Gyeongju hanok restaurant with caviar rice in the annex: Dongyang

Wandering the main street of Hwangridan-gil, sometimes you just start craving a warm proper meal, right? Today I'm introducing Dongyang Baekban, a place in Gyeongju that's been serving Korean food for 7 years. I got to enjoy a delicious dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken) and some distinctive specialty dishes in a quiet, timeworn hanok restaurant.

• Dongyang Baekban Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil Main Branch
• Address: 1056-5 Poseok-ro, 1F, Gyeongju
• Hours: 11am–9pm (B.T. 3pm–5pm / L.O. 8pm)

Where is Dongyang Baekban, and where do you park?

Dongyang Baekban sits right in the middle of Gyeongju's Hwangridan-gil, making it an easy stop while you're out walking. There's a public parking lot directly to the right of the restaurant, but if it's full, I'd recommend the Hwangnam Culture Center public lot, about a 3-minute walk away.

This place greets you first with an elegant hanok exterior and some cute stone statues. From the entrance itself you could feel a distinctly old-fashioned charm and comfort.

Right from the entrance you could already check out the signature menu items of this Hwangridan-gil Korean food spot.

What are the annex seats at Dongyang Baekban like?

The interior of Dongyang Baekban is split between a detached-house feel and an annex-style area, so you can dine more comfortably either way. I thought it'd be perfect for chatting over a meal with family or a partner.

We took a seat in the annex on the left building, which felt nicely separate. Sitting there looking at the scenery of roof tiles blending with wood, the relaxed feeling of traveling in Gyeongju really came through fully. It was quite hot outside on the day we visited, but the air conditioning inside was running nice and cool, so we could eat comfortably.

During the day the warm sunlight is charming, but I bet coming in the evening with the lighting adds an even cozier date-course feel.

What's on the menu at Dongyang Baekban?

On Dongyang Baekban's menu you'll find main dishes like Korean beef tripe jeongol (hot pot), five-color vegetable jjimdak (braised chicken), and eunimushroom nurungji (scorched rice) chicken jeongol. These stood out as familiar Korean dishes reimagined with a distinctive, upscale twist.

From the spicy, deep broth of the Korean beef tripe jeongol, to the sweet-salty five-color vegetable jjimdak, to the savory eunimushroom nurungji chicken jeongol, all the main dishes felt made with real care.

Gyeongju's Dongyang Baekban also had well-organized set menus you can enjoy generously depending on your party size. Beyond the main dishes, there was a wide range of accompanying rice and side dishes to choose from too — options ranged from yukjeon (pan-fried beef) and tteokgalbi (short rib patties) to Korean beef yukhoe gimbap and salted grilled mackerel.

In particular, there was a wide variety of rice options to choose based on your taste — pollack roe rice, gamtae (seaweed) rice, gondeure (thistle) rice — so it's great for a satisfying meal regardless of age or preference. Thanks to this well-rounded setup, it offers a hearty table for anyone hunting for good Korean food on Hwangridan-gil. On top of that, there's the restaurant's own handmade Sipjangsaeng beer and Dongyang sikhye to round out the special flavors.

How does the tomato cheese chicken stew taste?

The tomato cheese dakbokkeumtang (medium) we ordered at Dongyang Baekban was 30,000 won, and we also picked pollack roe rice and caviar rice alongside it. The side dishes, which change a little each day, were neatly laid out — soybean braise, seasoned bean sprouts, diced radish kimchi, sweet potato stem namul.

After some deliberation, we decided to order the tomato cheese chicken stew along with pollack roe rice and caviar rice.

The chicken stew comes out fully cooked, set right on the table burner. It's generously loaded with boneless chicken, sumi potatoes, fresh tomato, minced garlic, and glass noodles, all built on a base of herbal broth and beef bone broth.

The longer it simmered, the more the tomato's subtle tang and umami melted deep into the broth.

It wasn't overly intense but was just spicy enough, leaving an impressively clean aftertaste. Being boneless made it easy to eat, and mixing the broth and rice loosely into a bowl of seaweed flakes made for a hearty meal.

The low-sodium pollack roe rice and caviar rice we ordered alongside were also memorable in texture and flavor.

Perks to claim before you visit Dongyang Baekban

At Dongyang Baekban, if you set up pre-visit notifications you get a Dongyang sikhye, and if you leave a Naver receipt review you can join an event for strawberry ice-gyeongdan or a nostalgic rice-cake draw — worth grabbing these perks too!

Between the charming atmosphere, the distinctive flavors, and the various perks, it was a satisfying meal. If you want distinctive Korean food in a comfortable hanok while traveling in Gyeongju, be sure to stop by Dongyang Baekban on Hwangridan-gil!