Daegu Korean restaurant, Sunday 11:30 lunch for a couple: Hyangtaek

I found a great Korean rice restaurant in a Daebong-dong alley in Daegu!! I like fish dishes, but when eating out I always hesitate to order them because I worry about a fishy smell, you know? T_T

But Hyangtaek (향택) in Daebong-dong, where I went this time, blew that worry away with clean, deep flavors! It felt like my husband and I finally pulled off a proper Bangcheon Market rice-restaurant outing after a long time, so let me give you the fresh review.

What is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, the Korean restaurant near Bangcheon Market?

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch (향택 대봉점) is a Korean rice restaurant in an alley near Bangcheon Market in Daebong-dong, Daegu, with a clean, modern look from the outside. The signboard out front even shows new items like grilled deodeok (bellflower root) with mushrooms.

We were out in Daebong-dong, Daegu, wanted a tidy meal, and searched for good places near Bangcheon Market. That's how I found Hyangtaek, and the exterior was so neat and modern!

There's a signboard out front where you can check the menu in advance, so it was nice to skim it before going in. I could see new items like the grilled deodeok and felt right at the entrance that they use healthy ingredients.

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch parking, reservations and weekend waits

Parking in front of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is not allowed after 2pm, but if you use the Kim Kwang-seok Street public car park, diners get 1 hour 10 minutes of free parking. On weekends it gets crowded from 1pm, so arriving before 1pm is more relaxed, and for weekday lunch you can reserve by phone and pre-order your menu.

Inside, the wood-tone interior put me at ease. It was really pleasant!

A note: after 2pm you can't park in front of the shop, and it's a constantly enforced zone, so be careful! Instead, use the Kim Kwang-seok Street public car park and you get a whole 1 hour 10 minutes of free parking with your meal.

It's about a 6-minute walk, so it's close, and if you tell them when you pay they give you a discount, so you can visit without parking worries. It's such a hot spot that there can be a wait, but for weekday lunch you can reserve by phone and even pre-order your menu.

I got a weekend tip straight from the owner: it gets crowded from 1pm on weekends, so if you come before 1pm it's much more relaxed! The photos above were taken when we visited at 11:30 on a Sunday!

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch menu and basic table setting

The menu at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch includes Korean dishes like Spanish mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice bowl and yukhoe bibimbap, and they say they use a rice called suhyangmi. After you order, side dishes, a warm soup, seasoned salted seafood (bibim jeotgal) and pickles (jangajji) come out first.

Opening the menu, it was full of tempting Korean dishes, from the Spanish mackerel gondre rice to the eggplant doenjang rice bowl and yukhoe bibimbap.

Hyangtaek uses a nutty rice called suhyangmi, and they say the rice itself tastes special! After we ordered, they set out side dishes and a warm soup first. The bowls and plating are so neat, right?

There's seasoned salted seafood and pickles too, and later with the rice they're total rice thieves (dishes you can't stop eating rice with).

Is Hyangtaek's Spanish mackerel gondre rice really not fishy?

The Spanish mackerel gondre rice at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is a grilled piece of mackerel on gondre (thistle greens), and it wasn't fishy at all, just mild. You flake the mackerel and mix it in, then eat it with seasoned salted seafood, the special sauce and gopchang gim (seaweed).

The main dish I'd been waiting for, the Spanish mackerel gondre rice, finally arrived! A big grilled piece of mackerel sits right on top of the gondre, and it looked amazing at first sight. ✨

A note on the table kindly told us to flake the mackerel and mix it in. They say all the bones are trimmed by hand, so the flesh came off very softly and the nutty aroma filled the air the whole time I was mixing.

I put a little of that seasoned salted seafood on the well-mixed rice and tried it, and the mackerel wasn't fishy at all, just mild! The fragrance of the gondre and the nuttiness of the mackerel blended nicely in my mouth, and I honestly felt healthier.

Halfway through, adding the special sauce brings out another layer of savoriness. Wrapping it in gopchang gim is a treat too, and following the method they told us step by step, finishing the bowl was over in a flash!

What do Hyangtaek's herring roe bibim noodles taste like?

The herring roe bibim noodles (spicy mixed noodles) at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch are topped with plenty of herring roe, perilla leaves and sliced beef brisket. A mildly spicy sauce with perilla oil flavor and the popping texture of the roe made it appealing.

The herring roe bibim noodles my noodle-loving husband picked look amazing too, right? Plenty of roe sits on springy noodles, with a generous amount of perilla leaves and beef brisket. I mixed it up and lifted a big bite, and the roe was tucked between the noodles, popping in my mouth. Art!

The mildly spicy sauce whets the appetite, and with the nutty perilla oil on top it was seriously addictive. The rich fat of the brisket meets the spicy roe, so it never gets greasy and you just keep eating. haha

Best order for a couple: mackerel gondre rice and herring roe bibim noodles

If two of you go to Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, I recommend ordering the mild Spanish mackerel gondre rice and the spicy herring roe bibim noodles and sharing. We were so satisfied we'd happily order this combo again.

My husband and I always order different dishes and share. After a bite of the mackerel rice, I steal a mouthful of the spicy noodles, and that's the perfect sweet-and-salty harmony! haha It felt like being served a proper, tidy Korean meal, and I was in a good mood the whole time.

If you're planning a trip to Bangcheon Market, do stop by for a filling, clean meal! The Spanish mackerel gondre rice and herring roe bibim noodles combo suited our tastes so well that we'd order it again on a return visit! I think you'll fall for the charm of this heartfelt Korean food too!