Jeonpo Station Exit 7 Korean restaurant for a quiet lunch: Hyangtaek

Hyangtaek Jeonpo review — an honest take on mackerel gondre rice and herring roe bibim noodles from the restaurant that used to have lines at Daegu's Gyodong Market

Hyangtaek: a Korean restaurant in Jeonpo to bring your parents to

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is a Korean restaurant on the main street of Jeonpo-sageori, and it's the Jeonpo location of the restaurant that used to have lines at Daegu's Gyodong Market. It was a date day with my mom after a long while, but it turns out there's basically nowhere in Jeonpo to take your parents for a meal.

When I come to Jeonpo with friends, I just wander in wherever looks nice — but with my mom, I want somewhere we can sit and chat quietly over food. Search around and it's all brunch spots, Western food, mala tang, or loud hotspots...

Just when I was wondering if it could really be this hard to find a Korean restaurant in Jeonpo to talk quietly over a meal, I found this place — "Hyangtaek"! The restaurant with lines at Daegu's Gyodong Market, now in Jeonpo.

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch hours and how long you wait

Lucky for us, no wait this time!

Where is Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch and how do you get there?

"Hyangtaek" Jeonpo Branch sits right about halfway between Seomyeon Station and Jeonpo Station, on the main street of Jeonpo-sageori.

It took about 5 minutes on foot from Exit 7 of Jeonpo Station. Once you see the Busanjin Fire Station, head straight down the street facing it — if you're near the old NC Department Store, it's a 2–5-minute walk.

What Hyangtaek looks like from the street

It's right near Jeonpo café street, but the moment you open the door, everything goes quiet. A totally different world from outside.

Inside Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch: seating and atmosphere

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch has about 8 tables. Not too big, not too small — cozy and comfortable. At the table next to us was a family with a baby, and everyone kept their voices down while eating. Perfect for sitting side by side with my mom and chatting quietly. The staff were kind too.

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch menu and prices

I flipped open the menu first. Mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice bowl, yukhoe (raw beef tartare) bibimbap, chamnamul and squid rice bowl, and even a full galbi platter. It's more understated, well-made Korean food than anything spicy or heavy — mackerel topped with gondre (thistle greens), bibim noodles with herring roe. Not combinations I'd had much before, so I wanted to try everything and agonized over it for a while.

What we ordered at Hyangtaek

• Mackerel and gondre rice — 14,000 won
• Herring roe bibim noodles — 13,000 won
• Grilled deodeok and mushrooms — 9,000 won

After much deliberation, we went with the mackerel and gondre rice, the herring roe bibim noodles, and the grilled deodeok and mushrooms.

Mackerel and gondre rice, 14,000 won

Hyangtaek's "mackerel and gondre rice" arrived and you literally can't see the rice haha. A mountain of gondre dropped right on top of the thick mackerel fillet!

The gondre completely covers the rice, and the aroma is out of this world — the mackerel is thick and boneless, so it's really easy to eat. Zero fishy smell!

The rice itself is lightly seasoned, so it's perfect with the pickled gungchae (Ulleungdo herb) on the side, and it's also great wrapped in the crispy gim (dried seaweed).

Grilled deodeok and mushrooms, 9,000 won

We also ordered the "grilled deodeok (mountain herb root) and mushrooms" as a side, and piled on top of the rice for a bite... the combination left us speechless. If you need a hearty, filling meal, order this without a doubt.

Herring roe bibim noodles, 13,000 won

At first glance, I assumed the "herring roe bibim noodles" were just regular gochujang bibim noodles, but all that red you see is entirely herring roe haha.

It's a texture on a completely different level from flying fish roe — that pop, pop, pop — and the more you mix it, the more the nutty sesame oil aroma comes through. If you're expecting a tangy-sweet bibim noodle, think again! It's not tangy, salty, or sweet — quite mellow, actually — but somehow you keep reaching for more with your chopsticks.

There's also plenty of beef brisket on the side, so "healthily addictive" feels like exactly the right way to describe it. So satisfying!

Final verdict: a quiet Jeonpo restaurant for a meal with parents

If you want something reliable and filling, go with the mackerel and gondre rice; if you're after something a bit more unusual, the herring roe bibim noodles. It's genuinely hard to find a place in Jeonpo to take your parents for a meal, but I finally found somewhere I really love after a long time.

Mellow, well-made food that's genuinely good for bringing your elders — that's "Hyangtaek." Next time I'm going for the full galbi platter. But I have a feeling once word spreads, this place will have a line too, so go while there's still no wait.