Gyeongju Korean set meal with grilled mackerel swap: Dongyang Baekban

This vacation I've been keeping things budget-friendly with domestic trips — Gyeongju is close from Ulsan, and after watching a Lisenne YouTube video I ended up on a one-night, two-day Gyeongju trip. First stop, of course, was Hwangridan-gil, and lunch came before anything else. After parking and walking around, an old house turned into an interior caught my eye — "this place is so pretty!" — so I ducked in on the spot. Here's how it went.

Where is Dongyang Baekban on Hwangridan-gil?

Dongyang Baekban is just a short walk from the main Hwangridan-gil street, so it's easy to get to, sitting right across from Hwangnam Market and Hanyangjip.

Set in an old house in Gyeongju's Hwangnam-dong, the building keeps its original traces intact, blending old and new beautifully — a Korean restaurant on Hwangridan-gil that still feels genuinely Korean.

I'd recommend this to anyone bringing friends from abroad or from out of town, as a place to feel the full atmosphere of Gyeongju. It's split into a main building and an annex like a sarangbang (guest room); I was seated in the main building.

Where do you park near Dongyang Baekban?

Dongyang Baekban doesn't have its own dedicated parking lot, so use the public parking lot on Hwangridan-gil right beside the restaurant, or just walk over.

Inside the renovated old house

The traces of the old house really are preserved here — the rooms turned into dining space gave the whole place a really unique atmosphere. Sitting there, I could look out at the lush green of Hwangridan-gil, a real feast for the eyes.

I visited with my partner on a weekday Wednesday around 1pm lunchtime, and being a Korean restaurant, there were all kinds of groups eating — families, parents with babies, couples.

All the soup dishes at this Hwangridan-gil Korean restaurant apparently use a herbal medicinal broth, made with health in mind.

Baby chairs are available, so dining with kids is no problem.

What is on the Dongyang Baekban menu?

They serve a range of Korean dishes — dak jeongol (chicken hot pot), dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken), gopchang jeongol (beef tripe hot pot), duruchigi, and more.

What we ordered: Sumi dakbokkeumtang set, 50,000 won

I ordered the Sumi dakbokkeumtang set for ₩50,000. The set's yangnyeom gejang (marinated raw crab) was sold out, so it was swapped for grilled mackerel. It's great value, with a variety of rice, the main dish, sides, and even sikhye all included — I'd recommend the set menu.

Leave a Naver review and you can grab a strawberry ice gyeongdan and try the retro ppopgi (candy game) once.

Before the food arrives, they bring out water, utensils, and small plates. Since most of the main dishes here — hot pots, soups, braises — are meant to be eaten hot, every table has its own burner.

The basic side dishes were soybeans, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), bean sprouts, pickled garlic scapes, and grilled mackerel.

Caviar egg rice and pollack roe rice came out too, along with gim (dried seaweed flakes) for mixing them with the dakdoritang.

For dessert, the set comes with homemade sikhye — so a Hwangridan-gil Korean restaurant that lets you finish the meal off with a drink too.

How did the Sumi dakbokkeumtang taste?

Finally, the main event — Sumi dakbokkeumtang. It comes basically fully cooked from the kitchen, so you just need to cook the glass noodles and dig in.

Packed with egg, king oyster mushroom, glass noodles, carrots, and more, and the chicken comes boneless and easy to eat in one bite.

I'd worried the herbal broth might taste bitter, but no need to worry at all! The broth was rich and deep, seasoned just right — nice to get a good dakbokkeumtang without the usual long simmer. Usually at dakdoritang places the broth only gets really good once it's simmered down toward the end of the meal, but this Hwangridan-gil Korean restaurant was delicious from the very first bite.

Mixing the caviar egg rice or pollack roe rice with the dakbokkeumtang broth until it's nice and juicy is absolute heaven. Not spicy, easy to eat, tastes like home cooking — a great Gyeongju spot for a hearty, unfussy meal.

The mackerel was crispy outside, tender inside! I'd like to try the yangnyeom gejang next time. Finished off with sikhye as a palate cleanser for dessert.