Wanggeomi Sikdang | The Famous Daegu Raw Beef Specialty

Soobin Cho

3 years ago

exterior of wanggeomi sikdang in daegu, south korea

wanggeomi sikdang's bright red sign in a small alley of Daegu, South Korea

Wanggeomi Sikdang (왕거미식당) is a restaurant has been a part of the proud food scene in Daegu for over 40 years.

Hidden in a small alley in the area of Dongin-dong, the restaurant is not the easiest to spot, but locals always make their way over for their delicious raw beef and cartilage grilled over coal.

wanggeomi sikdang's annex with a painting of kumbokju and signature dish moongtigi.

As if to prove its popularity lasting over 4 decades, the eatery now has an annex just across the main building to accommodate the large number of patrons.

On the wall of the annex you'll see a painting of a plump man holding a plate of moongtigi (a dish we'll introduce in this blog) and a bottle of Kumbokju (금복주).

The man, named Bok Younggam, is Kumbokju's character inspired by China's Happy Buddha (포대화상 · 布袋和尚).

a wooden table, 4 black chairs and a liquor fridge, a typical appearance of a restaurant in korea, at wanggeomi sikdang in daegu, south korea

The overall interior of wooden tables and black chairs made me feel like I've stepped into a loud drinking scene I've seen in Korean dramas.

menu at wanggeomi sikdang, daegu, south korea

moongtigi (raw beef) table setting at wanggeoomi sikdang in daegu, korea

Moongtigi · 뭉티기 (₩43,000)

Moongtigi is bitesize pieces of raw beef served with vegetables and side dishes. It's the signature dish that everyone gets at the restaurant.

The pile of raw meat intimidated me at first, but it was well worth a try because each piece of the beef was surprisingly tender.

raw beef dish and kumbokju (daegu's soju) in daegu, korea

raw beef is so fresh that it sticks to the plate!

Even if you hold the dish upside down, the meat won't fall off the plate! They say it's because they only use raw beef that has been butchered in 24 hours or less.

Celebrity chef Baek Jong-won, when introducing the Daegu specialty on his TV show, mentioned that the stickiness remains on only the freshest meat.

baek jong won holding up a plate of moongtigi, a daegu specialty of raw beef Moongtigi introduced on Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chef King

dip the raw beef into their special sauce

One thing you can't forget is their secret sauce! It adds so much flavour to the fresh, soft texture of the raw beef.

Feel free to get a generous amount of the sauce for each bite because you'll get a free refill of the sauce.

the dipping sauce at wanggeomi sikdang, daegu, korea The secret sauce introduced on Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chef King

odeuraegi, beef vessel and brisket grilled over coal in daegu, korea

Odeuraegi · 오드레기 (₩43,000)

The white part of the dish is odeuraegi, named by the owner himself, and is grilled vessel of the cow.

odeuragi introduced on baek jong won's tv show Odeu-raegi introduced on Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chef King

Odeu-raegi is served with a pile of beef brisket. Eat odeu-raegi and beef brisket together in one bite to experience a full flavour of meaty goodness along with a slight coal taste.

kumbokju, daegu-originated soju brand that locals love

Kumbokju · 금복주 (₩4,000)

Kumbokju is soju that Daegu locals are extremely proud of. The brand was born in 1957 in Dalseong-dong, Daegu and started producing liquor in 1958.

We could understand why Wanggeomi Sikdang had a graffiti dedicated to Kumbokju on the wall of the annex. It goes amazingly well with moongtigi and odeuraegi.

A clean shot of soju washes down any remaining flavours so when you take the next bite, it tastes just like the first.

cheers! two soju glasses cheering