Cheonan Korean restaurant weekend wait wrapped in gim: Hyangtaek

Hyangtaek in Buldang-dong, Cheonan: hours and parking

The place I'm introducing today is Hyangtaek, a well-known Korean restaurant in Buldang-dong, Cheonan. Hours: 11:00–20:00 (Break time: 15:30–17:00) ★Up to 2 hours free parking in the building!

Hyangtaek is a Korean restaurant known for dishes that come out neat and clean. It's already super famous in Daegu, so I was excited to hear it finally opened a branch in Buldang-dong, Cheonan!

1pm on a Saturday: the wait and the vibe

The whole place felt super clean and had just the right Korean-restaurant atmosphere!!! There are tables for four and bar seating, so it looked great for a family gathering or eating solo^^ I went past 1pm on a Saturday and there were so many people that I had a bit of a wait. This place is clearly really popular.

Hyangtaek menu and prices

The signature dishes were mackerel gondre rice (mackerel and gondre herb rice bowl) and eggplant doenjang rice bowl. Beyond that, there's a wide range including yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice), chamnamul squid rice bowl, and herring roe bibim noodles. Side dishes like deodeok mushroom grill, galbi, and dak-bulgogi (spicy grilled chicken) pair well with the mains.

• Mackerel gondre rice ₩14,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩14,000

Hyangtaek is running a Naver receipt review event right now. Write a receipt review and get a free hanpan mushroom dish >.< (weekdays only, excluding weekends and holidays!!!) Everyone should join in and get the freebie~♥

On the table were paper cups, cutlery, and tissues. On one side there was also a detailed guide on how to enjoy Hyangtaek's food best, which was handy to check!!! I read through it before the food came out haha.

Basic side dishes and sauces

Even the side dishes came out beautifully arranged, right? The basic banchan were bibim jeotgal (mixed seasoned seafood) and pickles. They also gave us a sauce and egg to mix into the yukhoe bibimbap, plus a chive soy sauce for the mackerel gondre rice. Lastly, the doenjang soup that came with it was warm and paired so well with the rice!!!

Woohoo>.< Our order finally arrived. The presentation was so pretty and neat, great for photos and looked super delicious. There's clearly a reason this place is famous^^

Mackerel gondre rice: soft mackerel, no fishy smell

My mackerel gondre rice came topped with a big chunk of mackerel, gondre herb, sesame seeds, green onion, and mushrooms. The ingredients looked fresh and generous, so filling just to look at haha.

I was told to shred the mackerel and mix it with the rice, but I tried a bite of the mackerel on its own first. It was cooked just right and the flesh was so soft, no fishy smell at all, so delicious!!!

I mixed in the chive soy sauce, and it turned out light and clean with the gondre herb flavor coming through nicely. It's a hearty, healthy dish you can eat without feeling weighed down!!!

Wrapping it in gopchang gim (crispy seasoned laver) and adding a bit of jeotgal on top takes the umami to the next level. The portion was so generous that one bowl alone was filling.

Yukhoe bibimbap: mix in the egg yolk

The yukhoe bibimbap came with a generous topping of raw beef (yukhoe) and lettuce over the rice. The yukhoe was arranged in a neat circle, so the plating alone won me over!!! You add the egg yolk and sauce, then mix everything together evenly.

Doesn't the yukhoe bibimbap look amazing...? Once fully mixed, the yukhoe was soft and nutty and just so delicious!!! The seasoning wasn't too strong, just the right balance, and mixing in the yolk made it even better.

Wrapping the yukhoe bibimbap in gopchang gim made it so much more delicious than eating it plain!!! It's the kind of flavor that keeps your chopsticks moving. Everything about Hyangtaek satisfied me, and I want to visit again>.<