Daegu Korean restaurant to share two signature dishes: Hyangtaek

Lately I've been preferring places where I can eat a filling but clean meal, and this time I was craving Korean food near Keimyung University's Seongseo campus, so I looked around and ended up at Hyangtaek Keimyung branch haha. There are so many restaurants near Seongseo Keimyung that I always get decision paralysis, but this time I went with Korean food for a change — and it turned out to be a great choice!! Even the name feels tidy and proper haha.

Where is Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch, and what are its hours?

• Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch / 71 Hosan-dong-ro 35beon-gil, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, South Korea, 1st floor
• 332m from Kangchang Station Exit 5
• Closed every Sunday
• Mon–Sat 11:00–20:00
• Break time 15:30–17:00
• Last order 15:00, 19:30
• Takeout available

What's on the menu at Hyangtaek, a Korean restaurant near Seongseo Keimyung?

The menu at Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch is packed with variety — mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice bowl, yukhoe (raw beef) bibimbap, squid rice bowl, herring roe bibim noodles, this place is a real Korean food gem ~~~ so glad they opened a Keimyung branch too ><

Visiting Hyangtaek near Seongseo Keimyung in person, I found there were so many different Korean dishes it was fun just picking one haha. When people say 'Korean food' they usually picture similar menus, but here there are so many rice-based options you can choose to match your taste!

Here's the menu board — from mackerel gondre rice to rice bowls, bibim noodles, meat dishes, and sides, there was quite a lineup. We ordered the two signature dishes: mackerel gondre rice and eggplant doenjang rice bowl.

Both dishes are rice-based, so they're great for a filling meal, and since we both normally like fish and eggplant, we each picked one!!

Hyangtaek's table setting: seaweed, sauce and soup included

Hyangtaek even shows you how to enjoy the food best haha. Mix everything together, or eat it with seaweed or salted seafood — there are a few ways to go! They set us up in advance with seaweed, sauce, and a hearty soup too!! haha

They even have aprons haha.

It's also posted on the wall by the menu board — a free mushroom platter for a receipt review event!! Definitely worth doing?!!

Even in the evening it was busy — we came almost right at closing time. A popular Korean restaurant, this Hyangtaek!!

What does Hyangtaek's mackerel gondre rice taste like?

Then the food arrived! First up, one of the dishes I was looking forward to — mackerel gondre rice! It has that distinctive nutty flavor of gondre (dried wild aster greens) rice with mackerel on top, no bones, totally different from a regular rice bowl haha. The rice itself isn't too strongly seasoned, it's mild and clean, and eating it with the mackerel makes for a super filling meal!! Recommended if you like fish!! Fish can be a hassle to grill at home, so eating it this way is a great way to load up on protein ~~ I especially liked that there were no bones — picking apart the fish flesh was so easy haha. A dish that would work well for kids too!

The happiness of a clean, simple meal

Is the eggplant doenjang rice bowl okay if you don't like eggplant?

Next up, the eggplant doenjang rice bowl my mom ordered! Eggplant and doenjang (soybean paste) together? It actually pairs surprisingly well with rice — the texture is soft, and the nutty flavor unique to doenjang makes it so filling with rice!! Eating it as a rice bowl rather than just a side dish felt even heartier. I'm not really an eggplant fan, but one bite in, the flavors just clicked together, and it became this addictive taste I kept thinking about!

The two dishes had such different vibes, they were perfect for sharing! Both lived up to being signature menu items, they were seriously delicious, nutty and savory ~~ dishes you really can't make well at home, which somehow makes them taste even better haha.

Wrapping it in seaweed or eating it with the sauce haha — trying it different ways made it even tastier. The rice portions are generous too, so finishing one bowl leaves you completely stuffed.

After Korean food, of course you need a Coke to finish it off — even when you're full, there's always room for Coke lol. We walked out patting our full bellies after a hearty meal and a Coke. This is a great Korean restaurant to visit with friends, a partner, or family! There's really no one who dislikes Korean food, right?!! My mom was satisfied too, so I felt proud — and honestly I loved it so much I want to try other branches and other menu items too, anyway it's delicious!

The two-dish combination to share at Hyangtaek in Seongseo

A filling meal near Seongseo Keimyung! By the time we left, the inside of the restaurant had gone quiet haha. Finding a good Korean restaurant is surprisingly hard, but Hyangtaek gives you that satisfying, filling rice-meal feeling, really great ~~ we had a hearty and delicious meal, and if you're stuck deciding, I recommend ordering the two signature dishes and splitting them! I'd definitely come back to this Keimyung branch of Hyangtaek — next time I want to try a different rice dish.