Busan Korean restaurant lunch rush: two 14,000-won bowls at Hyangtaek
In short
Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is a Korean rice-bowl restaurant at the entrance to Jeonpo-dong in Busanjin, Busan. The writer ordered mackerel thistle rice (samchi gondre bap) at 14,000 won and yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice) at 14,000 won, mixing one with soy sauce and the other with egg yolk and gochujang; the raw beef came in a portion as generous as a bar-food plate and the mackerel arrived in two thick pieces. Dishes reached the table quickly, so Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch works well as a filling meal even on a busy lunch break.
Good to know
- Hours
- 11:00–20:00
- Break time
- 15:30–17:00
- Last order
- 15:00 and 19:30
- Parking
- Use nearby paid parking lots
- Mackerel thistle rice
- 14,000 won
- Yukhoe bibimbap
- 14,000 won
- Dishes to share
- Grilled deodeok root with mushrooms, mushroom platter, galbi platter, Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi — all under 10,000 won
- Seating
- All tables seat four; high chairs available
- Price reference
- ₩10,000 ≈ $7.2 · ₩14,000 ≈ $10 (2026-09-21)
as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026
What kind of restaurant is Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch?
Hyangtaek is a Korean restaurant in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin, Busan, best known for its filling mackerel thistle rice (삼치곤드레밥), great for a hearty lunch. Hours are 11:00–20:00, with a break time from 15:30–17:00, and last order is at 15:00 and 19:30. Parking is available at nearby paid lots.
Today I'm introducing a Jeonpo Korean restaurant that's great for a hearty lunch — Hyangtaek in Jeonpo, famous for its mackerel thistle rice~!
Where is Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch and how do you get there?
It's right at the entrance to Jeonpo, close to the subway too, so accessibility around Jeonpo was really good~!
Inside Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch: four-seat tables and high chairs
The space had that quiet, tidy feel you'd expect from a Korean restaurant haha. All the tables seat 4, so even when just two of us sat down, we had plenty of room.
High chairs are also available, so it's good to visit with a baby too 👍🏻👍🏻
What we ordered at Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch
Hyangtaek's best menu items are the mackerel thistle rice and the eggplant doenjang rice bowl!! After much deliberation, we ordered the mackerel thistle rice and the yukhoe bibimbap. As for side dishes, deodeok mushroom grill, mushroom platter, galbi platter, and Cheongsong-style chicken bulgogi are all priced under ₩10,000, so you can add them on without much burden!!
- Mackerel thistle rice ₩14,000
- Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000
The side dishes came out looking clean and neat, the kind of place that'd be great for a date or taking your mom.
The mackerel thistle rice and yukhoe bibimbap arrived. It didn't take long to come out, so it's perfect for wolfing down during a busy lunch hour. For the yukhoe bibimbap, mix in the egg yolk and gochujang on the side; for the mackerel thistle rice, season it with the soy sauce on the side.
The overhead shot looks so pretty. The taste matters, but pretty plating already puts you in a good mood before you even eat.
How much raw beef comes in the yukhoe bibimbap?
Wow, look at the amount of yukhoe (raw beef). I had yukhoe as a drinking snack yesterday and this looks about the same amount lol. ₩14,000 for a bibimbap this loaded with raw beef — that's the best??
Mix in the egg yolk and gochujang on the side and stir it all together thoroughly. Mix it up nicely, scrape it all together.
With so much raw beef, one bite filled my mouth with it. Usually with other yukhoe bibimbap places, I often wonder if it's a vegetable bibimbap or a yukhoe bibimbap, but this Jeonpo restaurant, Hyangtaek, is loaded with raw beef so you can really taste it properly. And the beef itself was truly chewy and fresh — the first bite of just the yukhoe alone was so good 😍. Why is raw beef so delicious? I don't think I'd ever get tired of it lol.
Wrapped in gim (seaweed), it's absolute heaven 😆
How to eat the mackerel thistle rice at Hyangtaek
Now let's move on to the mackerel thistle rice. Mackerel plus thistle rice — a combo that Korean-food fans go crazy for. I personally love gondre (thistle) rice but it's hard to find and a hassle to make at home, so I don't get to eat it often — and here I got to.
Gondre, mandre~~~~ lol. As I get older, I've come to really love these kinds of greens. Why didn't I appreciate them when I was young?
The mackerel was completely substantial and thick, two whole pieces. To eat it, mash up the mackerel well and mix it in with the soy sauce. All of Hyangtaek's menu items are meant to be mixed up well like this.
Oh, it's savory yet clean-tasting, right up the alley of picky adults like me. Healthy but still delicious?? I suddenly feel like the damage I did to my body with spicy tteokbokki is being exorcised lol. And the seasoning was just right — with the thistle rice and mackerel, it was so filling and satisfying, truly a hearty meal.
Wrap it with the salted seafood side dish! It's not the best menu item for nothing. Next time I'll have to try the eggplant rice bowl too. You can get yukhoe bibimbap pretty much anywhere, but mackerel thistle rice is something you can only enjoy at Hyangtaek, so I really recommend ordering it!!
The combo with the side dishes was so good too
I scraped up every last grain of rice and finished all the side dishes too lol. It's been a while since I had such a proper, hearty Korean meal. I really recommend this place to anyone who loves Korean food. Jeonpo lunch spot Hyangtaek — I ate so well and so happily 👍🏻
Where it is
42-1 Seojeon-ro, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea부산광역시 부산진구 서전로 42-1 1층
