Gangnam Korean restaurant for Andong gukbap: Hantiok

One of the nice things about blogging is being able to document and introduce the neighborhood favorites I visit all the time. And when I write about somewhere I already went to often, it somehow feels even nicer.

Today’s place is Hantiok (한티옥), somewhere I visit really often in Daechi-dong. This visit was a blog experience through Supermembers, but Hantiok was definitely not a first-time visit for me—I had already been here quite often on my own. I’ve visited about 10 times already, so it is a place I’m personally very fond of; I was actually happy to have the chance to write about it.

When do I go to Hantiok? When I need hangover relief after drinking the night before, when guests are coming over and I want to serve them a warming soup in the morning, when the weather is chilly and I want to warm myself up—there are so many occasions. That is how naturally this Daechi-dong favorite fits into my everyday life. Today, too, I went for a bowl of hot gukbap (rice in soup) after a while.

A Korean restaurant in Daechi-dong that comes to mind easily

Hantiok is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Daechi-dong.

There are so many delicious restaurants these days, but you know how there are some places you find yourself returning to again and again. Some spots are worth one visit because they photograph beautifully or have a special menu, but Hantiok is closer to the kind of place that simply comes to mind when I want a meal.

Maybe because I like having soup or stew with my meals, I naturally end up at Hantiok whenever I crave something with a hot broth. My absolute favorite there is Andong gukbap. Hantiok also has dishes such as Andong guksu (noodles) and kongguksu (noodles in chilled soybean soup), but I almost always order Andong gukbap here. If I leave without having it, it somehow does not feel as if I have properly been to Hantiok, haha.

What does Hantiok’s Andong gukbap broth taste like?

Andong gukbap simmered with Korean 1++ grade beef

The biggest feature of Hantiok’s Andong gukbap is that it uses domestic Korean 1++ grade beef. Gukbap may bring to mind an affordable, generous everyday meal, but this one is made with quality hanwoo, or Korean native beef, so the depth of the broth is clearly different from the first spoonful. The broth arrives bubbling hot, with Korean beef and ugeoji (seasoned dried cabbage greens) inside, and just looking at it makes me feel warmed through.

This is exactly the kind of gukbap I love. It is not aggressively spicy or salty, the kind where you reach for water after a few spoons of broth. It is mild at its base, while the broth itself still has a deep flavor.

That does not mean it is bland, though—it has just the right gentle kick, so it is really good with rice. If I had to compare it, it is milder than gamjatang (pork bone potato stew), but more spicy-warming than a typical ugeoji soup? It tastes a bit like yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), but like a much more refined yukgaejang with wonderfully tender Korean beef in it. You really have to try it—I recommend it!!!

So it was not overwhelming even the first time I had it, and after one bowl, the flavor quietly keeps coming back to me. I think that broth is exactly why Hantiok comes to mind whenever I look for a gukbap place in Daechi-dong.

If you eat a lot, choose the large Andong gukbap

I recommend the large Andong gukbap for men

Of course, I ordered Andong gukbap again that day. But for people with a larger appetite, like my husband or many men, I would recommend the large size. There is quite a difference between the regular Andong gukbap and the large size; the large feels about 1.5 times more generous than the regular.

There is plenty of Korean beef, too, so my meat-loving husband almost always orders the large when we come to Hantiok. The regular is enough for me, but he says he needs the large to feel as though he has had “a proper meal.”

Side dishes that pair beautifully with gukbap

Hantiok’s side dishes are delicious too

Honestly, I am not someone who eats lots of side dishes at a gukbap restaurant. I tend to have just some kimchi and do not reach for much else, but Hantiok is an exception. There is truly not a bad side dish here.

From the soy-marinated perilla leaves to the seasoned chives, each one has its own flavor, so I kept reaching for them between bites of gukbap. And what I especially love at Hantiok is the kimchi. It has a cool, refreshing flavor that goes so well with the gukbap. Whenever I come here, I always get at least one refill of kimchi. I think good kimchi is incredibly important at a gukbap restaurant, and Hantiok satisfies on that front too.

It is a little disappointing when a gukbap has too little meat, right? But this one has a fairly generous amount of Korean beef, which makes it fun to scoop up rice and meat together. Mix the rice into the broth and eat it with the beef and ugeoji—it is so filling. Especially on a day when I need hangover relief after drinking too much the night before, this hot broth is the best.

Add the house-made jumbo dumplings

I also ordered the house-made jumbo dumplings

That day, in addition to the Andong gukbap I usually eat, I tried one more menu item: jumbo dumplings. They are made in-house, so I was curious and ordered them, and as the name suggests, they were quite large. They look like simple jumbo dumplings, but when you split one open, it is packed full of filling.

With one bite, the dumpling wrapper and filling came together nicely, and they paired better with the gukbap than I expected. Gukbap alone is certainly filling enough, but if you are visiting with several people, ordering dumplings to share would be a good idea. I was absolutely full after having both the gukbap and the jumbo dumplings that day.

A gukbap that comes to mind more with every visit

It feels as though they do not skimp on ingredients

After visiting Hantiok several times, what I have noticed is that they do not skimp on ingredients in any dish. The Korean beef, the side dishes—everything feels fresh and clean-tasting. Rather than food with an especially strong artificial seasoning flavor, it feels like they bring out the flavors of the ingredients themselves.

Maybe that is why I like it more the more times I eat it. It is not the kind of flavor that makes you say, “Wow, that is so intensely seasoned!” after one bite, but it is one that suddenly comes to mind a few days later. Hantiok is exactly that kind of place for me. Especially when the weather turns cold or it rains, I find myself craving a hot bowl of Andong gukbap.

For lunch in Daechi-dong and hangover relief

Recommended for lunch in Daechi-dong

When you eat lunch near the office, searching for a new menu every day can become quietly tiring, can’t it? That is why I prefer an easy Daechi-dong lunch spot like this. Ordering at Hantiok is not difficult either. If you want gukbap, order the Andong gukbap; if you want something more substantial, order the large size.

I especially want to recommend it on days when you need hangover relief. With Korean beef and ugeoji in the hot broth, it feels as if your stomach is being gently warmed and soothed. I have actually come to Hantiok for Andong gukbap quite a few times the day after drinking, haha. I think that is why the equation Daechi-dong Korean beef gukbap = Hantiok has formed in my mind. For me, Hantiok is less simply a good Daechi-dong restaurant and more like a Korean restaurant I return to regularly.

When you think about it, Andong gukbap itself is a very simple food. A meal is complete with rice, hot broth, Korean beef, ugeoji, and kimchi. But those are the kinds of foods that stay in my memory longer. When the ingredients are good and the broth has depth, you do not need an elaborate menu for it to be delicious.

If you are looking for a good Korean restaurant in Daechi-dong or a filling lunch near Hanti Station, I would recommend Hantiok. Especially on days like these, when the temperature swings are wide or you feel a little chilled, a bowl of hot Korean beef gukbap is just right. It is good when you need hangover relief, when you want a filling meal, or when you are dining with parents or guests. I am already a regular who has visited many times, and I plan to keep coming back. Hantiok is the Daechi-dong gukbap restaurant I can confidently recommend. I enjoyed it so much today, too.