Cheomdan, Gwangju duck BBQ with chive salad wraps: Hyangchon Duck

I visited Hyangchon Duck (향촌오리), a newly opened duck BBQ spot in Cheomdan! I like duck in general, but they use a patented blueberry-curing method, and maybe that's why it tasted especially good. The freebies were great too, so I left well fed haha.

Hyangchon Duck opening hours and parking

Hyangchon Duck is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, with last order at 21:30. There is a private parking lot right next to the restaurant.

The big private lot beside the restaurant makes it easy to visit by car. It's an open lot that fits about 30 cars, so parking is very roomy!

Inside Hyangchon Duck: tables and private rooms

The restaurant is large, with hall tables, regular rooms and floor-seating rooms. As a brand-new place, it was very clean and pleasant even though it's a duck BBQ restaurant. The hall alone has plenty of tables haha.

On top of that, there are regular rooms and floor-seating rooms, so you have a lot of seating choices. It seems fine for family meals, and also for group gatherings or company dinners in Cheomdan.

Hyangchon Duck menu

The menu is simple! The main dish, duck BBQ, can be ordered by the half duck or whole duck. Besides duck there is beef short rib meat, and for a meal or dessert there are makguksu (buckwheat noodles) and naengmyeon (cold noodles).

What comes free with duck BBQ at Hyangchon Duck?

Mung bean porridge before the meal

Warm mung bean porridge comes out first as a starter. At first I thought there weren't many side dishes, but once the food started arriving I realized the free extras are pretty varied lol. The porridge was the first thing served.

The mild, warm porridge gently warms and settles your stomach before the duck, which I liked haha. It naturally gets your appetite going too!

Unlimited shabu-shabu self bar

The shabu-shabu self bar is a free, unlimited service. And that was another surprise at Hyangchon Duck: the self bar is free too..!! There is one at the entrance and one at the back, both neatly set up.

The self bar has various mushrooms, fresh shabu-shabu vegetables, wrap vegetables, basic side dishes and several kinds of kimchi. I definitely recommend trying it haha.

Shabu-shabu broth is included, so you can put in ingredients from the self bar while waiting for the duck to cook, or eat them alongside the meat.

Side dishes and dipping sauces

Even without going to the self bar, the basic table setting comes with wrap vegetables and chive salad (buchu-muchim) to go with the duck. Sauces like chojang (sweet chili vinegar sauce) and perilla seed are on every table, so you can eat to your own taste.

Is a half duck (400g) enough for two at Hyangchon Duck?

I ordered half a duck, 400g, and it was just the right amount for two! The meat looked clean in color and condition from the first glance, so it looked fresh haha.

The duck at Hyangchon Duck uses a patented blueberry-curing method, which is what makes this place unique. It supposedly removes the gamey smell typical of duck and makes the meat tender, they said~

The heat is quite strong, so the meat cooked quickly and nicely lol. Maybe thanks to the patented method, there was really no gamey smell and it was mild, which made it even tastier. Cooked pieces can be kept on a mini grill so they don't burn haha.

Duck BBQ with chive salad: the best wrap combination

Above all, the duck was good enough to eat on its own with no sauce..! Just salt or chojang is fine, and personally the duck with chive salad was the combination that went best together.

Wrapping duck and chive salad together in a lettuce-style wrap was delicious, and you can grill garlic too, which made it even better. Midway I ordered a bowl of rice and enjoyed it with the duck, nice and filling haha.

Finishing at Hyangchon Duck: house-made noodles and blueberry sikhye

House-made buckwheat kalguksu noodles

While browsing the self bar, I saw buckwheat kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) noodles too~ These house-made noodles are also free, so you can boil them in the shabu-shabu broth like a dessert course!

Boiled myself with the shabu-shabu vegetables, the noodles were springy and a real treat, so I could finish the meal properly without ordering any other dessert dish haha.

Blueberry sikhye (sweet rice drink) after the meal

For the real dessert, Hyangchon Duck also serves blueberry sikhye (sweet rice drink). When you ask after your meal, they bring it to your table. It's made by grinding whole blueberries, so it's fresh and tangy, and the icy sherbet texture was perfect for cleansing the palate after duck!

Hyangchon Duck: final verdict

First of all, the duck itself was delicious, and with all the extras, from the mung bean porridge to unlimited shabu-shabu, the self bar, noodles and blueberry sikhye, it was a tasty and filling meal at Hyangchon Duck in Cheomdan! Haha. The place is big and parking is easy, so it's worth a visit when you're looking for a family meal or gathering spot in Cheomdan~~