Bangi-dong gopchang restaurant with a 30-minute weekday wait: Jinseong

I'm someone who doesn't get the whole waiting-in-line-to-eat thing, but not long ago I waited 30 minutes to get into a spot that turned out to be the best beef gopchang I've ever had — Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang, a gopchang restaurant in Bangi-dong.

Where is Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch?

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch is at 19 Olympic-ro 32-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, right in the middle of the Bangi-dong food alley. I know they also have a Garak main branch and a Sindang branch, but this one is the Bangi direct-operated branch.

How long is the weekday evening wait at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang?

At Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch, you write your name on a waiting list right outside the store and wait — we waited about 30 minutes. I saw people waiting from far away, so we made sure to write our name down first.

Since groups leave and come in all at once, if your timing is right you might get in fast even with a lower number. These days the night breeze is nice and cool, so the wait wasn't boring at all.

Inside the restaurant and how mijeolma sauce is explained

Inside Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch, there were clippings from various TV shows the place has appeared on, plus an explanation of the mijeolma sauce.

Mijeolma is short for minari-jeolim-maneul sauce (pickled minari garlic sauce), and the sign said to dip not just the gopchang but all the vegetables and even the kimchi in it.

The best menu items at this Bangi-dong gopchang restaurant are hanwoo gopchang and kkakdugi-fried rice (yangbap)!

The menu: gopchang, daechang and makchang

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang's menu is just three types — gopchang / daechang / makchang. Just seeing that gives you a sense of their confidence, right? I ordered 2 portions of gopchang plus 1 portion of daechang.

Several kinds of kimchi and the complimentary steamed egg

At Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch, you don't just get one kind of kimchi — they serve different types, which was fun to try one by one. Some were sharp and refreshing, others deeper and more fermented in flavor, each with a slightly different feel. Apparently the scallion kimchi (pa-kimchi) is so popular they even sell it separately.

The seasoned chives were great eaten plain, and even better lightly cooked next to the gopchang!

They also serve complimentary steamed egg (gyeranjjim), which was great for settling the stomach before the gopchang finished cooking — fans of steamed egg will be happy! It's not a flashy menu item, but when the basics are good, overall satisfaction just goes up, haha.

Two portions of gopchang and one of daechang on the hot plate

The 2 portions of gopchang and 1 portion of daechang came out piled high on a sizzling hot plate — it looked pretty generous from the first glance. The gopchang came out in long whole pieces while the daechang was cut into plump chunks, so the texture difference was obvious even within a single plate.

The staff cut everything into easy-to-eat pieces, pushing the bean sprouts and chives aside and topping it with a bit of scallion kimchi — that's the fun part!

They give you a timer, so you know exactly when to start eating. Gopchang was ready before the daechang, and they recommended cooking the daechang a bit crispier.

How does the gopchang at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang taste?

As the gopchang got more heat, the outside turned crispier and golden while the inside kept its fat, so biting into it released a big burst of savory flavor.

At some places, badly cooked gopchang can be chewy or come with a gamey smell, but here it had a good chew without lingering toughness, and the savory taste of the intestine fat came through clean.

Mijeolma sauce: pickled minari and garlic

What I really liked at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang was the sauce! It's the pickled minari garlic sauce shown in the photo. Dipping into it brings a salty, sharp garlic kick along with the fresh aroma of minari, which resets your palate all at once!

How is daechang different from gopchang?

Daechang has a completely different charm from gopchang. As it cooks on the grill, the surface turns golden while the fat inside melts and makes it glossy. One bite is slightly chewy and savory on the outside, while the inside melts softly, giving a much richer and heavier savoriness than gopchang.

Daechang can easily leave a greasy taste in your mouth after just a few pieces, but here the chives, bean sprouts, and kimchi are grilled alongside it, so eating them together in between made it much less heavy.

Is the 30-minute wait worth it?

I didn't expect there'd even be a wait on a weekday evening, but after eating, I understood why people wait at this Bangi-dong gopchang restaurant. The combination of 2 portions of gopchang and 1 of daechang was quite satisfying too, thanks to the contrasting textures.

If you're ever craving gopchang in Bangi-dong, this is a place worth waiting for, even with a line.