dish to sate any curiosity.

Spicy Seafood Salad MuChim Hwe (무침회)

Muchim-hwe or hwe-muchim (무침회 / 회무침) refers to hwe (회) raw fish tossed in a spicy red pepper paste seasoning sauce as well as perhaps a variety of raw vegetables. In land-locked Daegu, where fresh fish is sparse, the raw fish is replaced with cooked seafood such as slices of octopus, squid, and maybe even some shellfish.

UiSeong MuChim Hwe (의성무침회식당)

To no surprise, there is a Hwe MuChim Street (회무침골목) just outside the first exit of BanGoGae Train Station (반고개) with restaurants that feature this item. After very little research, we also learned that one of the most popular restaurants on the street is UiSeong Muchim Hwe, so we stopped off for a visit one late morning for an early lunch.

Ordering is done by marking a piece of paper with the dishes you’re after. We opted for a combination which no longer exists on the menu since the restaurant’s latest renovation, but the same items can be ordered separately for the same price: a medium portion of muchim hwe for ₩15,000 (US$12.25), and a side order of the napjak mandu flat dumplings for ₩3,000 (US$2.45), which seems to be a common order.

The medium portion of muchim hwe is gigantic – a huge pile of bright red strips coated in a thick, red sauce, it’s a little terrifying at best, especially surrounded by plenty of side dishes between two people with small-to-medium appetites at best. The first smell from the pile of red is the nutty fragrance of sesame oil. The sauce starts a little spicy and becomes spicier as you eat, a little sweet and a little sharp from the addition of vinegar to combat the seafood. It’s an incredibly satisfying mix of tender sliced squid, fresh chives and other vegetables, for a cold, spicy, savoury salad that is incredibly moreish.

It’s even better with the napjak mandu – a little crispy and much more evenly cooked than our previous try, the combination of the flat, hot, crispy-tender dumplings wrapped around a mouthful of the cold, chewy, refreshing muchim hwe is such an incredible combinations of flavours and textures. We recommend it possibly over making lettuce wraps, as the play on temperatures makes it even better, though steamed white rice (₩1,000, US$0.80)is also available for a similar experience. It’s a dish that makes it as Jos’ pick, and we’re more than happy to recommend this restaurant in particular, too.

Daegu may not be up there with the most popular cities to visit in South Korea, but thanks to all the incredible eats on offer, it definitely has a place in our hearts. Foodies, this is the unexpected city for you.