Cheonan Korean restaurant for yukhoe bibimbap: Hyangtaek

Meeting Hyangtaek Again in Buldang-dong

Today I visited Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch, a great Korean restaurant in Buldang-dong, Cheonan! Haha. I had been to Hyangtaek when I visited Daegu, so I was so happy to find that one had opened in Cheonan too—I had to stop by!

Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch 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 19:00.

Parking is available! You can use the Golden Plaza 2 parking lot, and they validated it for free when I asked at the counter! Haha.

A Clean Interior, Even With a Solo-Dining Zone

Once inside, there were plenty of tables, and the clean wood-toned interior felt so nice~~ It almost felt like walking into a neatly set Korean set-meal restaurant! Haha.

There was even a little solo-dining zone like this, so it would be great to come alone. Since the dishes are all complete single-bowl meals, I seriously recommend them for solo dining!! Hahaha.

Ordering Spanish Mackerel Gondre Rice and Yukhoe Bibimbap

Hyangtaek has rice dishes, noodles, and sides. We had tried the eggplant doenjang rice bowl and the chamnamul squid rice bowl on our last visit, so this time we ordered the Spanish mackerel gondre rice and yukhoe bibimbap! Hahaha. That eggplant rice bowl was the best for an eggplant lover like me.. 🤍 I really recommend that one too!

The tableware was neatly set at every seat, and there were even kind instructions on how to eat everything! Haha.

First, they set out the side dishes! Haha. Hyangtaek’s tableware was so pretty that I wanted to buy the same set.

Starting with hot, savory miso soup that warmed me right through.

The Spanish mackerel gondre rice came with gim (roasted seaweed), salted squid, pickled gungchae (stem lettuce), and seasoned soy sauce. I do not usually eat gungchae much, but it was so wonderfully crunchy and especially delicious that day! Haha. The seasoned soy sauce was not too salty either, which I loved, and it had loads of chives—so tasty. Heh.

The yukhoe bibimbap came with a fresh egg yolk and sweet yakgochujang (seasoned chili paste)!

Our dishes!! Every single one was so neatly presented and pretty.

Do you have a girlfriend who likes Korean food more than Western food...? You absolutely have to bring her to Hyangtaek...

Lightly Mixed Spanish Mackerel Gondre Rice

The Spanish mackerel gondre rice I ordered 🤍🤍🤍🤍 Oh my, this was incredible. Even the gondre on its own had a slightly sweet, delicious flavor, and the mackerel was salted, so they told me to add the seasoned soy sauce gradually to taste. But the sauce was not very salty, so I added it all and gave it a good mix—this nutty, light flavor.. 🤍 It was so delicious, and such a nourishing bowl that it left me feeling full. Haha.

This Spanish mackerel gondre rice is such a treat wrapped in gim! Haha. You can enjoy it twice as much that way!! And the mackerel was not fishy at all, so even people who do not like fish could enjoy it. It was boneless fillet too, so it was easy to eat. Haha.

Fresh Yukhoe With Yakgochujang

The freshness of the yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) in the yukhoe bibimbap was seriously insane!! Hahahahaha. The meat was sweet... 🤍 The egg was fresh too, and mixed all together with the yakgochujang, it was exactly the flavor Koreans love. Hahaha.

We cleaned both bowls right up! I highly recommend Hyangtaek Cheonan Buldang Branch, a great Korean restaurant in Buldang-dong, Cheonan!