Travel Report: Suseong Lake, Daegu.

Suseong Lake, Daegu.

April 2019. It was a brilliantly sunny afternoon in Daegu and we’d just finished an enlightening morning learning about one of South Korea’s most beloved singers at Kim Kwang-seok Memorial Street.

Now, with hopes of discovering a perfect dinner spot, we’d arrived at Suseong Lake. This is undoubtedly central Daegu’s most picturesque neighbourhood and, some say, the finest city lake in the country.

Suseong Lake, Daegu.

Suseong Lake is a manmade reservoir created for agricultural use as part of Daegu’s ongoing green initiative efforts. In recent years it’s become more and more of a tourist attraction, with the introduction of duck-themed paddle boats, an amusement park, bike trails and a pedestrianised boardwalk.

Suseong Lake, Daegu.

Suseong Lake.

On the lookout for dinner, we made our way around the lake. In the hour leading up to sunset we’d expected the area to be much busier. Especially as the weather was fine and  we’d come on a Saturday. But hey, we certainly weren’t complaining.

Live Pungmul at Suseong Lake.

A small park with a large, open square runs along the side of Suseong Lake. As luck would have it, we’d arrived just in time for a traditional drumming performance, known as Pungmul. This was my second Pungmul experience following a live performance I caught in the city of Busan back in 2015.

Pungmul, Busan style. 

Wonderboy, Cory, Kaley and I settled down on some benches and watched some of the performers putting on their multicoloured robes and flowery headdresses. A short while later the show was underway, a rhythmic, tribal drumming set to dramatic, modern orchestral music.

The female drummers, dressed in uniform blue and white dresses, were really impressive. Their drumming was perfectly synchronised and powerful. In between the beats, they twirled their drumsticks and spun themselves around in circles.

I later discovered that Pungmul is a tradition rooted in ancient farming culture. It also stands as a form of pro-democracy protest.

Hoban Restaurant.

Hoban Restaurant, Suseong Lake.

I wanted a special feast that night on Suseong Lake. I hadn’t seen my brother in two and a half years and I’d only just met his fiancee Kaley. Moreover, neither had met Wonderboy. Thus it felt like a proper celebration was in order. Happily, I found exactly what we were looking for with Hoban Restaurant, a lakeside eatery with outdoor decking.

Hoban Restaurant.

“No smoking, no kids” exclaimed Wonderboy, reading the entrance sign. “This is my kinda place!”  Bypassing the uninspiring interior, we entered the garden terrace, immediately drinking in its lovely lakeside views. Furthermore, the zero kids and nicotine policy seemed to ensure the place wasn’t heaving with people. Perfect.

NOT all the food we ate.

A truly ridiculous amount of food found its way onto the table that evening. Chiefly because we’d underestimated the size of each dish, which could’ve easily served two people.

In any case we dug into the communal spread, a hearty feast of cheesy pizza, pork cutlets, fried chicken and chopped salad. Naturally washed down with several rounds of draft beer.

One of the chicken plates.

Suseong Lake, Daegu.

Finally, admitting defeat, we took an entire bag of chicken back to our apartment. “A dirty breakfast!” declared Wonderboy.

But alas, it ended up in the trash the following morning when all we desired was coffee. Nevertheless, we had a great night and our visit to Suseong Lake remains a defining memory of my adventures in Daegu.

Sunset at Suseong Lake.

For more on what to see and do in this hugely underrated city, check out my travel reports from Daegu.

Like this? Take a look at more of my pieces from around South Korea.

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