Daegu Korean restaurant for spicy squid rice bowl: Hyangtaek Daebong

I went to Hyangtaek, a well-known rice restaurant near Kim Kwang-seok Street, for a clean and filling meal in Daebong-dong. I usually love Korean food, and this place has a really great menu lineup.

The samchi gondre-bap (mackerel gondre rice) has a flavor anyone would like and is gentle enough for kids too, so it works for a family outing, while the chamnamul squid rice bowl has a spicy kick that keeps popping into my head.

Where is Hyangtaek Daebong, and what about parking and hours?

• Hours: Mon–Sun 11:00–20:00 (break time 15:30–17:00)
• Address: 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (ground floor)
• Parking available in front of the restaurant (Kim Kwang-seok Street public parking support)
• Group bookings available (private hire possible)
• Baby chair available

Hyangtaek feels clean and tidy from the outside already. There's space for about two cars right in front, so you can drive over, and Kim Kwang-seok Street public parking support is also available.

Inside, it's spacious with a wood-toned interior that feels warm and comfortable. What I personally liked was the open kitchen — being able to watch the food being prepared made me trust it more. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a good rice restaurant near Kim Kwang-seok Street.

I ordered samchi gondre-bap (14,000 won), chamnamul squid rice bowl (13,000 won), and mushroom pancake (6,000 won). They also run a receipt event on weekdays, so be sure to take part.

How spicy is the chamnamul squid rice bowl at 13,000 won?

Overall the food came out plated cleanly, making for a neat-looking spread. The basic side dishes — pickles, seasoned salted fish (jeotgal), gopchang gim (seasoned laver), and soup — went well with the main dishes.

This was my first time trying the chamnamul squid rice bowl, and I was told the seasoning was spicy, so I was really looking forward to it. I thought it might be quite intense, but mixed together with the chamnamul (short-stalked chrysanthemum greens) it went really well with the fragrant greens.

The chewy texture of the squid, the crunchy chamnamul and bean sprouts, and the spicy seasoning all worked together to whet the appetite.

Samchi gondre-bap, 14,000 won: taste and any fishy smell

My usual order, the samchi gondre-bap, needs no introduction. It comes with a whole piece of grilled mackerel (samchi), savory and nutty in a way both adults and kids would like. I worried the fish might smell a bit fishy, but I didn't notice it at all.

When you mash up the mackerel flesh, add the soy-based sauce, and mix it into the gondre-bap, it becomes deep and delicious overall.

Hyangtaek's samchi gondre-bap is delicious on its own, but I liked it even more wrapped in gim (dried laver) topped with the seasoned soy sauce or jeotgal. The savory rice combined with the umami of the seasoning makes the flavor feel even richer. And since the mackerel itself isn't intense, it feels like the more you eat, the healthier you get.

Mushroom pancake side at 6,000 won

The last dish I'll introduce is the mushroom pancake, which you really should order alongside everything else. It's a side dish, but the flavor is one that would turn anyone into a mushroom lover. The outside is fried up crisp while the inside stays chewy, so my chopsticks kept reaching for it.

The outside is fried almost crisp enough to pass for deep-fried, so the moment you take a bite a nutty aroma fills your mouth. With several kinds of mushrooms mixed in, the texture varies a bit with each bite. Eaten alongside the main dishes it makes the table feel more abundant, so even people who aren't usually into mushrooms should give it a try.

Verdict: is Hyangtaek Daebong a good Daegu lunch?

• Parking available in front of the restaurant
• A neat Korean menu for both lunch and dinner
• Healthy mackerel gondre rice / spicy squid rice bowl

The samchi gondre-bap was savory and nutty, the chamnamul squid rice bowl was spicy and fragrant, and the mushroom pancake was crisp and chewy — the three dishes balanced each other really well. It's a comfortable place to eat whether you're out with family or meeting friends, making Hyangtaek a great rice restaurant to visit in Daebong-dong, near Gyeongbuk Uni Hospital Station and Kim Kwang-seok Street. 😎