Cheonan Korean restaurant, first taste of chicken jeon: Hyangtaek

What kind of restaurant is Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch?

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is a Korean restaurant at 1487 Buldang-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam. It's open daily from 11am to 8pm, and parking is free for 2 hours.

• Location | 1487 Buldang-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam
• Hours | Daily / 11:00 - 20:00
• Parking | 2 hours free

Today I'm introducing Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch, a Korean restaurant I love in Cheonan.

I was so happy to discover a neat, well-made Korean restaurant like the kind I love. The owner told me they used to run a place in Daegu and just opened this new one in Cheonan! It's a great spot to bring kids or hold a family gathering, so I wanted to share it.

Weekend lunch at Hyangtaek: the room and dining with a child

I visited Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch for weekend lunch and there were so many families there. They have kids' chairs too, so it's a good place to bring children.

The high ceilings and clean interior were nice, but what made the whole visit even better was the friendly staff!

What's on the menu at Hyangtaek?

Once you sit down, they bring you a menu with clear photos of every dish, which I loved. I picked one from the signature menu and rice dishes, plus a solid side dish to go with it.

Hyangtaek's signature dishes are the eggplant doenjang rice bowl with a deep, savory flavor, mackerel gondre rice where fragrant gondre (dried mountain greens) meets clean-tasting fish, herring roe bibim noodles with a satisfying pop and umami, and perilla squid rice bowl loaded with fresh perilla leaf and squid.

The menu really leans into seasonal ingredients and their natural flavor, so I felt like any choice would be a good one.

Side dishes and add-ons served with each bowl

Even the side dish bowls looked lovely... served in such pretty dishes, everything tasted even better. Jeotgal (salted seafood) and gungchae come as standard sides, while gim (roasted seaweed), bibim sauce, and egg yolk were added depending on what we ordered.

You could tell the ingredients were fresh the moment the food arrived. Because everything was so fresh, the texture was great and, more than anything, the ingredients worked really well together.

How was the mackerel gondre rice?

Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice breaks the mackerel up into small pieces and mixes it with fragrant gondre — one bite and it's outstanding. It's not overly seasoned or spicy, just deep and rich in a way that keeps you coming back for more.

It's a dish both adults and kids can enjoy, so I highly recommend it :)

Yukhoe bibimbap and jeon made with chicken

Yukhoe bibimbap, where fresh yukhoe (raw seasoned beef), lettuce and bean sprouts get mixed thoroughly with sauce, is something I've grown to love over the years, and Hyangtaek's version is done really well. It left my mouth feeling refreshed — I enjoyed it a lot.

This was my first time trying jeon (savory pancake) made from chicken. It's just the right size for two people to share. It has a slightly sweet flavor, so I think kids especially would enjoy it.

Is Hyangtaek worth it for a family meal in Buldang-dong, Cheonan?

Every dish at Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is neat and delicious, and the interior is spacious and clean, making it great for gatherings too. Lucky people of Cheonan, having such a good Korean restaurant nearby... I live in Seoul, but I'd definitely come back! If you're ever in Buldang-dong, Cheonan, make sure to stop by 🍽️