Maewol-dong, Gwangju black goat soup and rib soup: Ilsang Heukyeomso

A good restaurant in Seo-gu, Gwangju for building up strength: Ilsang Heukyeomso in Maewol-dong is a black goat (heukyeomso) specialty restaurant where you can try black goat soup, boiled black goat meat, hot pots, and more.

Black goat has long been eaten as a boyang (body-strengthening) food, and many people seek it out as the weather heats up in summer. Since it had been a while since I'd had black goat myself, I looked over Ilsang Heukyeomso's signature menu items one by one to decide what to order.

Where is Ilsang Heukyeomso in Maewol-dong, and when is it open?

Ilsang Heukyeomso Maewol-dong is located at 41 Jeonpyeong-gil, Seo-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, Unit 101. It's open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with last order at 7:30 PM.

The black goat used at Ilsang is said to be 100% domestic female black goat. They use good ingredients to keep the deep, distinctive flavor of black goat while making it easy to enjoy.

Inside Ilsang Heukyeomso: waiting area and a private room

Walking in, you don't step straight into the dining area — there are chairs by the entrance for waiting or sitting for a moment. Since it's indoors, you can wait comfortably without standing outside even on hot or rainy days.

Inside, there were several tables set up, and the overall mood felt comfortable and clean. The tables were spaced generously, making it a nice place to eat, and the roomy layout seemed good for families or larger groups.

It's a space where you can enjoy a relaxed meal in a comfortable atmosphere, and there's also a private room in addition to the main hall, good for when you want a more private dining experience.

What we ordered: black goat soup, boyang rib soup and pork cutlet

Wanting to try a variety, we ordered hwangchil-sirak black goat soup, boyang rib soup, and hand-breaded pork cutlet together. Along with the hearty black goat soup and rib soup, having a pork cutlet that kids or people unfamiliar with black goat dishes could enjoy meant we got to taste a nice variety at one table.

The basic side dishes included seokbakji (aged radish kimchi), smashed cucumber, kimchi, salad, green onion and king oyster mushroom kimchi, seasoned bamboo shoots with perilla, and peppers and onions. There was a good range of side dishes that paired well with the main dishes, so we got to enjoy several kinds throughout the meal, each complementing the mains nicely.

The kimchi made with green onion and king oyster mushroom was something I hadn't seen before, so out of curiosity I helped myself to a portion and tried it right away. The subtle aroma of green onion and the chewy texture of king oyster mushroom blended nicely with the kimchi, giving it a different charm from the other side dishes — a delicacy worth going back for.

Stone pot rice with nurungji (scorched rice) to finish

The black goat soup and rib soup both came with stone pot rice, so we got to enjoy warm rice alongside them. The freshly cooked, warm rice went well with the rich broth, and after finishing the meal, pouring water into the stone pot with the leftover rice let us enjoy nutty nurungji, making the meal even more satisfying.

The rib soup and black goat soup arrived hot in earthenware bowls (ttukbaegi), and just looking at them felt hearty. The hot broth was full of ribs and black goat meat, and seeing it still bubbling made me want to dig in right away.

How does the hwangchil-sirak black goat soup taste?

A good restaurant in Seo-gu, Gwangju for building up strength: the black goat soup was loaded with sirak (dried radish greens) and meat, and the broth was rich yet light, so even people new to black goat could enjoy it.

Boyang rib soup with two big beef ribs

It was great that black goat wasn't the only option — there's also rib soup. The rib soup had two big pieces of rib, so we could enjoy plenty of meat, and the broth was clear yet clean-tasting, with just the right seasoning to go well with rice.

Free black goat extract, served in summer only

For summer nourishment, they were currently offering black goat extract for free, so we got to have that too. Being able to try black goat extract alongside the black goat soup meant we really got the full summer boyang food experience.

The black goat soup was generously packed with ingredients like black goat meat, enoki mushrooms, and chives, which made it fun to pick through and find different things. Being able to eat the meat and vegetables together went well with the broth, and there was no gamey smell, so it was even more delicious.

The rib soup meat had a lot of meat on the bone and was tender — they gave us scissors and tongs so we could cut it into bite-sized pieces. Slowly picking away the meat from the big rib bones, I could tell the broth had soaked in well, and combined with the enoki mushrooms and egg garnish that came with it, there were lots of different textures and flavors to enjoy.

There were sauces set out on the table so you could dip according to your taste — it was delicious plain, but dipping it in the sauce gave it yet another flavor.

Onions were also provided, so I tried wrapping the meat in onion once — the crisp onion with the meat made for a clean, refreshing change of pace.

There were also glass noodles (dangmyeon) in the soup, which I tried as well — the chewy noodles went nicely with the light rib soup broth and the meat.

Hand-breaded pork cutlet: the pick if you're with kids

The hand-breaded pork cutlet was great for kids too — it's fried fresh after ordering, so it took a bit of waiting, but we got to eat it warm right out of the fryer.

The pork cutlet came drizzled with sauce that was a bit different from the usual pork cutlet sauce we're used to. It felt like a regular sauce with a creamy touch added, and the soft flavor went well with the cutlet.

The cutlet was tender and came with plenty of sauce, so it was delicious, and overall the dishes weren't too intense or spicy — clean flavors that I thought would work well for kids and adults alike.

For dessert, omija (schisandra berry) tea came out to finish off the meal, and I had a cup — the sweet and tangy, subtly fragrant taste of omija was a nice palate cleanser after eating.

Baby chairs and bibs were also on hand, so it was easy to dine comfortably even with a child — the bibs were handy to put on before eating too.