Gangseo Seoul Korean restaurant for perilla-leaf nakgopsae wraps

I went to Balsan for a cat café, and when I came out it was time for dinner. The usual menu felt a little lacking for wrapping up such a special day ㅇㅅㅇ So I looked around for somewhere nearby... and found a nakgopsae (spicy octopus, beef tripe and shrimp stew) place? The last time I had it was in Busan about eight years ago!! It felt exactly right, so off we went.

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch, a walk from Balsan Station

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch (국민낙곱새 강서점) is on the first floor of Dong-A Building, straight out from Exit 6 of Balsan Station! It is about 350 m from the station, so the public-transit access is good.

Exterior and parking

Here it is. The sign makes it easy to spot as you walk by. Oh, and you can park behind the building, which was honestly so nice.

A spacious, casual interior

Inside, it had a clean, casual feel overall. The tables were roomy too, so there was no issue of having nowhere to put the food. (This is seriously important to me.) There were tables for larger groups as well, so it looked like a good spot for a Balsan Station team dinner or get-together!

Kiosk ordering and beef tripe nakgopsae

You can order from the kiosk at each table.

As the name suggests, nakgopsae is Gungmin Nakgopsae's main dish. Along with Korean beef large intestine, they also sell naku-sae with beef brisket slices, for example. There are lots of other options too—gopdoritang, hot pots, chicken feet—so even if you do not go for nakgopsae, there are tons of dishes that are perfect to order as drinks snacks with a group!

So this is what we ordered:

• Beef tripe nakgopsae (medium) ₩34,900
• Bomb steamed egg ₩5,000
• Flying-fish-roe mayo rice balls ₩5,000
• Flying-fish-roe fried rice ₩4,000
• Sprite ₩2,000
• Cass draft beer ₩5,000

Yes, we ordered both rice balls and fried rice. We were that hungryㅜ

Baek-kimchi in the basic setting

First, they set out perilla leaves, pickled radish wraps, mayonnaise, and so on. (After trying them with the nakgopsae later, I understood that these were very important little friends haha.) The seaweed soup was clean and tasty too, and personally, I really loved this baek-kimchi (mild white kimchi). I absolutely hate sweet dongchimi/baek-kimchi, but this was not sweet—just tangy and refreshing, totally my taste. Have some while eating spicy nakgopsae and it clears your palate right outㅜㅜ

Making rice balls while the uncooked nakgopsae boils

Proper nakgopsae time. Ta-da... I was startled because I did not expect it to arrive looking so pale, somehow. It comes uncooked. But no worries—there is plenty to do while it boils, so busy busy.

You have to make the rice balls, yep. I take a little pride in this. But why did I personally really, really love these rice balls? No danmuji (yellow pickled radish) in them! When danmuji is in there, it gets soggy, holds together less well, and turns sweet—I really hate it. Here, though, the flying fish roe, seaweed, and mayonnaise had the perfect golden balance, with such a savory punch 👍🏻 Seriously good. Once I had made all the rice balls, the steamed egg arrived.

It is boiling, it is boiling.

Cut it up~~ snip snip. And right then, the steamed egg came out. Steaming away and so soft.

The perilla leaf, rice ball, and mayonnaise combination

Now let us dig in properly. The seasoning is incredible, truly.

And the thing you absolutely have to make here is a perilla-leaf wrap!! It is delicious even if you simply put nakgopsae on a perilla leaf and eat it,

The rice balls had roasted seaweed flakes and little popping bits like flying fish roe, so they were nutty and savory even on their own. But put a rice ball into the wrap?! Just perfectㅜ

My personal favorite combination was perilla leaf + nakgopsae + rice ball + mayonnaise. Adding mayonnaise to the spicy sauce softens the heat a little and brings the nuttiness right up!! Add the fragrance of the perilla leaf too, and it is seriously so good...

Octopus yum. Time to stir-fry the rice. I am so full haha.

The clean restroom

So cleanㅜㅜ I am always grateful to places that pay attention to spaces you do not even see like this, and they always make me want to come backㅜㅜ!😭

Final thoughts

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch, where I finally had proper nakgopsae again after such a long time! The octopus and shrimp were not tiny but nice and plump, and the rich Korean beef large intestine made it fun to pick through. It was tasty with plain rice too, but personally, my favorite part was building wraps with all sorts of things: perilla leaves, pickled radish wraps, mayonnaise, and rice balls haha.

Finishing with fried rice in the remaining sauce made it feel like such a neatly completed meal! It is walkable from Balsan Station, with parking and space for groups, so it seems like a good option for a Balsan Station work dinner or dinner with friends too. If you are craving something spicy and want nakgopsae with a shot of soju, followed by fried rice, it is worth a visit :)