Alcohol House

"The Persimmon-Tree House"
(감나무집)

Downtown, Daegu

Overview
The Good	+ Wide selection of Anju          + All of high quality + Fun/romantic setting + Friendly Staff
The Bad	- Not cheap - Best seats fill up fast
Best for: Dates, groups, drinking

A sul-jeeb (술집) is a specific category of restaurants that translates to "alcohol house."  Sure, it may seem like most Korean restaurants could fit this description.  But a sul-jeeb's sole objective is to serve Anju, popular dishes eaten along with alcohol.  This distinguishes it from a gogi-jeeps ("meat houses"), which specialize in a specific cut or style of Korean BBQ, or bap-jeebs ("meal houses"), which focus on the healthy rice-soup-sides balance of a traditional meal.  

A sul-jeep, by contrast, serves a wide and seemingly random selection of dishes, each fulfilling the role of Anju, each being effective food-chasers for Soju shots or munchies for a night of drinking.  This commitment to inducing inebriation is what defines restaurants like The Persimmon Tree as an "alcohol house."  Its lively decor also helps.

Food

Popular types of Anju include spicy soups and stir-fried dishes, delicacies like raw beef and octopus, and of course table BBQ.  Despite being a jack of so many trades, The Persimmon Tree House still manages to master some.  The following are a few recommended dishes.  At the bottom of the page is the menu with complete translations.


Bossam (보쌈) - Thin slices of boiled pork from around the pig's belly.  The name literally means "blanket wrap" because it goes well wrapped in lettuce, along with salty shrimp (새우), lettuce-wrap sauce (쌈장), kimchi and veggies of your choice.  This place in unique in serving Mook-eun-ji (묵은지), which is "old kimchi" far along in the fermentation process, and is softer and more sour.

[This is the exact opposite of most bossam restaurants, who serve fresher and sweeter kimchi.  For more on this dish, including its history, check out this place downtown.]

Yook-hway (육회) - Raw beef marinated and served a day or two after slaughter.  It's a pricey and delicious delicacy popular among Soju drinkers.  Although some prefer fresher saeng gogi (생고기), raw beef served the same day as slaughter and not marinated, which this restaurant also serves.  The menu specifies the meat is Han-oo (한우), or Korean beef.   

 Raw beef dishes come with cheon-yub (천엽), which is raw cow stomach.  [For more on raw beef dishes, see this reputable restaurant that specializes in them.]

Samgyupsal (삼겹살) and moksal (목살) - These more common meats, pork belly and pork shoulder respectively, are grilled on your table.  The menu claims they are saeng (생), meaning "fresh" in this context (it can also mean "raw," like with the previous dish).  This means they are straight from the butcher and never frozen.  The quality certainly shows; this may be one of my favorite places for pork BBQ.

Pork BBQ orders come with dwen-jang-jji-gae (된장찌개), or fermented bean-paste soup, if you order a serving of rice, or gong-gi bap (공기밥).  Its thick spicy broth makes another great Anju, or chaser for Soju shots.

If you're still not full after your main dish, order a do-shi-lak (도시락).  A metal lunch box of rice, kimchi, sausage and an egg, it's one of the few cheap options.

Atmosphere

The Persimmon Tree House has about 25 tables scattered throughout its horseshoe-shaped building and central courtyard.  Navigate this mini-labyrinth and find one that suits you.  Options are diverse, from the music-themed west wing to the tamer east wing, to the outdoor balconies at the end of each (sealed off in colder months).

But the Iron Throne of all tables is the golf-cart booth in the middle of the courtyard.  Surrounded by lit trees, a waterfall and a fountain pond,  it can be quite special and romantic.  So reserve the golf cart (learn how in Korean) for a hot date and totally score a hole-in-one.

Location

The Persimmon Tree House lies along the strip of popular bars and restaurants between Samduk Fire Station (삼덕소방서) and Kyungpook University Hospital (경북대병완).  From Samduk Fire Station, cross at the light and head directly down the side street at the crosswalk, towards Caliente.  The restaurant is a few minutes down on your left, just after The Beijing.

The Address is: 대구광역시 중구 삼덕동2가 40-9
See Naver map

Menu

[Learn more about Korean meats and alcohols.]

BBQ
1. Saeng sam-gyup-sal.  Fresh 3-layer meat (pork belly)
2. Saeng mok-sal.  Fresh neck meat (pork shoulder)
3. Mak-chang.  Pig rectum
Raw Meat
4. Han-oo saeng-go-gi.  Korean fresh raw beef
5. Han-oo yook-hway.  Korean marinated raw beef
6. Moon-uh sook-hway.  Raw octopus (briefly boiled)
Bossam
7. Mook-eun-ji bo-ssam.  Fresh kimchi with boiled pork
(So-jjah/Dae-jjah.  Small/large)
Pan-Fried
8. Kong-dalk han-pan.  Spicy chicken and bean sprouts fried in a pan
9. Kong-duck han-pan.  Spicy duck and bean sprout fried in a pan
10. Boke-eum bap chu-ga.  Add fried rice
Soups
11. Dong-tae tang.  Fish (pollack) soup
12. Na-ga-sa-ki jjam-bbong tang.  Nagasaki (creamy yellow broth) veggie-mix soup
13. Uhl-keun hae-mul jjam-bbong tang.  Spicy seafood veggie-mix soup
14. Mal-keun jo-gae tang.  Clear-broth clam soup
15. Hae-mul uh-muk tang.  Seafood fishcake soup
Stir-Fried
16. Soon-dae bo-kkeum.  Blood sausage stir-fried
17. O-jing-uh bokkeum & Sa-li.  Squid stir-fried & noodles
18. Dalk ddong-jeep bokkeum.  Chicken gizzard stir-fried
19. Du-bu kimchi.  Tofu & kimchi
"Pancakes"
20. Jeon-tong so-go-gi yuk-hway.  Traditional beef "pancakes"
21. Dong-tae jeon.  Fish (pollack) "pancakes"
22. Mae-kome bu-chu jeon.  Spicy chives "pancakes"
23. Han-ji-wa jjole-byung deul.  Dried squid and his friends
Grilled
25. Go gal-bi.  Spicy mackerel
26. Go-geung-uh goo-ey.  Fried mackerel
27. Jo-gi goo-ey.  Fried fish (croaker)
Meal Menu
28. Sin ra-myun.  Ramen noodles
29. Choo-uck-ee do-shi-lak.  Old school lunch-box
30. Oo-don/ra-myun sa-li.  Extra noodles
31. Gong-gi-bap.  Order of rice
Alcohol Menu
32. Bokbunja - Raspberry wine
33. Seoljungmae - Plum wine
34. Baekseju - Ginseng wine
35. Odibbongsul - Black raspberry wine
36. Daenamusul - Bamboo wine
37. Maehwasu - Wheat wine
38. Cheongha - Rice wine
39. Draft beer (1700cc)
40. Draft beer (400cc)
41. Lemon Soju
42. Makgeolli
43. Beer
44. Soju
45. Cola, Cider, Fanta

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Where's your favorite place to drink?  Leave an answer in the comments :)