Jeonpo Korean restaurant, eggplant doenjang bowl for two: Hyangtaek

Wondering what to eat for lunch in Jeonpo-dong, I wandered into Hyangtaek

I went to Hyangtaek, a Jeonpo-dong lunch spot. I've had a lot of reasons to be around the Jeonpo-dong café street lately, so I'm always stuck on what to eat for lunch. I was walking by, saw the Hyangtaek sign, and walked in like I was under a spell. The menu board out front was so pretty I took a photo of it right away — and I noticed the whole menu was rice bowls and bibimbap.

Hyangtaek menu and prices

Yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef bibimbap) ₩14,000, mackerel thistle rice ₩14,000, chamnamul (mountain herb) squid bibimbap ₩13,000, eggplant doenjang (fermented soybean paste) rice bowl ₩13,000, herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000. Not exactly cheap, but just from the menu photos the ingredients looked fresh and the combinations felt unusual, so I went in with expectations.

Inside Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch: interior and seating

It's a cozy-sized restaurant, but since the tables are all standard 4-person tables, I loved that we could sit spread out comfortably.

What does the eggplant doenjang rice bowl taste like?

After some deliberation, we decided to order the mackerel thistle rice and the eggplant doenjang rice bowl and split them. If I'd gone alone I could only have had one — lucky I went with my husband, so we got to try both, haha.

The eggplant doenjang rice bowl came with doenjang and eggplant on top. Because it's doenjang-based, the flavor wasn't sharp or heavy — it had a nutty, savory character instead. The eggplant was cooked so soft that it needed no chewing at all, just melting in the mouth.

There's no strong spice or heavy seasoning here — it feels like the dish is winning on the natural flavor of the ingredients. I think it would especially suit people who don't like strong flavors, or anyone looking for an easy-on-the-stomach meal.

Mild doesn't mean bland here — there's a steady, savory doenjang aroma that lingers throughout. If you like eggplant, this one's a must.

Mackerel thistle rice: a whole fish on top of the bowl

The mackerel thistle rice looked stunning — a whole mackerel sitting on top of rice deeply infused with gondre (Korean thistle) aroma. The mackerel was grilled to a nice golden brown, crisp on the outside and easy to flake apart on the tender inside.

Mackerel itself is an oily yet clean-tasting fish, and eating it with the gondre aroma meant there was no fishy smell at all — if anything, the nutty flavor was amplified.

Mixing the rice, mackerel, and herbs together made for a really filling meal. The gondre rice has that characteristic mild plainness, but thanks to the mackerel it never got boring — I kept reaching for another spoonful.

Wrapping it in gim (dried seaweed) and dipping it in soy sauce doubled the savoriness. We finished off the fermented seafood side dish that came with both meals, too. The portion size was just right and the side dishes were clean and simple — I think this is a perfect lunch option for anyone tired of spicy delivery food or heavy work-dinner menus.

Would I go back to Hyangtaek for lunch in Jeonpo-dong?

Overall, this place gave off a healthy, home-cooked feel while still keeping the flavor combinations interesting rather than plain. The price range of ₩13,000 to ₩14,000 is a bit much for a lunch, but considering the quality of ingredients and the care put into it, it felt worth it.

Dishes like the mackerel thistle rice, where a whole fish comes with the bowl, feel like decent value in particular. Next time I'd love to try the yukhoe bibimbap and the chamnamul squid bibimbap too. It's the kind of place where every single item on the menu makes you curious, so I'd definitely go back. If you're around Jeonpo-dong and stuck on what to eat for lunch, I recommend giving Hyangtaek a try.