Daegu date night by Kim Kwang-seok Street, deodeok grill: Hyangtaek

I had errands in the morning, so my husband and I turned it into a date and headed over to Kim Kwang-seok Street.

The area around Kim Kwang-seok Street reminds me of Seoul's Seongsu-dong, with low, charming buildings lined up in a way that makes it fun to just walk and look around. I always feel good coming here.

Today I'm introducing a restaurant that's been getting popular lately — Hyangtaek. Turns out there's a branch right on Kim Kwang-seok Street too. There's also one right in front of my house that I'd been wanting to try, but since I happened to see this one, I stopped by here instead. We ordered mackerel gondre rice, herring roe bibim noodles, and the new deodeok mushroom grill.

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch in three lines

• A Korean rice bowl restaurant near Kim Kwang-seok Street
• Signature dish is mackerel gondre rice
• Group seating for up to 30, venue rental available

How to walk to Hyangtaek Daebong Branch from Kim Kwang-seok Street

This is the entrance to Kim Kwang-seok Bitgil (light street). Walk just a bit further and Hyangtaek appears. The square "Hyangtaek" sign stood out even from a distance. It's on the ground floor of the building, so it wasn't hard to find.

There are three standing signboards right by the entrance. You can preview the hanpan galbi, hanpan mushroom, the new deodeok mushroom grill, and all the rice menu items before you even walk in.

Hyangtaek started as a Korean restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu. Their intro describes their philosophy as pursuing "a clean, fresh Korean food culture using ingredients grown and raised on our own land."

Where is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, and is there parking?

• Address: 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (ground floor)
• Directions: 138m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station
• Hours: Last order 19:30
• Closed: Sep 25 (Chuseok)

Parking near Hyangtaek in Samdeok-dong

• No dedicated lot, but parking support is available
• 1 hour 10 minutes free with a meal
• Make sure to mention it when you pay after eating
• Extra charge is ₩1,250 per 60 minutes, up to ₩10,000
• We used the nearby "Kim Kwang-seok-gil Public Parking Lot" (34-20 Dongdeok-ro 8-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, 380m from the restaurant)

If you're driving, don't forget to mention it when you pay.

What the restaurant looks like inside

It has the vibe of the trendy places these days — warm wood tones, and open on both sides so it feels airy inside and out.

The kitchen is open-plan. White dishware is neatly lined up on wooden shelves, and round hanji (traditional paper) lamps hang overhead.

The wooden tables and chairs match, giving the whole place a warm, cohesive feel.

There are window seats too. The light coming in from outside was so nice. With this kind of atmosphere, it'd work great as a café too.

Group seating and private rental at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch

From reviews I've seen, Hyangtaek Daebong has a café-like restaurant vibe, so it's often used as a venue for Daegu wedding invitation gatherings.

• Group seating from 2 up to 30 people
• Venue rental available (call the restaurant in advance to inquire)
• Reservations available
• High chair available, wheelchair-accessible seating
• Takeout available, waiting area available

Hyangtaek menu and prices

Rice and noodle dishes

• Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000 (signature)
• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl ₩13,000 (signature)
• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000
• Wild herb squid rice bowl ₩13,000
• Herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000

Side dishes

• Hanpan mushroom ₩6,000 (signature)
• Deodeok mushroom grill ₩9,000 (signature)
• Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi ₩9,000
• Hanpan galbi ₩10,000

What we ordered on our date

• Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000
• Herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000
• Deodeok mushroom grill ₩9,000

I was torn between ordering the eggplant rice bowl, but ended up going with the herring roe bibim noodles. The noodles looked bright red like they'd be strongly seasoned, but they were surprisingly clean-tasting and delicious.

A few days ago I saw grilled deodeok (bellflower root) on TV and had been craving it, and I never imagined I'd run into grilled deodeok here. Ordered it right away.

How to eat Hyangtaek's rice dishes

Every table has a guide on how to eat the dishes, so if it's your first time, make sure to read it.

• Mix the toppings on the rice or noodles evenly
• Tear the mackerel or eggplant into small pieces before mixing
• It's domestically sourced mackerel, hand-cleaned, so small bones may remain
• Try the original flavor first before adding the special sauce
• Pair with gopchang gim (crispy laver) and bibim jeotgal (seasoned seafood relish)
• The special sauce can be strong if you add it all at once, so add it a little at a time

They say the kelp vinegar in the eggplant doenjang rice bowl was inspired by mazesoba. I'll have to try the eggplant rice bowl next time.

Honest review after eating

It comes with gopchang gim, bibim jeotgal, and a few side dishes.

Mackerel gondre rice, 14,000 won

Mackerel sits on top of the gondre (dried Korean thistle). They say the gondre is simmered for over 3 hours in a special seasoning, and the mackerel is domestic and hand-cleaned. Mushrooms, scallions, and sesame seeds are also on top.

As instructed on the guide, I tore the mackerel into small pieces before eating.

Visually it looks a bit like grilled mackerel pike, but there was zero fishiness — clean and savory. It's a taste I still think about. If it's your first visit, you really should try this one. I put it on the gim, added a bit of the bibim jeotgal, and wrapped it up. Mouthwatering stuff.

Herring roe bibim noodles, 13,000 won

Herring roe is laid out in a long strip on top of the noodles. They say it's bibim noodles made with a special perilla oil sauce and herring roe jeotgal. Mixed evenly, it looks like this.

New menu: grilled deodeok and mushrooms, 9,000 won

This is the mushroom and deodeok grill. If it were just deodeok alone, the portion might have felt a little small, but with the mushrooms added, the aroma was great and the plate felt satisfying.

One wrap with the mackerel rice bowl and deodeok grill piled on gim. If your stomach's been feeling weighed down from delivery food or overly seasoned meals, come here and let it settle. Haha.

After finishing our meal, we took a walk around Kim Kwang-seok Street. The weather's been so nice lately, this makes for a perfect stop while dating around Kim Kwang-seok Street.

Who Hyangtaek Daebong Branch suits best

• Anyone looking for a good restaurant near Kim Kwang-seok Street
• Anyone searching for restaurants near Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station or Bangcheon Market
• Fans of one-bowl Korean dishes like rice bowls and bibimbap
• Anyone looking for a venue for a Daegu wedding invitation gathering or family get-together
• Anyone dating around Kim Kwang-seok Street

Definitely try the signature mackerel rice bowl and the deodeok grill.