Jung-gu, Daegu rice bowl spot, no-wait dinner after work: Hyangtaek

What is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch like?

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch (향택 대봉점) is a Korean restaurant in Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, serving neat, single-bowl rice dishes. Hyangtaek has several branches in Daegu, and the Daebong branch is very close to Gyeongdae Hospital Station on Line 2, so a lot of people come here for a meal. It had been a while since I went out for a proper dinner after work, so off I went.

• Opening hours: daily 11:00-20:00
• Break time: 15:30-17:00
• Last order: 15:00, 19:30
• Address: 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (1st floor)

Hyangtaek uses familiar ingredients grown on Korean soil to make Korean food that feels both familiar and fresh. Weekends and lunchtime can have a wait, so there's a Tabling (queue registration) machine installed. We went on a weekday evening, and luckily there was no wait, so we got seated right away!!

What are the interior and atmosphere like?

The inside of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is clean, with an open kitchen. It's near Kim Kwang-seok Street, so if you get off at Gyeongdae Hospital Station and stroll over, you'll arrive quickly.

It was a weekday evening and guests were eating here and there, so I snapped each photo when a spot was briefly empty. Lots of people came with friends or coworkers, some on dates, and plenty eat solo too. It's a popular rice spot near Gyeongdae Hospital Station.

There's also a baby chair set up in one corner of the shop, so it seems easy to visit with a little one.

Menu and prices for two at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch

The two of us ordered the mackerel gondre rice, the eggplant doenjang rice bowl, the grilled deodeok and mushrooms, and a Zero Coke.

• Mackerel gondre rice (삼치곤드레밥) ₩14,000
• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl (가지된장덮밥) ₩13,000
• Grilled deodeok and mushrooms (더덕버섯구이) ₩9,000
• Zero Coke ₩2,000

Order done!

The grilled deodeok (bellflower root) and mushrooms is a new menu item, apparently! Toto and I both absolutely love grilled deodeok, so we said we had to try this one, haha.

They're also running a Naver receipt review event. It's weekdays only, and you get the hanpan mushroom dish, worth about ₩6,000, as a free treat. Such a generous deal~

They also keep a carefully prepared country-of-origin sign displayed in one corner of the shop.

Basic side dishes: jangguk, gopchang gim and bibim jeotgal

We took a table for two, and the staff brought cold water quickly as soon as we sat down. The water here is great, it's so tasty...!!

Tips for enjoying Hyangtaek's rice bowls and noodle dishes are laid out with photos and placed on every table. Before the food comes out, I give it a quick read to do my homework, haha.

Each person also gets a jangguk (light soup).

The gopchang gim (crinkly seaweed) and bibim jeotgal (seasoned salted seafood) that come as basic side dishes are really Hyangtaek's kick!! The gopchang gim can be refilled for free~~

All three dishes we ordered have arrived. We were both very hungry, and I was so happy they brought them out fast><

Here are the mackerel gondre rice, the eggplant doenjang rice bowl, and the grilled deodeok and mushrooms I ordered as a side. I also ordered a Zero Coke to sip at the end.

I highly recommend Hyangtaek Daebong Branch for a lunch or dinner date in its cozy, comfortable atmosphere!! It looks like an incredibly healthy and filling meal just from the sight of it.

How do you eat the mackerel gondre rice (₩14,000)?

Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice is a mild rice bowl with grilled mackerel, fragrant gondre (thistle greens) and braised mushrooms, for ₩14,000. It's one of the signature dishes here, a combination of nutty grilled mackerel and gondre namul (seasoned greens). With the braised mushrooms added, it's a really healthy bowl.

You shred the well-cooked mackerel into small pieces and mix it all together. The mackerel gondre rice comes with a special sauce. They told us we don't need to use all of it, so we started with a little, mixed and tasted, and planned to add more to suit our own taste.

Mixing it up well. The fragrance of the gondre drifts up and it looks so delicious!! And the portion of rice is quite generous too..!!

The mackerel gondre rice is mild and nutty and so good even on its own, and if you put a little bibim jeotgal on a piece of gopchang gim and eat it together, that's the real kick, it just slides right down~

Eggplant doenjang rice bowl (₩13,000): taste and a tip for richness

Hyangtaek's eggplant doenjang rice bowl is a nutty bowl of grilled eggplant and deep, thick doenjang (soybean paste) stew with fragrant chives, for ₩13,000. It's also one of the signature dishes. Eggplant is an ingredient I've been into lately, so when a restaurant has an eggplant dish I order it as if I'm under a spell. As a kid I hated eggplant because it was purple, but now I love it so much!!!

I shred the eggplant into small pieces too and mix it well. The eggplant doenjang rice bowl is literally a collab of eggplant and savory doenjang! The eggplant holds moisture, so it tastes moister and softer than the mackerel gondre rice.

The eggplant bowl wrapped in gopchang gim like this is also so delicious~~ Seriously, the gopchang gim is the kick!! The guests at other tables were refilling it once and eating it up like crazy.

Also, the eggplant doenjang rice bowl can get a little rich as you eat. When that happens, take a little of the kelp vinegar they gave us with the basic side dishes at the start and add it. The fresh tang cut the richness and felt like a little refresh. Good good!!

How was the new grilled deodeok and mushrooms (₩9,000)?

Hyangtaek's grilled deodeok and mushrooms is a healthy specialty of fragrant deodeok and mushrooms in a spicy-sweet sauce, for ₩9,000. It's another signature dish, and the one I was most looking forward to this time.

Deodeok plus mushrooms!! It can't possibly be bad, and this spicy sauce is so addictive and tasty.

The grilled deodeok and mushrooms is even more amazing when you eat it with the rice bowls like this!!

Today I clinked Zero Coke instead of alcohol and had a properly filling, delicious meal. A tasty Korean meal made with healthy ingredients, enjoyed at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, the rice spot near Gyeongdae Hospital Station.

Restroom at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch and other Daegu branches

The restroom at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is outside the shop. It's unisex but was kept clean. The way to the restroom is decorated a bit like a photo zone, and it was so cute that I took a shot, haha.

As far as I know, Hyangtaek currently has about 5 branches in Daegu: Dongdaegu Station, Jongno, Daebong, Chimsan and Keimyung University. It seems like Suseong-gu is next to open. I hope it opens soon>< Neat, tasty Korean food like this is something everyone should get to try together.