Balsan Station Korean restaurant for post-climbing nakgopsae: Gungmin

Opening hours and parking at Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch is open every day from 11:00 to 23:00, closing at 22:00 only on the last Monday of each month. There is a parking lot behind the building, so driving there was fine.

My younger sibling and I had just finished climbing and wanted dinner, and I was really craving spicy nakgopsae. Someone I work out with recommended Gungmin Nakgopsae as a go-to team dinner spot near Balsan Station, so we headed over quickly.

Parking is possible here, so it's a good place to visit by car. It doesn't feel like a tangle of alleys or an area with stressful parking, so driving wasn't much of a hassle. The lot is behind the building, and how much space is free can vary by time of day, so it's best to arrive with some buffer at peak hours.

Inside Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo: good for a team dinner?

The inside is clean and tidy, with decent spacing between tables, so it looked fine for team dinners or groups. There's also a big projector, which would be great for gatherings on sports match days.

My first impression of Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo was "clean." Nakgopsae places can feel a bit noisy and greasy, but this one felt tidy overall, which was a nice start. The tables weren't crammed against the neighbors', so we could chat comfortably while eating! There was a mix of families, friends and office workers, so it looked fine for team dinners or group visits too.

With the big projector, I think it'd also be fine to get together over nakgopsae on a sports match day.

Menu and prices at Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo: what we ordered

At Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch we ordered the signature medium hanwoo daechang nakgopsae (₩32,900), plus cider (₩2,000) and fried rice (₩3,000). I went back and forth between gopchang (small intestine) and daechang (large intestine) and picked daechang.

• (Signature) Medium hanwoo daechang nakgopsae ₩32,900
• Cider ₩2,000
• Fried rice ₩3,000

I agonized way too long over gopchang versus daechang, but daechang won in the end! My sibling prefers daechang to gopchang, and I'm happy with both, so we went with daechang!

Gungmin Nakgopsae receipt review event

Gungmin Nakgopsae, the Korean restaurant near Balsan Station, is also running a Naver receipt review event. For a photo review you get one of extra noodles/ingredients, thinly sliced beef brisket or a drink; for a video review, one of flying fish roe fried rice, pineapple sorbet or a highball. It's once per table, apparently!

Side dishes at Gungmin Nakgopsae

After you order, Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch brings out the side dishes first: sliced pickled radish, white kimchi, mayonnaise, perilla leaves and seaweed soup. The seaweed soup kept my hungry stomach quiet for the time being.

How did the hanwoo daechang nakgopsae taste?

The hanwoo daechang nakgopsae came out quickly after ordering, and the sauce was more savory and spicy-hot than harshly spicy. It was loaded with octopus, shrimp and daechang, and the daechang made the broth feel much deeper.

The dish came out soon after we ordered. The staff warned us that the glass noodles stick easily, so stir right when it starts to boil.

It was bubbling away and the smell alone was already a pass. Octopus, shrimp and daechang were packed in, so it looked amazing right away. The sauce wasn't as harshly spicy as I expected; it was hot but savory, the kind of flavor you keep eating. The octopus was chewy and plump with great texture. The shrimp were rich and satisfying to bite, and the daechang brought a fatty nuttiness, and with all three together I couldn't put my chopsticks down. The daechang especially made the whole broth taste much deeper.

If you can't handle spice, add perilla leaves and mayonnaise

Following the how-to-eat instructions, we had it with perilla leaves and mayonnaise, and it was seriously good. The mayo is rich and tames the spiciness completely, so even someone who's bad with spice can eat plenty. It went well with the pickled radish too.

Gungmin Nakgopsae fried rice: worth adding?

The fried rice (₩3,000) was generous even though we only ordered one portion, and the staff stir-fried it with scrambled egg in the leftover sauce. Honestly, I'd have regretted it if we'd skipped the fried rice.

It was fluffy and nutty, with the sauce soaked in well, so it felt like the perfect finish. It's Korean food, so it's easy and filling with no pressure, and if you're looking for a pub or team dinner spot near Balsan Station, give Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo a visit!