Jeonpo Korean restaurant: mackerel thistle rice three ways, Hyangtaek

What kind of place is Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch?

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is a Jeonpo-dong Korean restaurant located at 42-1 Seojeon-ro, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan. It's open daily from 11:00 to 20:00, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00, and last order at 15:00 and 19:30.

On a weekend when the weather was just too nice, I felt too restless to stay home, so I wandered around Jeonpo and stumbled onto Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch for lunch~

Is Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch comfortable for a solo meal?

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is a quiet place with about 7 four-person tables, so it was comfortable even for solo dining. The interior has a cozy wood-tone look, and since I was eating alone, I really appreciated that the atmosphere didn't make me feel self-conscious ☺️

You can see the cooking happening in the clean open kitchen, and there were also 2 high chairs set up~ True to a Jeonpo Korean restaurant, lots of families were visiting and enjoying their meals~🧑🧑🧒🧒

It's not easy to find restaurants in Jeonpo-dong with a bathroom inside, haha. Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch has a clean, well-kept bathroom right inside the restaurant~

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch menu and prices

• Rice dishes · Mackerel thistle rice ₩14,000
• Rice dishes · Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000
• Rice dishes · Eggplant doenjang rice bowl ₩13,000
• Rice dishes · Chamnamul squid rice bowl ₩13,000
• Noodles · Herring roe bibim noodles ₩13,000
• Side dishes · Grilled deodeok and mushrooms ₩9,000
• Side dishes · Pan-fried mushrooms ₩6,000
• Side dishes · Pan-fried galbi ₩10,000
• Side dishes · Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi ₩9,000
• Drinks · Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Sprite ₩2,000

They're running a weekday-only Naver receipt review event! Write a review and get the pan-fried mushrooms (₩6,000) for free!!

What comes with the ₩14,000 mackerel thistle rice?

I ordered the mackerel thistle rice (₩14,000) and pan-fried mushrooms (₩6,000) at Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch. The basic side dishes are doenjang soup, gungchae (aster greens), salted seafood, and laver, and it also comes with a special sauce that pairs well with the rice and jeon (pancake), plus spicy soy sauce!

<Mackerel thistle rice / ₩14,000> Doesn't it look really delicious with the mackerel and gondre (thistle greens) all together? It's also Hyangtaek's signature best-seller~

Three ways to eat mackerel thistle rice at Hyangtaek

1. Mix everything evenly and eat it plain

Mix the mackerel, gondre, shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, and green onion on top of the rice evenly! The boneless mackerel, with its bones carefully removed, was really soft and mashed together nicely with the other ingredients~

Doesn't it look nicely mixed?? I took a big spoonful with no sauce at all, and it was clean and moist without any fishy smell — the mackerel and the mild, tender gondre came together so I could really taste the natural flavor of each ingredient 😆

2. Wrap it in gopchang gim with relish and special sauce

Wrap it in laver with a bit of salted seafood and special sauce on top! I wrapped the well-mixed rice in laver, added salted seafood and special sauce, and the savory flavor leveled up even more!!

3. Mix in the special sauce a little at a time

Rather than mixing all the special sauce in at once, I'd recommend adding it bit by bit!! The saltiness and flavor of the special sauce adds a touch more umami to the otherwise clean, mild rice~~ It's fun to enjoy the rice in different ways without getting bored, and overall it's a filling dish that isn't too heavily seasoned, so I was really satisfied 🧡

Is the ₩6,000 mushroom plate worth adding?

<Pan-fried mushrooms / ₩6,000> I'm a well-known mushroom lover 🍄 and there was a crispy-chewy pancake made with shiitake and enoki mushrooms, so how could I just walk past that~~ Of course I had to order it!!

A textbook example of crispy outside, moist inside!! The flavors of the different mushrooms blended together harmoniously and it was delicious! Dip it lightly in the spicy soy sauce for an extra boost of umami 🆙 If you visit on a weekday and write a Naver receipt review, this pan-fried mushroom dish comes free, so definitely take part and try it~ You won't regret it ❣️

Final verdict on Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch

Overall: I was very satisfied to enjoy a filling meal in a clean, comfortable restaurant — the mackerel thistle rice was mild and delicious without being overly seasoned, and the pan-fried mushroom dish was crispy outside, moist inside, and full of mushroom aroma. A certified Jeonpo-dong Korean restaurant worth visiting ⭐️ If you're looking for a good Jeonpo-dong Korean restaurant, I recommend having a solid meal at Hyangtaek!