Gumi loach soup spot after acupuncture, with makgeolli: Irojeong

This week's weather is really something~ Daegu hasn't even started its rainy season yet, I think, and I'm so worried about how we'll get through this summer.. At times like this, eating stamina food every day and getting plenty of rest is the best plan, I think~

A few days ago I had errands in Gumi, stopped by a Korean medicine clinic for acupuncture, and then had a stamina meal too, so I came back well prepared for summer. It's a brand-new spot that opened in early July, a Gumi loach soup place called Irojeong!!

Where is Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch, and what are its hours?

Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch is at 32 Bakjeonghui-ro, Gumi, a 5-minute drive from Nam-Gumi IC. Head straight toward Geumo-daero from Park Chung-hee's birthplace in Gumi and it's 700 m away, so even though you have to seek it out, it's super easy to find!

• Address: 32 Bakjeonghui-ro, Gumi
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00
• Inquiries and group reservations: by phone
• Parking: dedicated parking lot

Inside Irojeong, a newly opened loach soup restaurant in Gumi

Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch is a new place that opened in early July. It was packed from the moment it opened~ The interior is very neat and clean, the tables are spaced widely, and it was lovely for a relaxed meal!!

From the kids' play room to the lounge for after your meal, it was a spacious, comfortable restaurant that had everything perfectly prepared. I figured that's why word spread so fast.

Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch is a Korean restaurant specializing in domestic black goat and sanghwang loach soup (chueotang). Loach soup is the main menu, but there were also tender warm suyuk (boiled sliced pork), grilled mackerel, pork cutlet the kids can eat, and plenty of other side dishes~

There was a generous salad bar too, and even the rice is unlimited refills. The side dishes and all the seasonings were set up neatly and easy to use!

Kyaa~ Miryang Arirang makgeolli (milky rice wine)!! I'd never seen this one before.. so of course I had to taste it~ They're even running a promotion, so definitely order it!

What we ordered at Irojeong: warm suyuk sanghwang loach set and whole-octopus seafood pajeon

Order: warm suyuk sanghwang loach set + whole-octopus seafood pajeon

This is how Irojeong's basic side dish table comes out, all neat and tidy. Sweet potato and fried loach come too, along with assorted kimchi, salad and suyuk, all in one spread. I'd gently recommend trying the fried loach~ It comes as a small taster, not overdone, so you get to try a variety in just the right amount!

How does Irojeong's warm suyuk taste?

Kyaa~ tender warm suyuk!! Eating only loach soup might feel a little lacking~ This is marbled suyuk from Cheongjeong Gowon, said to be made with premium pork. It doesn't taste like ordinary suyuk, more like it was slow-boiled with medicinal herbs. No gamey smell at all, and it's incredibly tender and flavorful.

How big is the whole-octopus seafood pajeon at Irojeong?

Irojeong's whole-octopus seafood pajeon (scallion pancake) has one big octopus in it, whole. Octopus is said to get even a collapsed ox back on its feet, so eating it like this in summer, somehow I feel like I'll get tons of energy~

And there are lots of big whole shrimp on top too. The crispy pajeon texture is always a thumbs-up, no matter how often you eat it~ It doesn't just come on a plate, so you can eat it crisp and not soggy to the very end. Isn't that just good thinking??

And the octopus isn't small either. With a big whole octopus in there, you can dig in freely with the people you're eating with, without worrying about who's taking more~

Is Miryang Arirang makgeolli worth ordering with loach soup?

Miryang Arirang makgeolli, why is this stuff so good too?? It was my first time trying it, and with the seafood pajeon and warm suyuk, you absolutely have to order makgeolli to do it right!!

What style of sanghwang loach soup does Irojeong serve?

Irojeong's sanghwang loach soup is Namwon-style loach soup, simmered long with domestic sanghwang mushrooms (Phellinus) and domestic loach in a master's style!! The sanghwang loach soup has finally arrived!!

You can see how thick and deep the broth looks.. and it really is a super dense broth full of dried radish greens, with the look of true stamina food. Just looking at it makes you feel restored.

If Gyeongsang-style loach soup has a clear broth, then Namdo-style loach soup is this deeper, richer, true-essence kind~ Boiling loach, mashing the flesh and simmering it with lots of ingredients is said to be Jeolla-style loach soup.

Free desserts and the post-meal lounge at Irojeong in Gumi

Irojeong finishes the meal with watermelon for dessert. Giving out this pricey watermelon as dessert, wow, a place that ends with watermelon like this really seems like the best Gumi spot for restoring your body.

The lounge after the meal is seriously amazing!

Ahh, the owner here is really something. It's not just a simple coffee for dessert: there's pumpkin sikhye (sweet rice drink), sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch), coffee, even cups of ice. And on top of that, barley gangjeong (crunchy grain snack)!! What are we supposed to do when you give us all this, boss,,

It's amazing~ This is the lounge where you rest after eating!! It's a café with a really lovely atmosphere. All of this is simply a free service. I think this is the first restaurant I've seen where you can have dessert like this after a hearty meal!! This is a place you absolutely have to go~ Let's eat some hearty stamina food in the sweltering heat and keep our strength up~~