Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Korean restaurant for egg rice: Dongyang

When you visit Gyeongju you end up eating all kinds of food, and I love having Korean food in a quiet, old-fashioned atmosphere on the must-visit Hwangridan-gil street. Here's my review of Dongyang Baekban (동양백반), a Korean restaurant that satisfied me from the mood down to the taste. With its serene hanok (traditional Korean house) atmosphere for enjoying Korean food, it's apparently well known as a date spot too among Hwangridan-gil restaurants.

Where is Dongyang Baekban? Location, parking and hours

Dongyang Baekban is located at 1056-5 Poseok-ro, Gyeongju-si, near the Hwangnam-dong Community Center.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 20:00

There's no dedicated parking lot, so just park at a public lot near Hwangridan-gil and walk over.

The exterior is such a cozy, Gyeongju-style hanok. There's a stone statue in front of the shop, so it's easy to spot.

The hanok exterior and interior — does Dongyang Baekban have baby chairs?

Arriving in the evening, Dongyang Baekban's charming hanok exterior greets you first. The warmly lit traditional building gives off that distinctive Gyeongju atmosphere, so right from the entrance you get the full Hwangridan-gil date-restaurant mood. My expectations were already high before even walking in~

The interior has a more modern feel, decorated with warm wood tones, soft lighting, and cute rattan chairs, giving off a very cozy and neat impression. Sitting by the window to eat was a lovely setting too. There's no private room, but overall it feels warm and inviting. I recall there were about six tables. Great atmosphere for a date. We came with our baby, and yes, there were baby chairs!

Dongyang Baekban's menu: rice bowls with a range of toppings

True to its name, Dongyang Baekban ('Eastern Home-style Meal') has a wide range of Korean dishes. There are even kid-friendly options like tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) and grilled mackerel. What's special here is that the rice isn't just plain rice — there are many varieties topped with different garnishes, which really whets the appetite. We ordered the signature beef tripe hot pot, a bowl of rice, and the specialty egg rice.

How does the Korean beef tripe hot pot taste?

The pot comes out generously piled with mushrooms, glass noodles, perilla leaves, and various vegetables. As it bubbles away, the spicy aroma that spreads out really gets the appetite going~

Taking a sip of the broth, it was clean yet deep in flavor, and packed with chewy Korean beef tripe and meat that burst with savoriness the more you chewed. Fishing out the well-cooked vegetables and glass noodles was fun too. There was plenty of tripe, which I loved~ True to its reputation as a well-known Korean restaurant in Gyeongju, the rice and neat side dishes really stood out too.

Bean sprouts, diced radish kimchi, and stir-fried burdock — the basic side dishes that pair well with the hot pot were served neatly! The rice was made with glossy, chewy Koshihikari rice, giving it a wonderful texture. You could tell they put real care into every bowl of rice.

Egg rice with tripe hot pot broth, and the best way to eat it

Along with the hot pot, we ordered the egg rice. Wow — a whole braised soy egg, seasoned savory and salty, is placed right on top! Mixing it all up and adding a spoonful of the spicy beef tripe hot pot broth on top made for an absolutely perfect combination!!!

According to the 'how to enjoy Dongyang Baekban' note printed on every table, you can make it even tastier by adding sesame oil and seaweed flakes to taste in the provided mixing bowl before mixing the rice with the hot pot broth! My personal tip: order one of the other rice varieties instead of plain rice for an even more savory bite~ Next time I might try the caviar rice. I'm curious about it.

There's also a review event going on, so check it out~

Honest verdict on Dongyang Baekban

• Great date course pick among Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil restaurants
• A well-known Korean restaurant on Hwangridan-gil
• Fine to bring kids along
• Great atmosphere

If you're looking for neat, deeply flavorful Korean food while traveling in Gyeongju, head to 'Dongyang Baekban' on Hwangridan-gil.