Gyeongju Korean restaurant, extra chili on chicken stew: Dongyang

Hi everyone, this is Joy :) My husband and I came on a trip to Gyeongju! We visited a Hwangridan-gil restaurant that's right in the heart of the street, so it was super easy to get to. If you're looking for a hearty Korean meal, I recommend it! Here's my review of Dongyang Baekban, a Hwangridan-gil favorite~

Where is Dongyang Baekban Hwangridan-gil, and what are its hours?

• 📍Location: 1F, 1056-5 Poseok-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk
• 🕖Hours: Daily 11:00 - 21:00 / Break time 15:00 - 17:00 / Closed on Chuseok holiday
• 🅿️Parking: Nearby public lot, ₩500 for first 30 minutes, ₩200 per additional 10 minutes

The original hanok house that Dongyang Baekban kept intact

I loved that it's right in the center of Hwangridan-gil, where you can fully soak up the street's quiet, old-town vibe. Dongyang Baekban itself had gorgeous interior design that let you feel the charm of a traditional hanok house.

Even though it was a weekday lunch, there were a lot of customers, but we were able to get in with no wait. On weekends it seems like waiting would be a must!

Seating and high chairs inside Dongyang Baekban

The interior of Dongyang Baekban is just as nice. There are about 6 tables for 2-4 people. All the food comes out already cooked, so turnover is pretty fast. High chairs are available too!

What is on the menu at Dongyang Baekban?

Dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken stew) is the signature dish, and there's also gopchang jeongol (beef tripe hot pot), duruchigi (spicy stir-fry), and set menus, so there's something for everyone regardless of age or taste.

There's a whole range of rice dishes and side dishes to pair with the main. Definitely try the yukjeon (pan-fried beef in egg batter)!

A medium sumi dakbokkeumtang spread for two

• Sumi Dakbokkeumtang (medium) ₩28,000
• Plain rice ₩1,500
• Beef tartare rice bowl ₩6,000
• Mini perilla oil beef pancake ₩9,000

A proper, neat spread! Isn't the visual amazing? Before ordering, I wondered if dakbokkeumtang would be a hassle to eat, but Dongyang Baekban's version is made with boneless chicken. It's packed with ingredients like egg, potato, carrot, enoki mushroom, glass noodles, and dumpling dough bits. The meat was really tender, which made it even more delicious! The sauce wasn't spicy either, so even the kids at the next table were eating it happily, haha.

If you like it spicy, there's chili flakes on the table so you can sprinkle on as much as you like. My husband and I are spice lovers too, so we added a bit extra.

Four side dishes come with the meal too. Every single one was delicious and paired well with the dakbokkeumtang.

Why you should add the mini perilla oil yukjeon

And... you have to try the perilla oil yukjeon!! It's incredibly tender and delicious — my husband tried it first and his eyes went wide, haha, saying "good thing we ordered this, right?" with a big grin. I tried it too and it really was that good. Even just the egg coating around the beef is tasty on its own.

The beef tartare rice bowl comes piled high with yukhoe (raw beef). It was nice that it came with a separate plate so we could portion it out. And of course the beef tartare rice bowl is delicious — no need to even say it.

The plain rice is nice and chewy, and it comes with seaweed sheets that go perfectly with the dakbokkeumtang. My husband almost went for a third bowl but held back, haha.

Letting it simmer on low heat reduces the broth a bit and makes the flavor even richer — spooning the tender dakbokkeumtang over the rice makes a bowl disappear in no time, haha. We really left having eaten a solid, satisfying meal.

There's also a review event where you can get strawberry ice-gyeongdan (rice cake) and try a nostalgic ppopgi (sugar candy game), so give it a shot~ If you're looking for a hearty, well-put-together Korean meal that everyone will enjoy on Gyeongju's Hwangridan-gil, I recommend Dongyang Baekban!