Cheonan Korean restaurant for mackerel rice and galbi: Hyangtaek

Since I’ve been eating out quite often lately, there are times when I crave a proper bowl of rice rather than something overly intense, haha.

So this time, I visited Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch (향택 천안불당점), where you can enjoy neat, refined Korean food in Buldang-dong, Cheonan. As you can probably tell just from the photos, I had a proper Korean spread with mackerel, gondre, and even a generously sized serving of hanpan galbi, haha.

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch location

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is located in Units 109–110 on the first floor, 192 Buldang 25-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam.

It is in the area where Buldang-dong’s shops are clustered, so it was in a convenient spot when looking for somewhere to eat nearby, haha. There is a large wooden sign reading Hyangtaek out front, making it easy to spot even from a distance.

Photos of the signature dishes are displayed outside too, so I could get a general look at options such as grilled mackerel gondre rice, yukhoe bibimbap, and eggplant doenjang rice before going in, haha.

A clean, comfortable interior

Once inside, the restaurant was much neater than I had expected from the exterior. The wood-toned tables and walls created an overall warm atmosphere, while soft lighting along one wall made it feel a little more polished than an ordinary Korean restaurant, haha. There are both regular tables and wall-facing seats, so it looked easy enough to come alone for a meal too.

The whole space was bright and there was plenty of room between the tables, so it seemed like a good place to bring your parents or visit with family too, haha.

There was also a separate guide on the table explaining how to enjoy Hyangtaek’s food. It says to thoroughly mix the rice and ingredients first, wrap it in gim (roasted seaweed), then add the house special sauce from midway through. If it is your first visit, it would be worth reading before you start eating, haha.

Hyangtaek menu and prices

The menu is Korean food, but the combinations are quite interesting. There is grilled mackerel gondre rice for ₩14,000, eggplant doenjang rice bowl for ₩13,000, yukhoe bibimbap for ₩14,000, chamnamul squid rice bowl for ₩13,000, and herring roe mixed noodles for ₩13,000, among other options.

For sides, they also offer hanpan galbi for ₩10,000, grilled deodeok root and mushrooms, a mushroom platter, and Cheongsong-style spicy chicken bulgogi. Most dishes are priced in the low to mid ₩10,000 range, so one main is perfectly fine on its own, while two people could easily add a side to share, haha.

There was also a notice saying that on weekdays, customers who write a Naver receipt review receive a free mushroom platter. The details could change depending on when you visit, but it is the kind of thing worth keeping an eye on, haha.

What did the grilled mackerel gondre rice taste like?

The main dish I ordered was Hyangtaek’s signature grilled mackerel gondre rice. A large bowl came filled with plenty of gondre greens, topped with a whole piece of grilled mackerel, and it looked wonderfully abundant from the first impression, haha. Scallions, sesame seeds, and mushrooms were arranged so nicely that I almost felt bad mixing everything together right away, haha.

The mackerel was nicely browned on the outside, while the flesh inside was moist and tender. It did not have a strong fishy smell, so it was easy to eat with the gondre; once mixed with the rice, the mackerel’s nutty flavor spread throughout, haha. There was so much gondre that the greens came through even before the rice. I first mixed and ate it as it was, then added a little of the special sauce from the table, which really brought the seasoning to life, haha.

It was also nice to place the gondre rice on the gim that came with it. The salty flavor of the seaweed, mackerel, and gondre all came together, making it much richer than a simple vegetable rice dish, haha.

The hanpan galbi I ordered alongside it

And this is the hanpan galbi that I was really glad I ordered. Several thin, wide slices of grilled meat arrived, nearly covering the whole plate, and the visual alone was quite striking, haha. The sauce gave the surface a glossy sheen, with a few lightly charred spots that added a subtle smoky aroma.

Each slice was thin, tender, and not chewy, with a lightly sweet marinade that made it just right with rice, haha. Since the grilled mackerel gondre rice was fairly mild overall, having a piece of hanpan galbi now and then was a really good combination, haha. If you visit as two, I think ordering one main each and adding one hanpan galbi to share would work beautifully.

When you are craving clean, comforting Korean food in Buldang-dong, Cheonan

I liked that Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch offered something a little distinctive while still feeling familiar as Korean food. Mixing the mackerel and gondre together was lovely, and adding gim and the special sauce let me change up the flavors as I ate through the bowl, haha. Above all, adding the hanpan galbi made it more filling than expected, so it really felt like a proper lunch, haha.

If you are looking for somewhere to eat with your parents in Buldang-dong, Cheonan, or want a generous Korean meal that is not too heavily seasoned, Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch would be worth a visit.

Next time, I am planning to try the eggplant doenjang rice bowl or the herring roe mixed noodles too, haha.