Gopchang in Yangcheon, Seoul: garlic tripe at Omokgyo Gopchang

I visited Omokgyo Gopchang, a delicious gopchang (grilled beef intestines) spot with no unpleasant odor near Mokdong and Omokgyo! I went all in with the signature grilled items and fried rice too. Let’s gooo~~

Location and visitor information for Omokgyo Gopchang near Omokgyo Station

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Branch is close to Omokgyo Station, so it is easy to reach by public transit! The exterior is neat, and they say this is a 30-year-old favorite that carefully selects and sells only top-grade Korean beef intestines from cattle slaughtered that day.

A cozy interior for grilling and chatting

The tables are spaced nicely, and the warm orange lighting makes for a cozy place to grill meat or gopchang while chatting, haha. One side of the restaurant has clear guides on how to enjoy the food and the restaurant’s own tips, so even first-timers can dig in easily!!

Ordering traditional handmade garlic gopchang and assorted gopchang

There are lots of choices, from signature grilled dishes to hot pots! This time, I ordered one serving each of traditional handmade garlic gopchang and assorted gopchang, plus two servings of Omokgyo fried rice, for a total of ₩66,700~~

They are running review events too! Leave a photo review on Naver, Google, or Kakao Map and you can get grilling cheese or cheese fried rice; there is also a no-lose roulette event, which was a nice little bit of fun and a perk, haha.

Soft tofu stew and green-onion kimchi side dishes

These are the basic side dishes! The sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) had a spicy, deep broth with big chunks of soft tofu, and it was perfect for waking up the palate before the main dishes arrived, haha.

The tuna macaroni salad was a soft, savory mousse-like style that made me want to stuff it into a little milk roll and make a salad bun!! Great for refreshing the palate before spicy or rich gopchang, haha.

And then... Omokgyo Gopchang’s secret weapon: green-onion kimchi!!!! They make it themselves every Friday, and it is the heart of this place. It is easy to think seasoned chives are the essential gopchang pairing, but here the sharp yet gently sweet, fermented flavor of the green-onion kimchi had incredible back-and-forth with the gopchang, haha.

Traditional handmade garlic gopchang and assorted gopchang

The traditional handmade garlic gopchang and assorted gopchang arrived! It was so nice to sample garlic gopchang, bull intestines, makchang (beef fourth stomach), daechang (beef large intestine), heart, and beoljip-yang (honeycomb tripe) all at once, haha. The staff even put on a fire-show performance before grilling it beautifully!!

Grilling it to a gorgeous golden brown~~ They placed green-onion kimchi and seasoned chives around the edges to grill alongside it!! As the traditional handmade garlic gopchang cooks on the grill, the garlic inside roasts through too. Its raw sharpness disappears, turning soft and fluffy, almost like chestnut!!

Tender heart, the first cut to cook

This is the heart! Since it cooks first, dipping it in seasoned chives and sesame oil sauce gave it a clean, tender texture, haha.

Bull intestines packed with filling

The bull intestines were packed with rich filling, so nutty flavor burst out with every chew!! Pair them with the house spicy sauce or green-onion kimchi and you could keep eating forever,,,,,

If I had to choose between garlic gopchang and bull intestines

Limited to 30 servings a day, the traditional handmade garlic gopchang has one whole garlic clove inside each piece. In one bite, the nutty gopchang flavor and garlic’s sharpness neatly cut through gopchang’s characteristic richness!! The best combo was a light dip in sesame oil sauce followed by grilled green-onion kimchi, haha.

Makchang, daechang, and honeycomb tripe too

The makchang had a chewy texture that was fun to bite into, and when cooked crisp on the outside, its nutty flavor made me think of soju. The honeycomb tripe was a special treat, with its distinctive honeycomb look and a soft, clean flavor, while the daechang was browned outside and plump within, full of rich, fatty nuttiness! Top it with grilled bean sprouts, chives, or shiitake mushrooms and wasabi sauce for a clean finish!!

Omokgyo fried rice with egg

For the finale, I ordered Omokgyo fried rice. One serving is ₩6,600, but two servings cost ₩9,900, so for just ₩3,000 more you get an extra serving—such amazing value!! The visual alone catches your eye, with plenty of soft beaten egg poured around the edge of the stone plate, haha. As the egg cooks, mix it into the fried rice~~ The rice grains do not get overly soaked in oil, and the result is fluffy and soft, you know?!?!

Sweep in any leftover gopchang pieces or green-onion kimchi from the grill, chop them up, and fry everything together—the seasoning becomes just right, and I ended up scraping the grill clean,,,, What a happy way to finish the day!

What I liked about Omokgyo Gopchang

• The Korean intestines from cattle slaughtered that day were impressively nutty with no unpleasant odor.
• The whole garlic inside the traditional handmade garlic gopchang cooked soft and balanced the richness!
• The savory homemade weekly green-onion kimchi and the lineup of side dishes worked wonderfully together.
• The two-serving Omokgyo fried rice had a good portion for the price, and the egg was a great match!
• The varied review events and kind grilling service kept my satisfaction high throughout the meal.

The pairing of carefully prepared gopchang and properly fermented green-onion kimchi was truly memorable, haha. If you are looking for a can’t-miss gopchang restaurant near Omokgyo or Mokdong, I recommend visiting without hesitation!!