Daegu Korean restaurant with crispy mushroom side: Hyangtaek Seongseo

Attention Seongseo Keimyung University students! I heard that Hyangtaek, an already famous Korean restaurant, opened a branch near Seongseo Keimyung, so I went straight there with my mom haha. If you love clean, well-made Korean food, you'll definitely love this place. College students eat a lot of spicy, greasy food, right? Sometimes you just need this kind of clean, healthy Korean meal~

This is Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch (향택 성서계명대점), a Korean restaurant near Seongseo Keimyung University.

• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–20:00
• Break time 15:30–17:00
• Last order 15:00, 19:30
• 🅿️ No parking available

Where is Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch? Steps from Keimyung University Station and Dongsan Hospital

Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch, a Korean restaurant near Seongseo Keimyung, is located right by the main gate of Keimyung University. It's near Keimyung University Station on Subway Line 2, so it's easy to get to. Keimyung students could stop by for lunch. It's also close to Dongsan Hospital, so it's a good pick if you're visiting there too — a very healthy meal, haha.

Inside Hyangtaek: a newly opened wood-and-white dining room

Here's the interior. It just opened so everything was super clean! The wood and white-toned interior suited the Korean food really well and gave off a warm vibe.

The restaurant is spacious with lots of tables, so turnover should be quick even during lunch hour. It also seems like a comfortable spot to eat alone without feeling self-conscious. I went with my mom, and it felt like a nice atmosphere to bring parents too.

Nice touch — disposable aprons, wet wipes, and even toothpicks are set up near the entrance.

Hyangtaek menu and what we ordered: mackerel gondre rice for two plus hanpan mushroom

Here's the menu. Hyangtaek is already a super famous restaurant. I've visited several times, and my favorite dish is the mackerel gondre rice (삼치곤드레밥). My mom wanted to try the same thing, so we ordered two servings of mackerel gondre rice at ₩14,000 each, plus one hanpan mushroom (한판버섯) at ₩6,000.

How to get the hanpan mushroom free with Hyangtaek's review event

I visited on a weekend so it didn't apply to me, but if you visit on a weekday, be sure to participate in the review event — you can get the hanpan mushroom I ordered for free!

Side dishes at Hyangtaek: free refills on gopchang gim and doenjang soup

The basic side dishes came out quickly. Two kinds of seasoning sauce, gochang gim (곱창김, seasoned laver), bibim jeotgal (seasoned salted seafood), gungchae jangajji (pickled vegetable), and doenjang soup — all dishes that paired perfectly with the main. The gochang gim especially went so well with everything, so make sure to get refills. They're free!

The first is the seasoning sauce for the hanpan mushroom, and the second is for the mackerel gondre rice — both had great umami. Combined with the mild doenjang soup, it was a perfect match. As a soup lover, I refilled it once, haha.

Here's everything laid out. The visuals are great, right?

Mackerel gondre rice, 14,000 won: the thickest mackerel of any Hyangtaek branch

First up is my all-time favorite Hyangtaek dish, mackerel gondre rice (삼치곤드레밥). Fluffy white rice is topped with gondre (dried thistle greens), braised mushrooms, chopped green onion, and sesame seeds, and on top of that sits a big, hearty chunk of mackerel!

For first-timers, there's a guide at every table showing how to enjoy the mackerel gondre rice the best way, so make sure to give it a read, haha.

The mackerel I love so much! I've been to several Hyangtaek branches, and I think the mackerel at the Keimyung branch was the meatiest and thickest. No fishy taste at all, grilled to a clean, nutty finish... ♡ The flesh was so moist that it's great mixed into the rice, but I took my first bite of just the mackerel alone.

And underneath, the gondre greens and braised mushrooms are seasoned with tons of umami. It pairs perfectly with the mackerel.

Mix it all up thoroughly and take a bite~ It's clean but savory, genuinely delicious in a healthy way. Even with my taste for spicy, punchy food, I loved it so much. Try it plain first, and if it needs more seasoning, add the sauce that comes with it.

And here's my favorite combo — wrapping it in gochang gim! Gochang gim and mackerel gondre rice are seriously, seriously perfect together. Pile the gondre rice onto the gim, add a chunk of mackerel, top it with sauce or bibim jeotgal — so good... The bibim jeotgal is a nice kick too, so try mixing different combinations. It's delicious, haha.

Hanpan mushroom, a 6,000 won side that is crisp outside and tender inside

This is the hanpan mushroom (한판버섯). Think of it as a mushroom pancake — I ordered it just wanting a side dish, without much expectation. But it turned out amazing. It's so good...

The outside is grilled super crispy, but the inside is pure tender-and-juicy. It kept the mushroom's distinct aroma and juices, so it was genuinely delicious.

Cut off a big piece, dip it generously in the sauce, and it's seriously delicious. It also went great with the mackerel gondre rice, haha. Don't underestimate it just because it's mushroom... My mom loved it too, and I finished my whole meal with total satisfaction.

The staff were also very kind. If you want a healthy, delicious meal, I recommend visiting Hyangtaek Seongseo Keimyung University Branch, a Korean restaurant near Seongseo Keimyung!