A Korean-run barbecue joint that’s the real deal—crispy, fragrant pork belly that sizzles to perfection!

Text & Photos byMika

Here come the Korea lovers again！Recently, a bunch of new Korean restaurants have opened in Taichung, bringing a full-on wave of Korean vibes. As someone who’s totally into Korean food, this is absolutely fantastic—especially this Hongdafu Korean BBQ spot tucked away in the alleys of Jingming Second Street and the Jingcheng commercial district. It’s always bustling with shoppers, and there’s a huge parking lot nearby, making it the perfect spot to refuel after a day of retail therapy.

I can confidently say this place serves the authentic Korean flavors I’ve been searching for. So many Korean dishes in Taiwan get altered, but Hongdafu is genuinely run by Koreans！They even have cute, single-lidded Korean guys grilling your meat for you. The marinades, sauces, side dishes—everything tastes just like what I had in Korea. In Taichung, you can now enjoy the true taste of Korea！The bibimbap especially brought back memories of Busan. Now whenever I crave Korea, I’ve got another go-to spot to satisfy that itch～

Located on Jingming Second Street, right next to a parking lot and tucked into a cozy alley, the shop isn’t big but it’s super easy to spot. After your BBQ feast, you can stroll around the nearby shops—it’s super convenient！Okay, I won’t tell anyone how I ended up buying a bunch of clothes nearby, lol.

The interior is simple and minimalist—actually a pretty common style for Korean restaurants. After eating here, I started missing Korea again—I haven’t been in almost a year！The space is spacious and the flow is great, with seating available on the second floor too！Sadly, we forgot to take photos up there XD

Their menu is simple but features all the classics—famous Korean hot dishes and BBQ meats. Even the drinks are the kind Koreans usually go for, including banana milk！

Personally, my favorite Korean drink is CASS beer—it’s so good！Too bad I had to drive today, so no drinking for me～～

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.

When you eat Korean BBQ, you’ll always see this elaborate setup！！The table gets super busy with all the sauces and side dishes—they give you tons, and the sides are unlimited, which is amazingly generous.

The smoke extraction system here is seriously pro—just looking at it tells you it didn’t come cheap！And the best part? It doesn’t get hot to the touch, you can adjust it freely. If you’ve been to Japan, you know Korean BBQ joints have top-notch ventilation—you leave the restaurant clean and fresh, which I love.

Us two weaklings played it safe and stuck to drinks—the grape beverage actually has real grape bits in it!

Lettuce, kimchi, pickled radish, sauces, side dishes—Hongdafu’s freebies are random and change daily. Today we got bean sprouts and kelp. The BBQ sauces include: garlic, sesame oil with salt, spicy paste, and raw onion with soy sauce. The kimchi and pickled radish go great wrapped in lettuce with the meat—it cuts through the richness and adds layers of flavor.

Kelp Soup NT$80

OMG, that price is so reasonable！Kelp soup is one of the most common home-cooked dishes in Korea, and it’s a must-have on birthdays. This soup is delicious—rich, savory, and deeply flavored. It’s also great with rice, and it’s one of those iconic soups you always see in Korean dramas.

Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cakes NT$270

For NT$270, this pot isn’t expensive at all. Korean food in Taiwan is usually pricey, but this place is actually pretty affordable. And there are so many rice cakes—it’s hearty and high-quality, with fish cakes, fish balls, tofu sheets, and a boiled egg. That’s what real Korean spicy stir-fried rice cakes should be like！

Hongdafu tones down the spice to suit local tastes, but it still has that classic Korean sweet-and-spicy broth—just less fiery. The rice cakes are soft and chewy. I suggest letting them cool a bit before eating—they get even chewier, and it really brings back that nostalgic Korean taste..

Pork Belly NT$290

The fresh pork belly comes from Taiwan—everyone knows Taiwanese pork is the best, even the Korean boss says it has no weird porky taste and is super delicious！So Taiwanese pork paired with Korean sauce is just unbeatable, and it’s amazing even without marinating.

Beef Sirloin NT$380

You all know I barely eat beef, so my co-writer Caicaizi took care of this one！Here’s her take: ‘The sirloin has a bit more chew to it—it kind of reminds me of tendon texture. If you prefer softer meat, just grill it longer and dip it in the sauce. As for the huge snowflake-patterned ribeye, even though it’s also from the back, the generous marbling means it’s delicious with just a quick sear. Big fans of juicy fat, don’t miss the ribeye！’

Beef Short Ribs NT$330

The most recommended item here is the beef short ribs—Caicaizi loved them because they’re tender. The short ribs are lightly grilled to soft, juicy perfection with well-balanced seasoning. They’re great even without any sauce, but a bit of charred crispiness adds extra flavor if you grill them longer. The sirloin has more chew, so if you like tender, go for the short ribs；if you prefer a bit of bite, the sirloin’s the way to go.

Snowflake Ribeye NT$590

Look at this huge, thick slab of snowflake ribeye—the marbling is gorgeous！！Too bad it was borrowed from the kitchen for photos—next time I’ll bring more friends to try the texture.

Pork Neck Meat NT$290

I rarely see this kind of thick, fatty pork neck meat in Taiwanese BBQ joints—they’re usually thinly sliced, right? But in Korea, it’s pretty common！This pork neck looks kinda like beef because of the fat distribution, but it’s seriously tender, juicy pork—plus it has a nice bit of crunch～

They also offer grilling services～Staff at Hongdafu include both Taiwanese and Koreans. The single-lidded Korean cutie is the boss’s brother—I totally forgot to sneak a pic of him, fail XDD. He seemed a bit shy, and I was worried he’d think all Taiwanese girls are this forward (blush + squirm).

I especially love grilling pork belly until it’s nice and crispy. Mainly, I’m worried that too much fat might get greasy. Professional staff will adjust the grilling time based on the lean-to-fat ratio of the pork belly — if it’s fattier, they’ll grill it longer to get it crispier; if it’s leaner, they’ll take it off the grill just right. Having experts grill it for you is truly a treat.

The boss said Koreans like to wrap kimchi, garlic, spicy sauce, white rice, and grilled meat all together in a lettuce leaf before eating. Personally, I really enjoy wrapping meat in greens, but I’d never thought of adding rice — and surprisingly, it tastes even better that way.

Pork neck meat is what I look forward to the most!! Just look at this thickness — it practically looks like a pork chop, and the portion is super generous.

Once it’s grilled, the aroma is absolutely incredible. It’s so rich in fat, yet tender, crispy, and super juicy. It’s seriously delicious!! We don’t often get to eat pork neck this thick in Taiwan. I really recommend trying it here — and it’s only 290 NT dollars.

Rice mixed with meat (抓饭)    NT$90

This is another must-order item. A huge bowl for just 90 NT dollars — such great value. Try it, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love. The boss personally made our mixed rice for us k8!! But you can do it yourself too. Just mix everything together with your hands, then shape it into little fist-sized balls, which is why it’s also called “fist rice.” Of course, you have to mix it well first for the best taste.

It comes with small sides like seaweed and sesame oil — super fragrant and delicious. Shaping it into little fist-sized portions and eating it with grilled meat is absolutely amazing. I really love the rice from Red Dafu because it’s so fragrant and flavorful, and it’s just like what we had in Busan — so authentically Korean.

Stir-fried squid with pork belly    NT$280

If you love spicy food, you absolutely have to try this dish. It also works as a drinking snack — it’s super spicy and super satisfying. Koreans are really good at cooking squid — whether grilled or stir-fried, it’s insanely delicious!! This one is spicy, savory, and full of flavor — really tasty.

Red Dafu Korean BBQ
Address: No. 67, Jingming 2nd St., West District, Taichung City
Phone: 04-23220152
Business hours: 11:30–14:30, 17:00–22:00
Facebook:Red Dafu

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