Gyeongju Korean restaurant for a date: vegetable jjimdak set, Dongyang

Why Dongyang Baekban for a date meal in Hwangridan-gil

Dongyang Baekban Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Main Branch (동양백반 경주황리단길 본점) is a popular Hwangridan-gil restaurant known for neat Korean food and a cozy space. Hwangridan-gil captures the quiet, old-capital mood of a Gyeongju trip, and it's always full of that warm, sentimental charm, so it's always the first thing that comes to mind for a date.

Walking slowly down alleys lined with low, old-fashioned tile roofs, you almost feel like you've time-travelled. With pretty cafés tucked into every lane, it's a perfect place to make memories with someone you love. On this Gyeongju outing, too, we wandered the alleys excitedly wondering where to have a good meal, and ended up at Dongyang Baekban.

What is the atmosphere like at Dongyang Baekban's Hwangridan-gil main branch?

From the entrance, the hanok feel was just right for a date: a wood-toned tile-roofed building with soft lighting. The hanok mood unfolds so stylishly right at the door that I couldn't help picking up my camera.

Inside, the homey feeling from outside carried on. The interior is decorated in a very cozy, warm way that put me at ease, and the tables are spaced comfortably, so it was perfect for chatting quietly over a meal. With the view of the Hwangridan-gil alley through the window and the calm lighting, we could enjoy the serene charm of Gyeongju the whole meal.

Ordering the vegetable jjimdak set: the day yukjeon replaced the crab

We ordered the vegetable jjimdak (braised chicken) set, Dongyang Baekban's famous signature. I'd understood that the set normally includes gejang (soy-marinated crab), but on the day we visited, we were told that because of the restaurant's situation it was changed to yukjeon (beef pancake) instead.

Honestly, we like gejang too, but as a couple we prefer hot, nutty yukjeon much more, so I was grinning and silently shouting "even better!" We chatted in anticipation for a moment, and soon a generous, neatly arranged spread started to land on the table.

What comes in Dongyang Baekban's vegetable jjimdak set, plus side dishes

This Dongyang Baekban vegetable jjimdak set consisted of yukjeon, caviar roe rice, yunhoe rice, and the main dish, richly seasoned vegetable jjimdak. It was a solid lineup: carefully pan-fried yukjeon, caviar roe rice full of salty, nutty flavor, and yunhoe rice with excellent savory depth.

• Yukjeon (served instead of gejang on the visit day)
• Caviar roe rice
• Yunhoe rice
• Vegetable jjimdak (soy-based)
• Basic side dishes: sweet braised soybeans, kkakdugi, seasoned bean sprouts and more

The side dishes matched the main dishes perfectly and whetted the appetite: nutty braised soybeans, crunchy well-fermented kkakdugi, and cool, refreshing seasoned bean sprouts, neatly laid out and balancing the whole table. None of them tasted overly of seasoning, just clean, so it felt like being served at a proper traditional Korean table d'hôte restaurant.

How was the yukjeon served instead of gejang?

The yukjeon had a soft, golden egg coating outside and tender beef inside. It was the first thing my chopsticks went for, with an impressive look, pan-fried to a golden color, and the moment it hit my mouth, a mild, nutty, rich flavor spread softly through it.

Since it was served in place of the crab I was half expectant, half curious, but there was no gamey smell at all and the texture was really tender. I was so happy that I thought the swap to yukjeon was actually a stroke of luck.

Mixing caviar roe rice and yunhoe-bap with seaweed flakes in the extra bowl

What was really thoughtful at Dongyang Baekban was how you eat the rice. Two distinctive rice dishes come out, caviar roe rice and yunhoe rice, and to make it easy to mix them with the jjimdak sauce and side dishes, they give you a wide, roomy extra bowl along with plenty of nutty seaweed flakes.

So you can scoop rice into the bowl as you like, add the jjimdak's savory broth and lots of seaweed flakes, and mix it all up, which doubled the fun of eating.

The caviar roe rice gave a variety of textures in the mouth, with popping roe, nutty seaweed flakes and special seasoning, and the yunhoe rice had a deep flavor that clings to the mouth. I felt I could finish a bowl of that rice on its own.

Is Dongyang Baekban's vegetable jjimdak spicy? The soy-based flavor

The vegetable jjimdak came in a soy-based sauce with deep, rich flavor. It wasn't overly sweet or harsh, with a very finely tuned sweet-and-salty balance in an authentic soy seasoning, a clean taste that anyone of any age can enjoy without any dislike.

The soy sauce had soaked right into the chicken, so the meat was moist and tender along the grain, and the well-cooked vegetables like onion, carrot and potato brought out sweetness, which tasted excellent picked up together with the meat.

Crushed potato and jjimdak sauce mixed into rice

Mash the soft, well-cooked potato from the jjimdak, ladle on plenty of the soy jjimdak broth, put it over the caviar roe rice or yunhoe rice in the extra bowl, sprinkle on seaweed flakes and mix. That combination was honestly so good it drew an involuntary gasp.

Salty yet nutty flavor filled my mouth, and in between, a crunchy bean sprout or a piece of ripe kkakdugi cut any heaviness, so I could enjoy the meal perfectly to the last bite without getting tired of it.

Verdict: a date meal at Dongyang Baekban's Hwangridan-gil main branch

At Dongyang Baekban's main branch, the warm, cozy atmosphere let us focus on our conversation, and the owner and staff were so kind that I felt great throughout the meal. Thanks to the generous portions and dishes that each felt made with care, it was a perfect date meal that didn't just fill the stomach but warmed the heart.

If you want to feel Hwangridan-gil's quiet, sentimental mood on a Gyeongju trip while enjoying a neat Korean set menu, I strongly recommend Dongyang Baekban's main branch, which has the flavor, the atmosphere and the friendliness all together ^_^