Daegu Korean restaurant, four dishes shared by three: Hyangtaek

Today I'm bringing you my review of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, a Korean restaurant near Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station that I recommend whenever you're craving a neat, well-put-together Korean meal :D

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

✏️Hyangtaek Daebong Branch / 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu / Hours 11:00–20:00 / Break time 15:30–17:00 / Last order 15:00, 19:30

Here's the exterior. It's right in front of Exit 3 of Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station on Daegu Subway Line 2, so it's super accessible — basically the second you step off the subway, you're there! I also liked that the menu is displayed big right outside the shop, with photos so you can tell exactly what everything looks like. Nice touch.

Inside Hyangtaek Daebong Branch at 2pm on a Sunday

This is the inside of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch. There are actually 3-4 more tables than what's shown in the photo, and we visited at 2pm on a Sunday when there were a lot of people coming in for a meal — pretty much every table but one was full. I guess since it's a well-known franchise, the friend I went with said she'd already been three times before? Since it was my first visit, I wanted to try a bit of everything.

Four dishes for three people, and what they cost

This is the menu at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch. The bibim noodles looked delicious, and so did the bibimbap — honestly everything looked good. Korean food really is the best. We decided to share a bit of everything, so we ordered a wide variety plus a side dish (๑❛ڡ❛๑). I'm still curious about the grilled deodeok and mushrooms too. Not gonna lie, all three of us instinctively picked the herring roe bibim noodles first.

Mackerel gondre rice (₩14,000) / Herring roe bibim noodles (₩13,000) / Yukhoe bibimbap (₩14,000) / Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi (₩9,000)

The side dishes and barley tea at Hyangtaek

Two basic side dishes and miso soybean paste soup come standard. Vinegar-chili sauce, egg yolk, a special sauce, and gim (seaweed) were given extra depending on what we ordered. Oh, and by the way, the water here is barley tea~! So good.

Our order arrived!! All three dishes came out at once, but for framing reasons the yukhoe bibimbap ended up off to the side in the photo ^0^ Everything looked so appetizing. A neat little Korean spread, complete. We were chatting so I'm not totally sure, but the food felt like it came out fast!

How was the mackerel gondre rice?

We drizzled a little of the special sauce that came with it straight onto the rice and mixed it in. You can also add gim and jeotgal (salted seafood) to taste!! I'd never had mackerel and gondre (dried aster greens) together before, but it was surprisingly delicious?!?! Think grilled mackerel, but it chews soft and goes down easily. (The jeotgal was so good I ended up eating all of my friend's side dish too~!)

Herring roe bibim noodles: a first-time taste

This was also my first time trying herring roe, and they seriously piled it on. We mixed it all together, and since it was a totally new taste for me, it's hard to describe — but it was definitely a delicacy. The seasoning isn't too strong, so I think it'd suit all ages. No matter how much you eat, there's still a mountain of herring roe underneath, so I ended up scooping up whole spoonfuls haha.

Yukhoe bibimbap, the raw beef rice bowl

Just look at the color on that yukhoe (raw beef tartare). The meat was really fresh, and being yukhoe, it was of course delicious — the sauce was just sweet enough, and it was the best. This one was so good... I want it again already.

How big is the Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi side?

We ordered the Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi out of curiosity, and it came out looking like a kimchi jeon (pancake). It wasn't spicy, and it pulled apart easily with chopsticks. The chicken pieces had a bit of chew but weren't in big chunks, so it was soft overall. Great as a side dish (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ Though the portion was bigger than expected, so by the time we finished everything, all three of us were completely full.

Is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch worth a visit?

It's the kind of Korean meal that's perfect for taking care of your health — no bloating or gassiness afterward. Somehow the flavor keeps quietly coming back to mind..? I think I'll go again. If you're looking for a healthy meal out, dining with parents, or just craving a neat Korean spread, I recommend Hyangtaek Daebong Branch near Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station.

This is a review I wrote honestly after visiting in person.