Palgong Sanchae Jeongsik - The Best Bibimbap in Town

Looking for somewhere classy, reasonably priced, easy to find, and totally delicious?  Anyone who considers him/herself a bibimbap connoisseur should be sure not to miss this:

팔공산채정식's  full spread + green onion pancake

 

 Very nice japchae (sticky sweet potato noodles with julienned veg)

Colorful sprouts

Some variety of slightly squeaky mushroom

 

Various greens

 

Put it all together to make your own dish.

Two awesome soups - one of the best Soybean Paste stews I've met, along with a thicker "tofu residue stew."  (콩비지 찌개 - This one might benefit from some rebranding).

And a fried fish each, for the pescetarians and omnis out there.

All of the above are from the 산채정식 (mountain vegetable set meal) at the top left of the menu.   

If you order the 산채특정식 for W2,000 more*, you also get your choice of some bulgogi or a side of 더덕구이 (roasted deodeok root), an awesome mountain herb.  The taste is slightly bitter, but sweetens when marinated and then cooked together with the red pepper paste. It comes out soft but formidable, quite a pleasure to chow down on:

(The out-of-focus picture doesn't do it justice)

There's a bunch of other stuff on the menu too: bulgogi, steamed ribs, stews, tofu and kimchi, etc, but order at  your own risk: the bibimbap portions are so huge that it's just about physically impossible for two people to consume anything more than just the basic platter.  

Even so, it's hard to resist a pancake like this.

Come out of Banwoldang exit 5 and take your first right.  The restaurant will be there on your left almost immediately.  Have a look at the Green Guide to get oriented.

*Price have since gone up; last I checked, it was W8,000 for the standard set and W10k for the special.

보리수 / Borisu

The Basics
Restaurant: 보리수 / Borisu / The Boddhi Tree
Location: 반월당, 봉사문화거리 근처 / Banweoldang, near Bongsa Culture Street.
Type of Restaurant: Traditional Korean Jeongsik (rice with lots of sides) and bibimbap.
Meat?: Eggs served as a side and in the bibimbap. Anchovies for seasoning in the soybean paste soup.
Price: W4000-W7000 for one person
Hours: Lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday, we think.


Menu
Visible in the picture above. Bibimbap, jeongshik (rice and side dishes), Dolsot Bibimbap, and 영양밥 / Yeong-yang bap / Nutrition rice. The latter is highly recommended, as it is cooked with chestnuts, jujubes, and various other nuts and beans.

Everything comes with a wide array of delicious side dishes, including pancakes, soybean paste stew, and more.

The Experience

Despite its nondescript entrance, Borisu has a beatiful interior. Several small rooms surround a central stone courtyard; even when the restaurant it busy, guests are separated enough that the atmosphere remains calm and pleasant.

The side-dishes are all pre-made and come out quickly. Be prepared to wait a few minutes for your Dolsot Bibimbap or up to 15 for the Yeong-Yang.


Directions and Landmarks

By whatever means you like, make your way to exit number 9 of the Banwoldang Subway Station. Walk East, away from from Banwoldang intersection, and go under whatever the heck this is supposed to be:

Don't turn down culture street. Instead, keep walking until you see a DaVinci's Coffee and a little corner shack with Ajummas selling fried Korean donuts. Walk down this tiny alley and Borisu will be there on your right.

If you get to Bongsan (6) Intersection, you've gone too far! Turn around and try again.

And a Google map:


View Larger Map

Other Info
Address: 대구광역시 중구 봉산동 137-19 봉산문화거리 옆 골목
Phone numbers: (053) 421-7737; 011-9582-5393