Dinner near Dongsan Hospital, Daegu: mackerel gondre rice at Hyangtaek

Mackerel this clean-tasting? Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice.

Looking for a Korean restaurant near Keimyung University in Daegu? Hyangtaek

I stopped by Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch for dinner. It's a Korean restaurant tucked near Seongseo Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, inside the alley across from Keimyung University's main gate.

Exterior view

It just opened on September 1, 2026, so if you're looking for a clean Korean rice place near Seongseo Keimyung, it's worth keeping an eye on.

Here's a shot of the exterior of Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch, inside the alley across from Keimyung University's main gate.

What kind of place is Hyangtaek?

As its name suggests, Hyangtaek aims for a clean, fresh Korean food culture built on ingredients grown right here on our own land.

From rice and vegetables to meat and fish

What impressed me was that it's a place introducing cozy, healthy moments while always offering healthy ingredients and abundant flavor, capturing the variety and richness of Korean food.

When eating out these days there's a lot of heavily seasoned food around, so I find myself seeking places where I can have a healthy meal like this. So for dinner, I chose Korean food at Hyangtaek!

Inside the restaurant

Overall the restaurant felt spacious and clean.

Thanks to the tidy atmosphere, it looked comfortable for solo diners, families eating out, and anyone looking for a place to eat near Keimyung University.

Being close to Seongseo Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in particular, it also seemed like a good option for anyone looking for somewhere to eat near the hospital.

What's on Hyangtaek's menu

Origin labeling sign

The menu I saw on my visit included

• Mackerel gondre rice
• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl
• Yukhoe bibimbap
• Chamnamul squid rice bowl
• Herring roe bibimbap

and there were also side dishes and more.

True to a proper Korean rice restaurant, the menu was varied, so I'd like to try the other dishes one by one next time.

What I ordered that day was mackerel gondre rice.

Mackerel gondre rice: how clean-tasting was the mackerel?

The mackerel gondre rice arrived after ordering. Grilled mackerel served together with gondre rice, and it looked pretty appetizing.

But most of all, once I actually tried it, the mackerel was much cleaner-tasting than I expected. It didn't have that strong mackerel smell, and the grilled fish's nutty, mild flavor really came through.

Something else I liked while eating was that it didn't feel particularly bothersome to eat because of the bones.

I thought even people who like fish but hate dealing with bones could eat this fairly comfortably.

Mixing the gondre rice with the house sauce

You don't just eat the mackerel gondre rice plain — you mix it with the special sauce that comes with it,

and once you mix in the sauce and stir it around, the aroma of the gondre and the savory depth of the sauce come together for a completely different flavor than eating the rice plain.

Wrapping it in thick roasted seaweed

And there's one more fun part of Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice! Wrapping it in gopchang dolgim (thick roasted seaweed).

I placed the mixed mackerel gondre rice onto the gopchang dolgim, added a piece of mackerel flesh on top, and tried it all in one bite.

The nutty aroma of the seaweed combined with the mild flavors of the gondre rice and mackerel worked better together than I expected.

Visiting on a weekday? Check the review event

That day, by taking part in the review event, I also received a complimentary mushroom platter, available on weekdays only. Since these kinds of events can change depending on when you visit, it's worth checking the details in-store if you're planning to go.

How to get there and opening hours

Open 11:00–20:00

Worth remembering for a Korean rice meal near Keimyung University

Overall, Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch felt like a good place to visit when you want a clean, mild Korean meal rather than something heavily seasoned.

In particular, the mackerel gondre rice I had was clean-tasting grilled mackerel with no fishy smell, and there was even the fun of wrapping the sauce-mixed gondre rice in gopchang dolgim.

Above all, since it just opened for business on September 1, if you're looking for a newly opened Korean restaurant around Seongseo Keimyung, it's worth a visit.

It's inside the alley across from Seongseo Keimyung University's main gate and near Dongsan Hospital, so the location is easy to remember too.

That day, when I wanted Korean food for dinner, I filled up nicely on mackerel gondre rice.

Looking at the menu, I got curious about the eggplant doenjang rice bowl too, and the yukhoe bibimbap, chamnamul squid rice bowl, and herring roe bibimbap. I'd like to try the other dishes next time.

If you're looking for a Korean restaurant near Keimyung University, remember Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch.