Buldang-dong Korean restaurant, sharing two bowls at lunch: Hyangtaek

These days I sometimes crave clean, hearty Korean food more than anything spicy or strong-flavored. Wanting to properly enjoy a Korean meal in Buldang-dong, Cheonan, I looked around and ended up at Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch.

Buldang-dong's Hyangtaek is a place centered on rice dishes with a variety of Korean menu items, and I noticed they had rice bowls, which I love. So I went with a friend. Let's get into my review of eggplant doenjang rice bowl and mackerel gondre rice at this Cheonan Buldang-dong Korean restaurant. Hope you enjoy today's post too~!

• 📍 192 Buldang25-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
• ⏰ 11am - 8pm (B.T 15:30-17:00 / L.O 15:00, 19:30)

What kind of place is Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch? Parking and break time

Hyangtaek is a Korean food brand that started in Daegu, known for showcasing the natural flavors of good ingredients. I visited the Buldang-dong location, and parking is available within the building. Since there's a break time, I recommend checking the hours before visiting for lunch or dinner.

Full house at lunch peak: side-by-side counter seats at Hyangtaek

During lunch peak, all the tables were full. Luckily they said we could eat at the single-seat counter, so my friend and I sat side by side. Staff seat you separately at these counters. You might have to wait a bit inside during peak times. I saw families as well as friends and couples dining there.

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch menu: pick two rice dishes and share

Here's the menu at this Buldang-dong, Cheonan spot: eggplant doenjang rice bowl, mackerel gondre rice, yukhoe bibimbap, perilla squid rice bowl, herring roe bibim noodles, and more. The menu wasn't too long, which actually made it easier to choose. I ordered the eggplant doenjang rice bowl and the mackerel gondre rice. I figured both being rice dishes they'd taste similar, but they turned out quite different — so I'd recommend ordering both and sharing.

How to eat at Hyangtaek: kelp vinegar and gopchang gim (crisp seaweed)

Since it was my first visit, I read the instructions on how to enjoy the food properly. You mix the ingredients evenly into the rice or noodles, then eat it with gopchang gim (crinkled roasted seaweed) and seasoned fish roe relish on the side.

Each table comes set with paper cups, spoons and chopsticks, and tissues.

The sauce lineup differed slightly depending on the dish ordered. I got the doenjang rice bowl, which came with kelp vinegar sauce, inspired by Japanese mazesoba, apparently.

My friend ordered the mackerel gondre rice, which tastes even better wrapped in soy sauce and gopchang gim.

Not just any gim — gopchang gim! One option is to enjoy its pure flavor before adding any sauce :)

How does the mackerel gondre rice taste? Fragrant gondre greens with a bite of mackerel

It comes with mackerel served on top of gondre (dried thistle) rice, and I really wanted to try it.

The gondre rice has its own fragrant character, best paired with mackerel. The rice itself is delicious, and apparently it's even better eaten together with the mackerel.

How does the eggplant doenjang rice bowl taste? Soft eggplant and nutty doenjang

The eggplant itself was so soft and delicious. Since it's a rice bowl combining eggplant and doenjang (soybean paste), the overall flavor felt savory and deep.

It's mild rather than strong-flavored, with that distinctive savory doenjang taste that didn't feel heavy when eaten with rice. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes savory Korean dishes like gang-doenjang or doenjang jjigae :)

I recommend Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch as a great Korean restaurant in Cheonan.