Daegu Korean restaurant for summer mulhoe: Hyangtaek

The signature mackerel gondre rice really is the best.

My husband and I went for a meal at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, a sotbap (pot-cooked rice) restaurant in Daegu famous for its mackerel gondre rice, where every meal is made with fresh ingredients.

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch menu and a long-overdue date

How long had it been since the two of us had gone on a date?! Eating out without the kids is rare, so we did not want to just grab anything to fill ourselves up—we wanted a genuinely good meal, which is why we came here.

Between the signature mackerel gondre rice and eggplant doenjang rice bowl, we chose the mackerel gondre rice, along with the pollock yukhoe mulhoe available only in summer. I also heard the yukhoe bibimbap is good, and I want to try the herring roe mixed noodles, so next time I may order mackerel gondre rice and herring roe mixed noodles.

And because two bowls somehow felt a little lacking, we also got the crispy mushroom platter through the receipt-review event :) It was so delicious that I would have regretted not trying it, so everyone, definitely make sure to get it!

The open kitchen and comfortable interior

It is an open kitchen, so you can see everything from your seat, and it was instantly clear how spotlessly and hygienically it was kept.

The wood-toned interior felt comfortable, too. It was packed right at lunchtime, but by the time we were leaving, people had poured out after their meals, so I was able to take photos.

While waiting for our order, I looked around and found a guide on how to enjoy your meal at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch. Tear up the ingredients into small pieces and mix them evenly, then taste as you add the house sauce and adjust it. Once it is all mixed, they say it is delicious with roasted seaweed and salted seafood.

Side dishes and the full table spread

There was doenjang soup, house sauces suited to each dish, roasted seaweed, salted seafood, and more. I actually liked that they served only what was needed. It felt like the focus stayed on the mains.

Here is the whole table I ordered, all set up. The crispy mushroom platter, pollock yukhoe mulhoe, and mackerel gondre rice all arrived almost at once, so I snapped a photo of everything together. It looked so pretty that I could not help wanting to photograph it.

The two main dishes were more generous than I expected, and looked even more impressive than I had imagined, so they already passed the first test with my eyes. When you think of Daegu sotbap, a hot pot can take up a lot of table space and sometimes make you cautious, but Hyangtaek Daebong Branch serves it portioned out, which felt more comfortable.

Summer-only pollock yukhoe mulhoe

This is Hyangtaek's only cold dish, available for summer only: mulhoe, a chilled spicy seafood soup, topped with pollock and yukhoe (seasoned raw beef).

I ordered it as a summer specialty, and it came with plenty of both pollock and yukhoe.

The sweet-and-tangy broth of Hyangtaek's pollock yukhoe mulhoe was so appealing. In hot weather, it cools you down right to the core, and I thought, this is a Hyangtaek dish that can help you beat the heat.

There are noodles inside, and ordering Hyangtaek's pollock yukhoe mulhoe comes with a bowl of rice, so after finishing the noodles, you add the rice to the broth. It is a seriously filling dish.

How to enjoy the signature mackerel gondre rice

And here is the signature mackerel gondre rice. Usually, people make their first visit after being captivated by how Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice looks. We were drawn in by this look at first, too, and decided we had to come.

A thick piece of mackerel sits right on top, and you simply break it up with your chopsticks and mix it in. It was nutty, clean, and mild, with a lovely savory depth—I could see why it is the signature dish. Even next time, I think I will definitely order Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice.

As the guide suggested, I also tried wrapping it in roasted seaweed with salted seafood on top, and they went very well together. Above all, the house sauce was delicious, so my favorite way was simply mixing the mackerel gondre rice and taking a big bite without seaweed or other side dishes.

The crispy mushroom platter you will miss if you skip it

The crispy mushroom platter I almost would have regretted skipping! When rice dishes alone feel like they may not be enough, definitely give it a try. The mushroom aroma was really wonderful, and the texture was great, too. Mushroom lovers will enjoy that aroma, and even if you do not usually go for mushrooms, Hyangtaek's crispy mushroom platter is crisp and nutty enough that I think you will like it.

Overall meal review

Overall, everything was so well balanced and not overly intense. I could taste the fresh ingredients, so it felt like a wholesome meal, which is what I loved about Hyangtaek Daebong Branch. There may be a little wait at lunchtime, but turnover is quick, so you should not have to wait too long to eat. I would revisit Hyangtaek as a good restaurant near Kim Kwang-seok Street in Daebong-dong!