Jeonpo-dong Korean restaurant with high chairs for families: Hyangtaek

Pursuing clean, fresh Korean food culture with ingredients grown and raised on our own soil — Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch

I usually love Korean food anyway, but lately with health on my mind, healthy yet delicious Korean food has been calling to me even more!!!! While on a date with my partner in Seomyeon, I was hunting for somewhere healthy but tasty, and that's how I found Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch — sharing my review here! 😊😊😊

Inside Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch: four-seat tables and an open kitchen

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch sits on the first floor at 42-1 Seojeon-ro, Busanjin-gu, and the interior has a fusion Korean restaurant vibe — cozy yet warm! The tables are mostly set for four, so it was nice to sit with plenty of room!

With the open-style kitchen, you could watch the food being prepared!

Inside, there's a restroom, a baby chair, an origin-labeling board and more — pretty well equipped!!

What is on the menu at Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch?

Hyangtaek is already a well-known Korean food spot in Daegu, and it's also set up shop in Gyeongju! 😉😉 In the hot summer months, they run a seasonal pollack hoe mulhoe (raw fish in cold broth) menu, alongside spanish mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice bowl, yukhoe bibimbap, wild parsley squid rice bowl, and herring roe bibim noodles! There are also side dishes like grilled deodeok (bellflower root) with mushrooms, mushroom platter, galbi platter, and Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi!

There was also food info on the wall and instructions for joining the Naver receipt review event!!! Apparently you get a mushroom platter for participating, so definitely recommend joining in!!😊😊😊

Barley tea and the side dishes that come with every meal

The staff brought out water, which was a nutty barley tea!! Even the barley tea was delicious..!!!!!! 👍👍 The table had tableware and a guide on how to enjoy Hyangtaek's food best~!

Neat-looking basic side dishes were set out, then our ordered dishes appeared! 😁😁😁😁 Jeotgal (salted seafood), gim (seaweed) and other sides came out, and when we asked staff for more, they happily brought extra!

We ordered the eggplant doenjang rice bowl and herring roe bibim noodles!! Just looking at them was mouthwatering — the anticipation was through the roof..!!!!! 😉😉😉😉 The visuals were no joke, right?!??

How does the eggplant doenjang rice bowl taste?

First up, one of Hyangtaek's signature dishes — the eggplant doenjang rice bowl!!!! Doenjang (fermented soybean paste), vegetables, and more are layered over rice, topped with grilled eggplant!

Drizzling on the kelp vinegar they provided really brought out the umami!! Tearing up the eggplant and mixing it with the rice — so good!!!!

Even eaten plain, it was savory and clean — top notch — but wrapping a bite with the gim and jeotgal they gave us made it even more delicious!!!!!!!! The doenjang wasn't too salty, which I loved even more!!!! Totally my style~~!!! 😍😍😍

Herring roe bibim noodles: mild enough if you cannot take heat?

Next up, the herring roe bibim noodles!!! Topped with meat, perilla oil, vegetables, and herring roe garnish!!

Mixing it all together evenly and taking a bite, the herring roe pops in your mouth — pop pop pop — giving it a really fun, tasty texture!! The sauce wasn't super spicy either, so even spice-shy eaters can enjoy it plenty!!!!!! The nutty aroma of perilla oil filled my mouth the whole time — a dish I really enjoyed!!!! If you're looking for a place to bring your parents, come with kids, or gather with friends, I recommend Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch~~~!!!!

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch hours, address and facilities

• Address: 42-1 Seojeon-ro, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sun 11:00–20:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00 (last order 15:00, 19:30)
• Takeout available, delivery available