Buldang-dong Korean restaurant, moist eggplant rice bowl: Hyangtaek

Where to find a neat Korean spread in Buldang-dong, Cheonan

I was on a date in Buldang and stumbled onto a Buldang-dong Korean food gem!! Also perfect for a Buldang-dong family meal — let me introduce Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch haha

Store exterior

Address: 192 Buldang25-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, South Korea Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00 (Break time: 15:30–17:00)

The inside is really clean haha it's a fairly new restaurant that just opened haha

Naver receipt review event (excluding weekends/holidays) gets you a free mushroom pancake platter!! Unfortunately I visited on a weekend so I couldn't get it ㅜㅜ but I wanted to try it so badly that I just ordered it.

Every dish on the menu felt neat and well put together, yet with a charm different from everyday home cooking!! When you think of Korean food you tend to picture familiar flavors, but Hyangtaek's way of combining ingredients felt really special. So I think it'd be a great place for a special occasion too haha

The side dishes looked so good too ㅠㅠ

What we ordered at Hyangtaek: mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice and the mushroom platter

I ordered three dishes: mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice, and the mushroom pancake platter.

Having the neatly set-out spread made me feel well taken care of. It was hearty enough for a full meal, and each dish felt made with care, which built up my anticipation.

Is the eggplant doenjang rice bowl good even if you dislike eggplant?

Eggplant doenjang rice!! Eggplant and doenjang (soybean paste) — a combo that's familiar yet quietly intriguing••• If you already like eggplant it's an easy sell, but eggplant tends to be a love-it-or-hate-it ingredient! Even my friend who doesn't like eggplant ate this happily ㅜㅜ The soft texture of the eggplant combined with the savory flavor of the doenjang made it a dish I kept going back for.

The eggplant was so moist and rich it just melted in my mouth... so this is what that means ㅋㅎㅋㅎ

Mackerel gondre rice at Hyangtaek: no fishy taste, gondre greens included

The dish I was most looking forward to that day was the mackerel gondre rice!! I already like gondre (dried mountain greens) rice, so I was curious how it'd taste with mackerel added. The mackerel wasn't fishy at all and went really well with the gondre? An unexpected combo, but it worked well haha

Mushroom pancake, the side dish worth adding to the meal

But my favorite was actually the mushroom pancake ㅜㅜ I ordered it thinking the mushroom's distinct aroma would pair well with the savory pancake, and it turned out to go great alongside the meal dishes too!!! Crispy outside, tender inside — the textbook combo that really makes you want a drink 🤩🤩

The eggplant really became my top favorite dish ㅜ I didn't expect much, but the moist eggplant paired with rice was so good that I kept scooping spoonful after spoonful haha It was also easy on the stomach, which made it even better...

Mixing the mackerel gondre rice all together is seriously delicious. The savory yet subtle aroma of gondre rice paired even better with the mackerel. The texture also worked really well between the gondre and the mackerel?! 🤩🤩

Wrapping it in gim (dried seaweed) with some jeotgal (salted seafood) on top is such a great combo!! Not the seasoned kind of gim but plain gim — its clean flavor was a perfect match with the rice haha

Hyangtaek for a Buldang-dong date or family dinner

Finished every last bite. The mackerel gondre rice had a clean, savory flavor I loved, and the eggplant doenjang rice was charming with its soft eggplant and doenjang combo ㅜㅜ The mushroom pancake was savory and light, the kind of taste you want again 💝 I think this Buldang-dong Korean restaurant is a great fit for anyone, any age. If you're looking for a good place to eat out or go on a date in Buldang-dong, I highly recommend Hyangtaek in Buldang-dong 💝