Korean restaurant by Jeonpo café street for date night: Hyangtaek

Where to eat near the Jeonpo-dong café street: Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch

Today I'm introducing 'Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch,' a Korean restaurant near the Jeonpo-dong café street in Busan~!!

Hi everyone~~~ When you're on a date around the Jeonpo-dong café street, there are plenty of cafés and Western restaurants, but when it's actually time to eat rice, you sometimes wonder where to go, haha. This time I wanted something clean and a bit different — proper Korean food — so I went to Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch, known as a Korean restaurant in Jeonpo-dong.

The menu lineup caught my eye because it's a bit different from a typical Korean restaurant. From mackerel thistle rice to eggplant doenjang rice bowl and yukhoe bibimbap, there was a good variety of dishes perfect for a proper meal. Above all, the emotional atmosphere unique to Jeonpo blended well with the comfortable feel of Korean food, so it was fine as a couple date-course stop~

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch location and storefront

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is located on Seojeon-ro in Busanjin-gu. It's not a burdensome walk from the Jeonpo café street when you're heading over for a meal, so it was easy to plan the route. The exterior has a clean look, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit. It's a good spot to stop by for a proper meal when you want a café date in Jeonpo-dong plus a good meal.

What is the inside of Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch like?

Walking in, the calm and clean overall atmosphere caught my eye first.

White tones and wood elements are mixed in just the right amount, giving a more relaxed feel than a very traditional Korean restaurant!

The tables are neatly arranged and the overall mood is calm, so it's good for eating with friends but also suits couples eating leisurely on a date. It kind of matches the emotional vibe unique to the Jeonpo-dong café street~ haha.

What is on the menu at Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch?

Looking at the menu, there were various rice bowl dishes including mackerel thistle rice and eggplant doenjang rice bowl, along with yukhoe bibimbap and chamnamul squid rice bowl. There were also side dishes like mushroom jeon (pan-fried mushroom) and deodeok mushroom grill, so there was a pretty wide range to choose from.

If two people visit, ordering one main dish each and sharing one side sounds like a good plan. Every dish felt slightly different from the usual Korean food I eat, so there was fun in choosing too.

Side dishes: roasted gim and bibim jeotgal

Alright~ time for the taste review.

After ordering and waiting, the basic side dishes were set out first — gim (roasted seaweed), bibim jeotgal, and simple accompanying banchan, all neatly prepared.

I especially liked that roasted gim came out with the meal.

Instead of just eating plain rice, putting rice on the gim

and adding a bit of bibim jeotgal gave it a salty, savory kick — a whole different flavor to enjoy. Since the main dishes themselves aren't too intense in flavor, this kind of side pairing suited them even better, I think.

How did the mackerel thistle rice taste?

The dish I was most curious about was the mackerel thistle rice. Just the name sounds like a healthy meal,

and once the food arrived, the visual was quite appetizing too. A large piece of nicely grilled mackerel sits on top of the gondre (Korean thistle) and rice. You flake the mackerel and mix it evenly with the gondre and rice.

Taking a spoonful, the mackerel was more light and nutty than I expected, and it went well with the rice. The distinct gondre aroma wasn't overpowering either, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy. At first I enjoyed the natural flavor of the ingredients without adding much seasoning,

and then adding seasoning little by little let me adjust the saltiness to my taste, which I liked. And this part is a must!

Putting the mackerel thistle rice on a sheet of gim and adding a bit of bibim jeotgal really brought out a nutty, salty flavor~ haha. It had a different charm from eating it as plain rice.

Hanpan galbi, ordered alongside

And the hanpan galbi (grilled short rib platter) we ordered together also looked appetizing from the get-go~ The galbi was well seasoned, and one bite gave a sweet-salty savory flavor.

The meat wasn't tough and chewed tender, so it went well with rice, haha. The seasoning itself wasn't too intense, so it paired well with the Korean dishes, and putting a piece of galbi on a spoonful of rice, I kept reaching for more!

It's a hearty side that goes well alongside the main dish, so if you like meat, try ordering the hanpan galbi too~ haha.

Final verdict: is Hyangtaek Jeonpo good for a couple's date?

To wrap up with a final verdict.

If you're looking for a Korean restaurant with a decent atmosphere near the Jeonpo-dong café street, Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch was pretty good. The mackerel thistle rice had a nice light, nutty flavor, and the eggplant doenjang rice bowl was savory and soft, easy to eat. Pairing it with gim and bibim jeotgal added extra fun, so even ordering one dish could be enjoyed in several ways.

Above all, it was a place where the emotional atmosphere unique to Jeonpo-dong matched well with the clean Korean menu. It's a memorable spot to stop by when you want a great meal along with your café date on the Jeonpo café street~ haha. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Jeonpo-dong that's a bit different from usual, Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch might be worth a visit~ haha.