Early post-checkup lunch at Hyangtaek Daebong, a Daegu rice house

Went to Hyangtaek, the super popular restaurant, right after a health checkup haha. They have a few branches in Daegu, and we came to the Daebong branch near Kim Kwang-seok Street!!! It was a bit of an early lunch time so we went in without any worries~~

I kept putting off writing this and finally I'm here — starting my Hyangtaek Daebong Branch review now, wish I'd come sooner!!!

Where is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, and what are its hours?

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch Location: 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea, ground floor 138m from Exit 3 of Gyeongdae Hospital Station Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00 • Paid parking available, group seating, kids' chairs, reservations

Parking on Kim Kwang-seok Street: 1 hour 10 minutes free at Hyangtaek Daebong

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch supports 1 hour 10 minutes of free parking at the Kim Kwang-seok Street public parking lot haha. Parking in the Daebong-dong alleys is really tough, so this made things a lot easier for the meal!!! Since we came a bit early, we actually managed to find alley parking too hahaha. So many pretty cafés and restaurants nearby — Daebong-dong is having its moment.

Inside Hyangtaek Daebong Branch: mood and seating

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch has 2–4 person tables. The overall wood-tone tables gave a cozy feel, and everything was super clean with a delicious smell drifting through the air.

We came at an early hour so we felt totally relaxed, but right after we got there, customers came pouring in and eventually a waiting line started… haha.

How to book a table or join the wait

There were plenty of reserved seats, and the group tables were fully booked too. Reservations are phone-only. For walk-ins, you register for waiting via the TableLing kiosk after arrival! Haha, so many people were putting their names down. If we'd come just a bit later, we'd have been waiting too... lucky us... I was so hungry hahaha. It's an open kitchen too, which made me trust the hygiene even more!! Haha.

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch menu and prices

• Rice dishes – Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000 / Eggplant doenjang rice bowl ₩13,000 / Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000 / Chamnamul squid rice bowl ₩13,000
• Noodles – Herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000 / [Summer only] Pollack yukhoe mulhoe ₩16,000
• Sides – Grilled deodeok mushrooms ₩9,000 / Mushroom platter ₩6,000 / Galbi platter ₩10,000 / Cheongsong-style dakbulgogi ₩9,000 / [New menu] Grilled deodeok mushrooms ₩9,000
• Drinks – Coca-Cola ₩2,000 / Coke Zero ₩2,000 / Stripe ₩2,000 / Draft beer ₩4,000

*If you take part in the Naver receipt event, you get a free mushroom platter on weekdays, amazing!!!*

How to eat Hyangtaek deliciously haha. You gotta read these things to enjoy it even more. I read it carefully right after ordering lol. That's the willpower of wanting to eat well.

What comes with the meal, and what we ordered

They set the table with the basics — gopchang gim (rolled seaweed), bibim jeotgal (seasoned salted seafood), pickles, and jangguk soup! We ordered mackerel gondre rice and yukhoe bibimbap. They also brought the sauce, egg yolk and seasoning that go with each dish. So. Clean.

After a short wait post-order, the dishes arrived — a full, neat, delicious-looking spread!!

Mackerel gondre rice (samchi gondre bap), 14,000 won

Hyangtaek's signature dish, packed with gondre (dried herb greens), mushrooms, chives and sesame salt, mackerel gondre rice. The mackerel itself was grilled plump and perfect! They said it's domestic large mackerel, and it's honestly insanely good…

Used a spoon and chopsticks to break it all up finely hahaha. Just mix it in with the sauce to your taste. It's savory, genuinely delicious, and I kept reaching back for more. Not overly seasoned, a healthy flavor. These days when all I eat is delivery food and heavy flavors, this felt super fresh and like a healthy way to eat!!!

Yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl), 14,000 won

The yukhoe bibimbap arrived with fresh raw beef arranged in a neat round shape on top~~~ Pop the yolk on it and mix well with the sauce that comes alongside haha. Yukhoe bibimbap, what more is there to say. Loaded with fresh vegetables too, it was excellent haha.

Wrapping the rice in gopchang gim (thin roasted seaweed)

It's genuinely delicious wrapped in gopchang gim (thick rolled seaweed). Definitely wrap it lol. It pairs really well not just with the yukhoe bibimbap but also with the mackerel gondre rice. Honestly, on a Korean table, gim (seaweed) is the thing that keeps a meal from feeling plain, right? Haha it seems to go well with any dish here!!

Is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch worth an early lunch?

If you're in Daebong-dong looking for a hot new spot or a menu that's not overly seasoned, come to Hyangtaek! Great with little kids, great with your parents, of course — Hyangtaek works for everyone. Haha. It's really nice for a quiet, simple meal. Haha. Bottom line, super delicious... I need to come back again haha.