Korean date dinner in Jongno, Daegu: light-sauce bowls at Hyangtaek

I heard there's a famous Korean date-spot restaurant in Jongno, Daegu, serving a neat, well-arranged Korean meal, so I went with my partner 🖤 This is my review of Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch, a Banwoldang / Jung-gu, Daegu favorite 🏠

Where is Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch? Location and hanok exterior

The storefront

It's a 4-minute walk from Jungangno Station Exit 1, right across from Starbucks Daegu Jongno Gotaek. Since it's a Korean restaurant, the exterior is done up in hanok (traditional Korean house) style, so the atmosphere felt great even before stepping inside (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Is there a wait on weekday evenings? Hyangtaek's interior

Inside the restaurant

We visited on a weekday evening so there was no wait, but there's a waiting board by the entrance — if you visit during peak hours, just write your name there.

The exterior already felt quietly elegant, and the inside of Hyangtaek Jongno had that same cozy hanok atmosphere, which made it feel like a great spot for a Daegu date course too.

✔️ Restrooms are inside the restaurant (separated men's/women's)

On one side of the restaurant there was Hyangtaek's own story on display, saying they value good ingredients and a flavor that doesn't change. Food loaded with seasonings can be intense and delicious too, but Hyangtaek seemed to focus more on bringing out the ingredients' own natural flavor, which made me look forward to the food even more 🤍

Along with Hyangtaek's brand story, there were also posters for various new menu items stuck up here and there

Aprons are set out by the counter, so just take one yourself. Right next to that, the country of origin for each ingredient was carefully listed too 💚

Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno menu and prices

The menu

The menu is set right on the table. Since it was our first time at Hyangtaek, my partner and I felt we had to try the signature dishes ^___^

• Mackerel gondre rice / samchi gondre-bap (₩14,000)
• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl (₩13,000)
• Zero-sugar cola (₩2,000)

— that's what we ordered 🍚

But every other table besides ours was drinking draft beer..!? We wanted to order some too, but we'd driven so we passed on it,,ㅠ Spoiler alert: the food was so good that we've already decided next time we're definitely having it with draft beer 🍺🍺

How to eat Hyangtaek's rice bowls

On the table there were instructions for how to best enjoy the rice bowls we ordered — for our mackerel gondre rice and eggplant doenjang bowl, ★ the tip was to tear the toppings up smaller before mixing ★

What comes with the basic table setting

The basic table setting

Before the main dishes came out, they first set the table with soup, side dishes, and sauces. Along with basic doenjang soup, they laid out gungchae, bibim jeotgal (seasoned salted seafood), gopchang gim (seasoned seaweed), plus the special sauce for the mackerel gondre rice and the kelp vinegar for the eggplant doenjang bowl — a clean, tidy spread.

Before long the main dishes arrived ❣️ Just looking at them, they seemed healthy and delicious,,,8ㅅ8 The instructions were already on the table, but the staff kindly explained how to eat them once more too!

Spanish mackerel gondre rice with a third of the special sauce

The mackerel gondre rice is a dish with gondre (mountain vegetable), sesame seeds, chives, and mushrooms laid down, topped with domestic mackerel with nearly all the bones removed 🐟 A slightly nutty aroma rose up that got my appetite going. And isn't the look of it just so pretty too ㅠㅠ

I tore the mackerel into small pieces, mixed it with the rice, and took a bite before adding the special sauce — it was genuinely clean and light!! Not bland in the least, so I think people who like a mild, subtle flavor would love it even without adding the special sauce.

Adding about a third of the special sauce gave it just the right seasoning with an extra boost of savoriness, making it even more delicious >< Who knew mackerel and gondre could be such a healthy, tasty combo,,,~

Eggplant doenjang rice bowl: why a little kelp vinegar is key

The eggplant doenjang rice bowl is a dish with grilled eggplant and various vegetables on top of a gangdoenjang (thick soybean paste) sauce made with pork 🍆

Just like with the mackerel gondre rice, you tear the eggplant up small and mix it all together deliciously....🥄

I tried it plain before adding the kelp vinegar, and the savory doenjang sauce paired so well with the softly cooked eggplant ... ,,ԾㅂԾ,, (how do they even come up with combinations like this,,,!?)

I wanted a bit more savory depth, so I added a small amount of kelp vinegar, and that light touch turned out to be exactly my style.

It felt a little like eating a Korean-style mazesoba,,,?? A slight tangy note gets added, but the doenjang's savory flavor stays intact while a gentle sourness layers on top — genuinely delicious 🤍

Eating it together with the gopchang gim and bibim jeotgal made it even better,,, (writing this makes me want to eat it again)

Sometimes with rice bowls you get a huge mound of rice and barely any toppings on top, so you end up rationing the toppings or leaving rice behind — you know that feeling?! But here, both the rice and the toppings are generous, so you can dig in without holding back at all ^___^b

Neither of us was even that hungry going in...? But we cleared everything. . . My partner took one bite and immediately messaged the group chat with friends saying this is a must-visit Jongno, Daegu restaurant.

Verdict: is Hyangtaek good for a date dinner in Jongno, Daegu?

⭐ Overall verdict ⭐

Both the mackerel gondre rice and the eggplant doenjang bowl were so good that if you asked me to pick just one, I couldn't,,, More than anything, the ingredients themselves are healthy and light, yet still packed with flavor, so it's a great choice on days you want a healthy meal without feeling like you're compromising on taste.

I feel like I've just been saying "delicious" over and over this whole time,,, but no, really, it was that good,,,ㅠ To sum it up briefly: I'm definitely coming back 🤺 (and next time, ordering draft beer with it for sure)