Open-kitchen Korean restaurant in Cheonan, dinner for two: Hyangtaek

Today I went to Hyangtaek, a Korean restaurant in Buldang-dong haha. I'm such a Korean food lover that I'd had my eye on this place for a while, so I was extra excited. I headed there with my husband for dinner, feeling a bit giddy haha. The neat side dishes and rice made with special rice were the standout of this Buldang-dong spot haha. It's exactly the kind of place that comes to mind when you're craving good Korean food~!

Where is Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch? Parking and hours

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is located at 192 Buldang-25-ro, 1st floor, Units 110 & 109, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. Parking in the building garage gives you 2 hours free, so it was easy to get to by car.

• Location: 192 Buldang-25-ro, 1st floor, Units 110 & 109, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
• Parking: 2 hours free with building parking
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 15:00, 19:30

Inside Hyangtaek: open kitchen and bar seats for solo diners

The moment I walked into Hyangtaek, I felt the interior was pretty haha. The whole space was decorated neatly and cleanly haha. It has an open kitchen, so it was fun watching the food being made haha. And there were seats like this for eating solo, so it seemed like a good spot for solo diners too! haha

Hyangtaek menu and prices: the three dishes we ordered

There's a nice variety on the menu hahaha. There are light dishes, and also spicy bibim noodles like this, so we tried a range of three dishes.

• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl ₩13,000
• Herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000
• Cheongsong-style dakbulgogi ₩9,000

The prices were all around ₩10,000, so it was easy to eat without any pressure haha

They said they use special rice for cooking the rice, so I was looking forward to it haha

Hyangtaek's basic banchan and the kelp vinegar

Simple basic side dishes like this come out — salted seafood (jeotgal) and gim (dried seaweed), plus a broth, and that clear liquid is kelp vinegar!!

Eggplant doenjang rice bowl, 13,000 won: thick doenjang with crunch

This is the eggplant doenjang rice bowl~! The moment I got the bowl, the first thing I noticed was the big chunks of eggplant on top haha. The eggplant was cooked so soft it looked really tempting hahaha. You're supposed to tear it apart well and mix it in haha. Look at that soft, moist eggplant first haha

So I tore it apart nicely and mixed it up excitedly lol

Mixed it up like this and took a big spoonful — the pork doenjang paste and crunchy bits together made it nutty and savory. I can't handle rich, heavy food very well, so when it got a bit much, I added a touch of the kelp vinegar that came with it, and it was no longer heavy and tasted great haha. My husband, who came with me, said it wasn't heavy at all!! haha Please take that into account haha

Wrapping it in gim with the jeotgal was also amazing haha

Herring roe bibim noodles, 13,000 won, served with beef brisket

The second dish is herring roe bibim noodles haha. It comes out looking so pretty haha. Even looking at it now it looks delicious lol

There's also nicely grilled beef brisket (chadolbagi) in there haha

Mixed up the herring roe bibim sauce, brisket, and perilla leaves excitedly~!~! A happy moment hahaha

Doesn't it look so delicious?hahaha Getting hungry again..hahaha

It wasn't spicy but had a really rich savory flavor haha. They put in a lot of herring roe, which made it great for mixing, and the popping texture of the roe was fun haha

Eating it with the meat was amazing too hahaha. The noodles had a nice chewy texture, so the overall balance was great haha

Trying to eat it prettily, I rolled up the noodles, put meat and herring roe on top, and took a bite hahaha. Happiness haha

My husband, who knows how to eat well, wrapped his in gim too lol. Adding the kelp vinegar that came with the rice bowl into the bibim noodles made it even more delicious haha. I wished they'd give kelp vinegar with this dish too haha

How was the Cheongsong-style dakbulgogi at 9,000 won?

I ordered this because I like Cheongsong-style dakbulgogi (chicken stir-fry) hahaha. Grilled nicely golden brown in oil, it was delicious haha. It had a light, nutty flavor similar to what I ate in Cheongsong haha. Every so often you'd bite into cartilage with a crunch, which made the texture fun too haha

Who should try Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch?

I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a tidy meal and pretty plating haha. It also seems like a good spot for people who are tired of typical Korean food ~! There's a parking lot, so people driving can come by comfortably too haha. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Buldang-dong, I'd suggest putting Hyangtaek on your list haha