Busan Korean restaurant for mackerel thistle rice: Hyangtaek Jeonpo

I visited Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch, a great Korean restaurant in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin-gu! I recommend it to anyone looking for a proper meal or Korean food in Jeonpo-dong, haha.

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch: Basic Information

Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is on the first floor at 42-1 Seojeon-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, a seven-minute walk from Exit 8 of Seomyeon Station. It is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00, with a break from 15:30 to 17:00; last orders are at 15:00 and 19:30. There is no parking, so you will need to use nearby paid parking at your own expense.

Ta-da~ This is the exterior of Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch! It looked so neat from the outside too, haha.

I visited at around 1 p.m. on a Saturday~ Since it was weekend lunch, it was full of customers, so I wrote my name down and waited! Thankfully, it was only a short wait and I got in quickly ☺️

There was a menu sign outside, so I thought about what to eat before going in!

A Cozy Interior with Wood Tones and Hanok Charm

This is the inside of Hyangtaek~ As soon as I stepped in, it had such a distinctly Korean atmosphere... 🤍

The wood-toned interior felt warm and cozy overall! The tables and chairs are wooden too, haha. I loved the neat hanok (traditional Korean house) feel 🏡

There are seven tables for four, and I liked that the compact space was still pleasant and clean 🥰

There are high chairs on one side, so anyone dining with children can use them freely 👶🏻

When you sit down, paper cups, spoons, chopsticks, tissues, and more are already set out. I also liked that they served barley tea rather than plain bottled water, haha.

The Menu and What We Ordered

Here is Hyangtaek’s full menu for your reference!

The table has instructions for enjoying the rice deliciously! Following them should make it even better, right? 😋

They also have a weekday event: write a receipt review and receive a free platter of mushrooms! If you visit, join in and try it 💫

• Mackerel thistle rice: ₩14,000
• Herring roe bibim noodles: ₩13,000
• Total: ₩27,000

Before the mains arrived, they brought side dishes and soup~ The banchan (side dishes) were curly gim (seaweed), mixed salted seafood, pickled gungchae stems, and seasoning sauce!

While chatting with my friend, the main dishes came out in no time~

How Did I Eat the Mackerel Thistle Rice?

First up, the mackerel thistle rice I had! It looked so delicious that I was really excited, haha.

Next is the herring roe bibim noodles my friend had! They looked so good too—I was drooling... 🤤

Let me introduce the mackerel thistle rice first! It is Hyangtaek’s signature dish, topped with a big piece of grilled mackerel~ It is generously filled with sautéed mushrooms, scallions, sesame seeds, and thistle greens 🩷

Mix the ingredients and rice together well! I recommend tasting the ingredients on their own before adding the seasoning sauce~ Rather than adding all the sauce at once, add it little by little 🥰 The fragrant thistle greens went so well with the nutty, tender mackerel 🩷

And here is a way to make it even tastier‼️ Put rice on curly gim, add seasoning sauce and salted seafood, then wrap it up—it was even more delicious 🤤 The natural flavors came through nicely, and the seasoning was mild rather than overpowering, so it felt like a truly healthy meal~ The mackerel had no bones, making it easy to eat, and the rice portion was generous and filling 🩷 It really was a signature dish right up my alley 👍🏻

Herring Roe Bibim Noodles with Fragrant Perilla Oil

Next, the herring roe bibim noodles! They look so neat and delicious too, don’t they? 🤤 The thin noodles are dressed with nutty perilla oil and generously topped with beef brisket, herring roe, and perilla leaves 🩷

Mix the noodles and sauce together well too! The red sauce made them look very spicy, but they were not spicy at all when I tried them 😋 The nutty flavors of the perilla oil and beef brisket came through beautifully, and the noodles were soft and tasty, haha. Every bite of herring roe popped in my mouth, adding a salty, distinctive touch ✨️ The fragrant perilla leaves also brought everything together so well—it was so delicious 🤤

If You Are Looking for Neatly Prepared Korean Food in Jeonpo-dong

Hyangtaek says it pursues a clean, fresh Korean food culture using ingredients grown on our land 👍🏻 With wholesome ingredients such as rice, vegetables, meat, and fish, along with generous flavors for guests, it feels like a restaurant you can visit with confidence 🥰 If you want Korean food in a clean, refined, upscale atmosphere, make sure to visit Hyangtaek 🩷