Sisters' weekday lunch, three dishes to mushroom pancake: Hyangtaek

On a weekday lunch I went with my sister to Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch, a Buldang-dong go-to spot. I thought lunchtime would mean a relaxed meal, but nope... the place was packed and we had a short wait. Here's the review!

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch exterior and location

Hours and parking info

• Hours: 11:00–20:00
• Address: 1st floor, 110 & 109, 192 Buldang25-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si
• Full parking available

Parking is available in the store building, so it's convenient to visit by car too.

Weekday lunch atmosphere and the wait

Walking in, every table was full even for a weekday lunch! It felt like a great spot for office workers wanting a hearty midday meal, or for families and friends dining together. Being a Buldang-dong go-to spot, tables were completely full so there was a bit of a wait. I guess everyone's tastes really are similar.

There are also solo bar seats inside, so it's a good place to enjoy a rice bowl by yourself without any fuss.

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch is a solid choice when you're looking for Korean food in Cheonan or in Buldang-dong. Hyangtaek pursues a clean, fresh Korean food culture using ingredients grown and raised on our own land.

Baby chairs were set up too, so I saw little kids around and lots of families visiting.

Menu and ordering

What we ordered was

• Mackerel gondre rice
• Eggplant doenjang rice bowl
• Mushroom pancake

After waiting a bit we were seated and carefully picked our own menus to suit our tastes.

How the three dishes tasted

Ta-da, the dishes arrived while we were chatting away! Hyangtaek says it uses fresh ingredients daily and prepares menus that bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients. Maybe that's why everything felt clean rather than heavy, yet still like a proper full meal.

How to eat mackerel gondre rice

We started with the mackerel gondre rice (Spanish mackerel over gondre-herb rice). The staff kindly showed us how to enjoy it best — press the mackerel flat with a spoon to spread it over the rice, then add the soy sauce and mix.

So I tried it exactly as instructed... oh my, what is this combination?

The mackerel's savory, clean flavor blended gently with the gondre herb, and once the soy sauce was mixed in, the rice just kept disappearing. Honestly, bones are always a slight worry when eating fish over rice.

But I barely felt any bones in the mackerel, and there was no fishy taste, so it was easy to eat comfortably. If you like fish, this is a dish worth trying at least once.

Eggplant doenjang rice bowl

Next was my sister's dish — the eggplant doenjang rice bowl. The eggplant was softly cooked and went well with the rice, and the savory doenjang (soybean paste) flavor kept me reaching for more than I expected.

I make eggplant dishes at home sometimes too, but why is it that home-cooked eggplant is just eggplant, while restaurant eggplant tastes this good?

I guess cooking really does come down to skill as much as ingredients. The deep flavor of the doenjang paired nicely with the soft eggplant, making for a filling meal.

Mushroom pancake

And the mushroom pancake, which I quite enjoyed! One bite in, I could immediately taste and feel the mushroom's aroma and texture. Maybe because the ingredients were fresh, it was clean yet savory, and I kept going back for more.

I wanted to try making mushroom pancake at home too — the problem is, it probably won't taste like this at home! You'd think you just add mushrooms and pan-fry, but since Hyangtaek specializes in Korean food, their mushroom pancake is on another level.

Overall thoughts

Overall the food came out clean and well-plated, and the flavor of the ingredients really came through, so both my sister and I had a satisfying meal! If you're looking for lunch in Cheonan or a Buldang-dong go-to spot, I'd recommend a hearty meal at Hyangtaek with the mackerel gondre rice, eggplant doenjang rice bowl, and mushroom pancake.

Next time I'll have to try other Korean dishes on the menu. I can already picture myself standing in front of the menu board, deliberating over what to pick next. Highly recommend a delicious, healthy meal at Hyangtaek in Buldang-dong 💛