Buldang-dong Cheonan diet lunch: two lightly seasoned bowls, Hyangtaek

My husband and I are on a diet these days, so we've been trying to eat healthy meals instead of anything too intense in flavor! That's why we headed to "Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch," a place that recently opened in Buldang-dong, Cheonan :)

How long is the lunchtime wait at Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch?

If you visit Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch at lunchtime, it's a good idea to expect some waiting. We came across this place while looking for lunch spots in Buldang-dong, and sure enough, when we arrived at lunchtime, there were quite a lot of people there for a meal!

We couldn't get seated right away either and had to wait a bit, though it wasn't an unbearably long wait. Still, if you're visiting during lunch hours, it's best to go in expecting some kind of line :)

Bar-style counter table at Hyangtaek: solo diners and baby chairs

We couldn't get a table and ended up eating at the bar-style counter, but there were quite a few people dining alone there too! The dishware was neatly arranged, and baby chairs were available as well, haha.

Two bowls for two: mackerel gondre rice and yukhoe bibimbap

We ordered mackerel gondre rice and yukhoe bibimbap and shared them both!

While waiting for our food after ordering, I noticed instructions on how to enjoy the dish best, so I read through them :)

The basic side dishes came out, and since the two menus are different, the seasonings and banchan (side dishes) that came with each were different too! They were served separately on small plates, which felt clean and nice.

Mackerel gondre rice at Hyangtaek: light, gently salted

First up was the dish I was most looking forward to — mackerel gondre rice! With mackerel sitting on top of the gondre (mountain vegetable) rice, it looked really appetizing at first glance, don't you think?! Haha. The mackerel's distinctive mild flavor paired well with the gondre rice, and overall it wasn't heavily seasoned or intense, which I really liked.

These days at restaurants, the food can taste good but be so salty or sweet that you end up reaching for water constantly, but Hyangtaek's food felt more light and clean rather than that kind of intense flavor :) You could also faintly sense the gondre's distinct aroma, and eating the mackerel together with the rice made for a pretty good combination 👍🏻

I tend to prefer food where you can taste the natural flavor of the ingredients rather than heavy seasoning, so the mackerel gondre rice really suited me. As a full meal, it didn't feel heavy on the stomach but still gave that satisfying sense of having had a proper bowl of rice!

How does Hyangtaek's yukhoe bibimbap taste?

And then there was my husband's pick, yukhoe bibimbap! Yukhoe bibimbap is definitely a dish that whets your appetite just from the visuals, right? We mixed the rice, yukhoe, and vegetables together and dug in — it turned out to be light and not overly seasoned either. The savory flavor unique to yukhoe blended well with the vegetables, and before we knew it, spoonful by spoonful, it was gone?!

Since the mackerel gondre rice was on the lighter side, ordering it alongside the yukhoe bibimbap and sharing made for a great combination. Both are rice dishes, but they had such different flavor profiles that if you're visiting as a pair like us, ordering one of each and sharing seems like a great way to go!!!

Who is Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch a good fit for?

So tasty we cleaned our plates completely!!! Hyangtaek overall gives off a strong impression of light, clean Korean food that isn't intense in flavor! Sometimes you just want a healthy, clean meal like this, right?! It's a great place to visit on days like that!!! It seemed like a lot of people come here looking for a lunch spot in Buldang-dong. It also seems like a popular spot with office workers from around the area :)

The mackerel gondre rice seems like a great fit for anyone who likes light dishes, and the yukhoe bibimbap is one I'd recommend for anyone who wants a hearty meal with both meat and vegetables 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 If you're in Buldang-dong, Cheonan looking for a clean lunch option or a tasty Korean dish, come give it a try ❤️ This was our first visit, and it made me want to come back and try other menu items next time! Highly recommend Hyangtaek for a meal :)

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch address, hours and parking

• Address: 1st Floor, Units 110 & 109, 192 Buldang25-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 20:00
• Break time: 15:30 - 17:00
• Last order: 15:00 / 19:30
• Parking: Building parking lot