Family dinner in Cheonan wrapped in gimjaban seaweed: Hyangtaek

Cheonan's Buldang 2-dong area, known as Sinbuldang, is a new town with all kinds of restaurants, but Hyangtaek, a chain based in Daegu, is definitely one worth paying attention to.

Taking a look at Hyangtaek's menu

Starting out in a corner of Gyodong Market in Daegu, Hyangtaek is a restaurant that aims for Korean food built naturally around the inherent flavor of good ingredients. Since the food is made from good ingredients, I think this is one of the go-to spots in Buldang-dong for a family meal out.

Hyangtaek uses Sindongjin rice, whose grains are about 1.3 times bigger than regular rice, and I'm told the extra stickiness and shine give the rice a soft, nutty flavor.

What's on the menu?

Hyangtaek is a restaurant that focuses on doing a few things well, so the menu is on the simple side.

• Rice dishes: mackerel gondre rice (mackerel and gondre namul rice bowl), eggplant doenjang rice bowl, yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef bibimbap), chamnamul squid rice bowl
• Noodles: herring roe bibim noodles
• Side dishes: grilled galbi platter, Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi, deodeok mushroom skewers, mushroom platter
• Drinks: Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Sprite

Hyangtaek's table setting and banchan

Since Hyangtaek's concept is tidy, refined Korean food, the spoons, chopsticks and cups all match the wood-toned tables. The banchan (side dishes) vary a bit depending on what you order, but the signature mackerel gondre rice comes with soup, seasoned soy sauce, mixed jeotgal (seasoned seafood), and burdock root, while the yukhoe bibimbap gets mixed gochujang and an egg yolk instead of the seasoned soy sauce.

Mackerel gondre rice & yukhoe bibimbap

As the name suggests, mackerel gondre rice is a mackerel-and-namul bibimbap centered on mackerel and gondre (thistle greens), mixed with seasoned soy sauce — just pour in as much as you like and stir.

As the name implies, two ingredients are the stars, but sesame seeds and lettuce are also laid underneath, so mixing everything together brings out the nutty flavor of the greens and the freshness of the vegetables — I'd call it a good Buldang-dong family restaurant for that reason.

For the signature mackerel gondre rice and eggplant doenjang rice bowl, following Hyangtaek's 'how to eat deliciously' card on the table makes the meal even better.

The yukhoe bibimbap is built from a minimal combination of Sindongjin rice, yukhoe (raw beef), and lettuce — just mix in the seasoned gochujang and egg yolk that come with it, to taste.

Hyangtaek's own way of eating, wrapped in gopchang gim

Following the method on Hyangtaek's 'how to eat deliciously' card, I wrapped the dishes I ordered in gopchang gim (thick roasted seaweed), and I really liked it — it's a distinctly Hyangtaek way of eating with a charm all its own, different from just mixing the bowl.

If you're worn out from intense, high-calorie food loaded with trans fats, palm oil, high-fructose corn syrup and caffeine, and want to eat healthy or wrap up a clean meal for the family, Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is worth choosing as a good family dinner spot with that Buldang-dong family-outing feel.

Hours, location, and how to get there

Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM / Break time: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM / Last order: 3:00 PM, 7:30 PM

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is a good spot for a healthy family meal, located in Buldang 2-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam. Cheonan City Hall, Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium, the Cheonan Sports Complex, Bulmu Elementary, Bulmu Middle School, and Neungsubeodeul Park are all nearby, making it easy to combine with other stops.

If you're taking the bus, routes 830, 840, 860, 990, 2000, 15, 442, 5, 21, 3, and 90 all stop at Sicheongap Sageori, about a 5-minute walk from there.