Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil restaurant: 50,000 won family set, Dongyang

Family lunch at Dongyang Baekban on Gyeongju's Hwangridan-gil

I had lunch at Dongyang Baekban's main branch, a well-known spot on Gyeongju's Hwangridan-gil. My family was traveling in Gyeongju, and since there are so many good restaurants on Hwangridan-gil, it was hard to decide where to eat. This time I picked Korean food that everyone from little kids to grandparents could enjoy without complaint. I also liked that it's a place where you can eat in a hanok, which really adds to the travel mood in Gyeongju. Writing this review for anyone hunting for good Hwangridan-gil restaurants!

Where Dongyang Baekban Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Main Branch is, and where to park

It's right in the heart of Hwangridan-gil, so it was easy to get to. We parked at the Hwangridan-gil public lot and arrived quickly after a 10-minute walk while sightseeing. It's a Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil restaurant where you can enjoy neatly prepared Korean food in a serene space converted from a hanok. The entrance reminded me of my grandmother's countryside house when I was little!

Inside Dongyang Baekban: room seating and high chairs

The space was divided into sections, with two tables per room. There were high chairs, so a lot of families with kids were visiting. (By the way, you can reserve in advance via Naver.) The wide-open windows gave a full view of Hwangridan-gil — very healing.

Dongyang Baekban menu and prices

It was convenient that you could check the food photos and prices on the screen.

• Eunee mushroom scorched-rice chicken hot pot ₩38,000
• Sumi chicken stew ₩28,000
• Tomato cheese chicken stew ₩30,000
• Jinmi vegetable steamed chicken ₩28,000
• Pork kimchi dureuchigi ₩27,000
• Korean beef tripe hot pot ₩45,000
• (Prices are for medium; large adds ₩10,000)

There was also a variety of other menu items: caviar rice bowl ₩7,000, beef tartare rice bowl ₩6,000, pollack roe rice bowl ₩5,500, spicy chili rice bowl ₩5,000, perilla oil yukjeon (mini or full plate), cheese tteokgalbi, and Korean beef mulhoe (seasonal menu), among others.

What comes in the 50,000 won set menu

Medium Sumi chicken stew + caviar rice bowl + pollack roe rice bowl + Yeonpyeong-do marinated crab + sikhye, all for ₩50,000. I travel to Gyeongju fairly often and have been to a lot of the well-known Hwangridan-gil restaurants, which tend to be on the pricier side overall. So I was glad to see Dongyang Baekban had a set menu that let you enjoy a variety of dishes without breaking the bank.

When I ordered, the owner apologized that they were out of marinated crab right now and asked if it would be okay to swap it for yukjeon instead, so I said yes. I tried to add extra noodles, but was told they're already included as a base, so to try it first and order more if it wasn't enough — so I just ordered the basic set.

Side dishes at Dongyang Baekban

The side dishes were braised soybeans, cubed radish kimchi, garlic scapes, seasoned bean sprouts, and seaweed flakes.

Perilla oil yukjeon instead of the sold-out marinated crab

Yukjeon (thin pan-fried beef) grilled in perilla oil went really well topped with fresh cabbage kimchi. The yukjeon wasn't greasy and had a savory seasoning, so everyone enjoyed it.

How was the Sumi chicken stew?

There was the Teukmi chicken stew made with tomato and minced garlic, the savory clear-broth chicken hot pot, the spicy Jinmi vegetable steamed chicken with eggplant, lotus root, broccoli, sweet pumpkin and chili oil in a special sauce, and the Sumi chicken stew simmered with Sumi potatoes and vegetables. I agonized over what to order. Since my parents were there, I went with the classic flavor, but with everything from familiar dishes to distinctive Korean options on the menu, it felt like a place worth trying while visiting Gyeongju.

Vegetables, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, a soft-boiled egg, hand-pulled dough flakes, and chicken — the pot was packed full. Since it's boneless chicken, you don't have to struggle picking meat off the bone, so it would work fine even for a date. It's a chicken-stew style dish, but it wasn't heavily seasoned, so I kept scooping up the broth.

Caviar rice bowl and pollack roe rice bowl

This isn't just plain white rice. It comes out plated so beautifully it feels a shame to eat. The caviar rice bowl was topped with caviar, herring roe, and roasted seaweed, while the pollack roe rice bowl had low-sodium pollack roe, cheongyang chili peppers, and sesame oil drizzled on top.

I mixed it well and took a bite. The combination of glossy white rice, not-too-salty pollack roe, and spicy cheongyang chili was great. The caviar rice bowl also had an appealing pop-in-your-mouth texture without any fishiness.

The best way to eat the chicken stew and rice bowls

After eating the solid ingredients, mix the rice with the Sumi potatoes and a ladle of broth!

The chicken was tender, so it was easy for elderly family members and kids alike to eat. The broth wasn't harsh and had a sweetish depth that really hit the spot for my taste. We finished every bit of it.

Is Dongyang Baekban worth it on Hwangridan-gil?

If you're looking for a good restaurant on Hwangridan-gil during a Gyeongju trip, I'd recommend Dongyang Baekban. Since the menu is built around familiar Korean dishes, it was a satisfying place for a family meal. And being located right on Hwangridan-gil, it was also convenient to keep exploring the area after eating.