Korean restaurant near Yangnyeongsi Market, Daegu: Hyangtaek Jongno

There are times when you want a proper, tidy meal near Jongno for lunch or dinner. While looking for good places to eat near Jongno in Daegu, I visited a restaurant with a strong hanok (traditional Korean house) vibe. This is my review of Hyangtaek Jongno Branch, located across from a Starbucks.

• 📍19-1 Jungangdae-ro 77-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu
• 🕐Opens at 11:00 AM

Where is Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch? Across from Starbucks Jongno Gotaek

Hyangtaek Jongno Branch has an exterior with tiled eaves and a wooden sign that catches your eye, so it's easy to spot even from the alley. Since it's right across from the Starbucks Jongno Gotaek branch, it's easy to remember the location if you're looking for good restaurants in Jung-gu, Daegu.

It's close to The Hyundai Daegu and about a 5-minute walk from Yangnyeongsi, so it also works well as a restaurant near Banwoldang. It's a 3-minute walk from the Yangnyeongsi-ap bus stop, and about 10 minutes on foot from Banwoldang Station and Jungangno Station.

What the hanok interior at Hyangtaek looks like

The dining hall at Hyangtaek Jongno Branch has a row of tables for 2–4 people, giving it a neat, tidy atmosphere.

The exposed rafters on the ceiling made it feel like being inside an actual hanok. The lighting was soft, creating a nice atmosphere for eating.

Toward the back there's a wooden wall with a round latticed window. Several tables are arranged there, making it a good spot to come with friends or coworkers.

Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch menu and prices

The rice dishes are mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000, yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000, eggplant doenjang rice bowl ₩13,000, and chamnamul squid rice bowl ₩13,000. There are also noodles — herring roe bibim noodles for ₩13,000.

For side dishes, there's grilled deodeok mushrooms ₩9,000, a mushroom platter ₩6,000, and a galbi platter ₩10,000. The new menu item, Cheongsong-style dakbulgogi (grilled chicken), is also ₩9,000.

The rice is made with Sindongjin rice, which apparently has grains 1.3 times larger and stickier than regular rice. For drinks, cola, zero cola, and Sprite are ₩2,000, and draft beer is also available.

The 'how to eat it' guide on the table

Hyangtaek Jongno Branch has a 'how to eat it deliciously' sign on every table. You mix the ingredients on top of the rice evenly, then wrap it in gopchang gim with bibim jeotgal on the side! It suggests adding the special sauce little by little to match the amount of rice left, and tearing the mackerel into small pieces before mixing.

What we ordered: yukhoe bibimbap and Spanish mackerel gondre rice

• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000
• Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000
• Zero cola ₩2,000

I ordered the yukhoe bibimbap, mackerel gondre rice, and a zero cola. Each rice dish came with soup and side dishes, so the table was quite full.

On the side, grilled gopchang gim, namul sauce, pickled vegetables, and jeotgal (salted seafood) came out in celadon-colored dishes. An egg yolk for the yukhoe bibimbap and a special sauce for the mackerel gondre rice came separately, so I could add them to taste.

The yukhoe bibimbap had a generous mound of raw beef piled on top of lettuce. You're meant to add the egg yolk and mix it all together.

I mixed the ingredients evenly, following the sign's instructions. The vegetables and raw beef blended evenly into the rice, making it easy to eat spoonful by spoonful.

For the mackerel gondre rice, I tore the grilled mackerel into small pieces and mixed it with the gondre (wild aster greens). The mackerel is hand-prepared and domestically sourced, so they warn that small bones might remain — please be careful. (There weren't any when I ate it, haha.)

I tried wrapping the bibimbap in gopchang gim with some bibim jeotgal on top. Eating it this way let me enjoy a variety of flavors from just one bowl.

For drinks, I ordered a zero cola. It came with a glass of ice, so I could keep it cold until the last sip.

Is Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch worth a visit?

To sum up, Hyangtaek Jongno Branch is a great spot near Jongno, Daegu for tidy Korean food in a hanok atmosphere. Both the yukhoe bibimbap and the mackerel gondre rice were genuinely delicious. At ₩14,000, it wasn't a burden for a proper meal near Jongno. It's close to The Hyundai Daegu and walkable from Banwoldang Station, so if you're looking for a good restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu, stop by. I'd also recommend it as a restaurant near Banwoldang.