Korean restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu: mulhoe with parents at Hyangtaek

I'd wanted to go to Hyangtaek (향택) for ages, and it happened to be on Supermembers, so I'm so happy.. The owner was kind too, which put me in a good mood!

What is Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch like? (Korean food in Jungang-ro, Daegu)

Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch is a clean, traditional Korean restaurant at 19 Jungang-daero 77-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu. It is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00 with a break from 15:30 to 17:00, and for parking you can use the nearby shop alleys or a paid lot.

• Address: 19 Jungang-daero 77-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu
• Hours: daily 11:00-20:00
• Break time: 15:30-17:00
• Parking: nearby shop alleys or a paid parking lot

I stopped by Hyangtaek hungry after a health checkup with my parents. All the Korean dishes are neat and nobody dislikes them, so I think it's a great place to go with your parents ✨

Personally, I feel more affection for restaurants with a small, tidy menu.

Menu and atmosphere

Menu

I came early in the morning and went in as the first customer! Right when it opened. (I was very hungry.) The whole place is wood-toned with an old-fashioned feel, which somehow calmed my mind.

Mom and Dad said they'd never been anywhere like this, and they studied the menu very carefully. Such determination to eat something delicious 💛 I wanted to try the grilled deodeok (bellflower root) and mushrooms too, but if only my stomach were bigger,, I'd have eaten it all, right..? Sadly I could only settle with one of them..^^

Looking out the window, you can see a Starbucks across the street, and it feels like Gyeongju. I'm a Daegu native, but it felt like being on a trip to Gyeongju. It's a good spot to kill time at Starbucks after eating. I was going to go to Starbucks, but my parents said they were tired from the morning checkup, so we went straight to a café near home.

Hyangtaek is a Korean restaurant that started in Daegu's Gyeongdong Market. It gained popularity by word of mouth in the market alleys and has become one of the city's signature Korean restaurants. (Officially recognized as a Daegu Banwoldang must-eat!) Neat Korean food in a stylish space draws lots of people.

Three dishes we ordered

• Mackerel gondre rice (gondre is thistle greens)
• New mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) (summer only)
• Galbi platter

The side dishes come as individual pickles (jangajji). After a gulp of cool broth, my hunger settled down a little.

Mackerel gondre rice – taste the soy sauce before adding it

The mackerel gondre rice at Hyangtaek Daegu Jongno Branch came out first, and the nutty greens smelled wonderful. They piled on a generous amount of greens, so mixing it all together filled my mouth with flavor.

Dad and I are mackerel people, so we mixed it up and finished the whole bowl. They give you extra soy sauce to mix in, and I poured it in without tasting first, so it got way too salty ;; I regretted it. Taste before you add it. The mackerel is boneless and tender, and wrapping it in gopchang gim (thick, crinkly seaweed) made it even better..😭 It's perfect as a healthy meal.

Summer-only mulhoe – the seasoned pollack is the best part

This is the mulhoe Mom ordered. Daegu (nicknamed "Daefrica") was nearly 40 degrees^^.. Mom said she had to have mulhoe. And wow, the yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) seasoning is insane!!!!..... It's so good???????????

The perilla leaves, cucumber and radish on the mulhoe are super refreshing, and the seasoned pollack (myeongtaepo muchim) is the real deal.. It was so delicious. (No need for any other side dish........................) Personally I found the mulhoe more punchy and tasty than the mackerel gondre rice, so I kept stealing Mom's, which is our little secret.

My parents got all demure when their daughter said she was taking photos.

Galbi platter – salty, so eat it with the mackerel gondre rice

The galbi was salty, a taste I still remember vividly. To my palate it was too salty on its own, but it was fine eaten with the mild mackerel gondre rice. If you usually love pajeon (scallion pancake), it'll probably hit your taste exactly. They also had a mushroom pajeon, though. I want to try the mushroom pajeon next time. I like mushrooms.. so I'll try it later.

The galbi jeon (galbi pancake) has a finished seasoning, so it was tasty even wrapped with rice and gim. The slightly burnt bits were crispy and even better. We ate generously and got so full. My parents were satisfied too, so I felt happy by proxy :)