Friday evening solo seats at a Daegu Korean restaurant: Hyangtaek

Today I'm introducing a newly opened Keimyung University spot — a Korean restaurant called 'Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch' 🙋‍♂️

Where is Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch, and when is it open?

Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch 🚩 71 Hosan-dong-ro 35bukgil, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, South Korea, 1st floor (332m from Kangchang Station Exit 5) ⏰ Mon-Sat 11:00-20:00, closed Sundays / Last order 15:00, 19:30 (break time 15:30-17:00) 🅿️ Alley parking near the restaurant

Wood-tone dining room with solo-friendly tables and a semi-open kitchen

I visited in the evening and the place was packed. Very much the busy vibe of a newly opened Keimyung spot!!

I liked the clean wood-tone feel of the space, and with both four-top and two-top tables, it looked great for solo dining too.

The kitchen is semi-open too!! You get that clean, tidy feeling all around, right?? 😄

The tables are neat and the menu is fancy and clean-looking too.

Ingredient origins are clearly labeled, and for first-time customers there's even a guide on how to eat each dish best!! There's a reason this place is popular, right??!

Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch menu and prices

I'll show you the menu from the big board on the wall!

Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000 Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000 Mushroom platter ₩6,000

On weekdays only, excluding weekends and holidays, do the review event and you get the mushroom platter too!!!!! Don't forget to claim it — it's really delicious 😆

Side dishes and doenjang soup included with every meal

True to a proper Korean restaurant, even the basic side dishes are impeccably prepared. The lettuce stem pickles and salted seafood are so savory they're total rice thieves, and the doenjang soup (fermented soybean paste soup) was so good too 🤤

Mackerel gondre rice, 14,000 won: wrapped in gim with salted seafood

This is the mackerel gondre rice (₩14,000)! Isn't it gorgeous just looking at it?! And the smell of the gondre (dried thistle greens) is so nutty.

Mixing the mild mackerel with the savory-sweet sauce — chef's kiss.

The fragrant gondre smell alone puts you in a good mood before it even hits your mouth, and once properly mixed together, it was so delicious.

The seasoning sauce is so good you could finish the gondre rice on its own!

The mild mackerel was soft and lovely, and it paired perfectly with the gondre rice.

Top with the salted seafood and wrap it in seaweed — oh man~~~ (fully endorse this way of eating it 👍)

Yukhoe bibimbap, 14,000 won: no gamey taste and a generous portion

The yukhoe bibimbap (beef tartare mixed rice, ₩14,000) also came out beautifully! The yukhoe (raw seasoned beef) is piled up in a neat round in the center — so pretty, right?!

Pretty and generous — pure happiness! Mix the egg yolk in well and there's so much rice and vegetables underneath too??!!

The yukhoe has zero gamey taste and is well-seasoned. Delicious even eaten straight with rice!!!! Also great wrapped in seaweed — definitely try it!!

The 6,000 won mushroom platter free through the weekday review event

This is the mushroom platter (₩6,000) I got from the review event. It has all kinds of mushrooms — enoki, shiitake — and the crispy batter combined with the soft mushrooms is a match made in heaven.

It's nicely salty right out of the box!! I was craving a beer, but thankfully they don't sell alcohol, so I held strong 😂

Is Hyangtaek worth a visit? Who it suits best

Today's spot was 'Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch'!! I completely understood why it's so busy, and the mackerel gondre rice was the most memorable Korean dish I've had in a while.

• Anyone looking for a clean, proper Korean restaurant
• Anyone looking for a tidy Korean restaurant that's solo-dining friendly
• Anyone looking for a clean spot to eat in Seongseo