Daegu Korean restaurant with a big open-kitchen hall: Hyangtaek
In short
Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is a Korean rice restaurant in Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu, 138m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbuk University Hospital Station. The hall is wider than the Jongno branch and opens onto a full view of the kitchen, and the meal here was mackerel gondre rice (samchi gondre bap) at 14,000 won, eggplant doenjang rice bowl at 13,000 won, and a mushroom platter received through the review event. Rice cooked with Sindongjin grain and the restaurant's special soy sauce made a healthy, addictive combination worth going back for.
Good to know
- Location
- 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu (138m from Exit 3, Gyeongbuk University Hospital Station)
- Hours
- Daily 11:00–20:00 (break 15:30–17:00, last order 15:00 and 19:30)
- Closed
- Sep 25 for Chuseok
- Parking
- 2 spaces in front of the restaurant at lunchtime; 1 hour 10 minutes free at Kim Kwang-seok Street public parking lot (mention it when you pay after the meal)
- Mackerel gondre rice
- 14,000 won
- Eggplant doenjang rice bowl
- 13,000 won
- Yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl)
- 14,000 won
- Chamnamul squid rice bowl
- 13,000 won
- Herring roe bibim noodles
- 13,000 won
- Grilled deodeok and mushrooms
- 9,000 won
- Mushroom platter (hanpan beoseot)
- 6,000 won
- Hanpan galbi (short rib platter)
- 10,000 won
- Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi
- 9,000 won
as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026
What kind of place is Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, a rice restaurant near Gyeongbuk University Hospital Station?
Do you know any good restaurants near Gyeongbuk University Hospital Station? If not, this is the place to go. Hyangtaek also has a Jongno branch, which I've already visited, but the Daebong branch was wider and much more comfortable! I'd highly recommend Hyangtaek Daebong Branch as a go-to spot near the station.
Location, parking and opening hours
- Address: 17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea, 138m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbuk University Hospital Station
- Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00
- Break time 15:30–17:00 (last order 15:00, 19:30)
- Closed Sep 25 for Chuseok
- Parking: 2 spots in front of the restaurant during lunch, or use Kim Kwang-seok Street public parking lot for 1 hour 10 minutes free (you must mention it when paying after your meal)
Right at the entrance of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is a sign packed with mouthwatering menu photos. My salivary glands are broken just looking at them again haha :(
A hall wider than the Jongno branch, with an open kitchen
The inside of Hyangtaek Daebong Branch is wider than the Jongno branch, and I loved that the open kitchen was so airy and visible.
Menu and prices: what we ordered
The very first thing written on Hyangtaek's menu board is that they use Sindongjin rice, whose grains are about 1.3 times bigger than regular rice, giving it extra stickiness, shine, and a soft, savory flavor — supposedly the best part of the meal. I've tasted this rice at other branches too, and it genuinely makes me want to come back.
The summer-only menu had pollack yukhoe mulhoe (cold raw pollack soup), but it had a 'sold out' sign on it!
- Mackerel gondre rice: ₩14,000
- Eggplant doenjang rice bowl: ₩13,000
- Yukhoe bibimbap: ₩14,000
- Chamnamul squid rice bowl: ₩13,000
- Herring roe bibim noodles: ₩13,000
- Grilled deodeok and mushrooms: ₩9,000
- Mushroom platter: ₩6,000
- Hanpa galbi: ₩10,000
- Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi: ₩9,000
Hyangtaek says it pursues clean, fresh Korean food culture using ingredients grown and raised on our own land. The board also thanks customers, promising always-healthy ingredients and rich flavor across rice, vegetables, meat, and fish. I feel like restaurants with this kind of philosophy or slogan tend to have both a clear identity and better food.
We ordered the mackerel gondre rice and the eggplant doenjang rice bowl, plus the mushroom platter as part of a review event!
How to eat at Hyangtaek Daebong Branch: rice, gim and special soy sauce
Mix the toppings on your rice or noodles evenly, and enjoy with gopchang gim (crinkled seaweed) and bibim jeotgal (seasoned salted seafood). Try it with the special sauce too for a different flavor.
That's what the instructions for enjoying the food said.
Since I had the mackerel gondre rice, I got soy sauce; my companion across the table, with the eggplant doenjang rice bowl, got vinegar.
The huge mackerel on the gondre rice... and the eggplants on the doenjang bowl, that gorgeous color really made my appetite jump in a healthy way — I'm salivating again just uploading these photos. This is a problem. Once you're addicted to this healthy taste, I feel like I'll have to keep coming back here.
Such a hearty, generous bowl.
How did the mushroom platter and mackerel gondre rice taste?
The edges of the mushroom platter were crispy while the inside was chewy, giving the feeling of eating two different dishes in one. The mackerel gondre rice is my personal favorite. Of course I want to try the other menu items too, but the combination of mackerel, gondre (dried aster greens), and that special soy sauce is genuinely a healthy, addictive flavor. The mushroom pancake was also really good, so definitely try it — whether through a review event or just by ordering it yourself!
Final verdict on Hyangtaek Daebong Branch
Each Hyangtaek branch probably has its own charm, but since they all use the same rice and the same good ingredients, I felt satisfied no matter which branch I visited. I think I'll definitely come back to Hyangtaek Daebong Branch, and I'd highly recommend this Korean set-meal restaurant to all of you. If you want a hearty, healthy meal, come here and eat well!
Where it is
17 Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea대구광역시 중구 달구벌대로440길 17 지상1층
