Gumi Sangmo-dong restaurant with private rooms to reserve: Irojeong

As part of my tourism-major trip through Gumi, here's Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch, a Korean set-menu restaurant.

My mom and I always used to complain that there was no clean, high-quality home-style Korean restaurant near Sangmo in Gumi. But it's finally here!! They specialize in loach soup and black goat, but they also serve neatly plated boiled pork, grilled fish, and all kinds of Korean side dishes. There's even a huge parking lot and private rooms, so it's great for gatherings and also just for a regular lunch! Let me introduce Irojeong, the place my mom now wants to bring for every friend or family gathering.

Why Irojeong in Gumi is worth the trip

A menu that suits every age, from kids to grandparents

Irojeong, the newest hot spot in Gumi, specializes in loach soup and black goat, but you can also get grilled fish, boiled pork, pork cutlet, seaweed soup, and more.

There's something both grown-ups and kids like, which is great when eating as a family. When looking for food to eat with the kids, we usually end up at the same few places, so it was really nice to find somewhere new that satisfies everyone.

Private rooms at Irojeong

There are plenty of rooms for gatherings! Some are half-open, and some are fully private. The spaces are well separated, so it seems great for a quiet conversation too.

However, if you want a room, I strongly recommend booking ahead! We went at 11:20am and every room was already reserved.

Easy to find near Geumosan, with parking for 60 cars

It's 10–15 minutes by car from Geumosan, and 2 minutes from Saemaul Park. It's behind Sangmo Hanshin The Hyu, right next to the main road, so it's easy to reach.

And the parking area is huge — it fits about 60 cars! When you're dining with your parents or having a family gathering, parking trouble at the very start is exhausting. Here, you don't have to worry about that at all!

Is the food at Irojeong good?

Lastly, the food is really neat, clean, and delicious. Order the set menu (bekban) and you get loach soup, boiled pork, mackerel, japchae, fried loach, salad, and various side dishes.

The dishware is ceramic, giving it a upscale hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal) feel, and everything tastes neat — the older generation loves it. My mom kept complimenting how clean and tidy the food was!

Inside Irojeong: private rooms, play room and waiting lounge

Irojeong is a fairly large restaurant. The space is roughly divided into regular table seating, semi-open rooms, private rooms, a play room, and a waiting lounge.

The main hall is very spacious. There are a lot of tables, and it was still fully packed!

The semi-open rooms seat 4 people and are slightly open, so you don't feel closed in but still get some privacy.

There are also fully private rooms that are completely enclosed — great for hosting guests or family events! With advance reservation, they can seat up to 30 people!

But since all the rooms were already full when we arrived at 11:20am, it seems best to book ahead even for a small group.

For those visiting with kids, the play room is a big plus. There's a game console, play equipment, and even a TV!

It's not exactly a ball pit, but it looked like a good place for the kids to play while the parents eat.

And the biggest perk of this place!! The waiting lounge and café! It even has proper tables and chairs!

Sweet pumpkin sikhye (rice punch), sujeonggwa (cinnamon-persimmon punch), sipjeondaebo tea, Americano, and instant coffee — all free!!! There are separate ice cups prepared for the Americano so you can even take it to go! The owner's effort here is insane (in a good way). There are also gangjeong (Korean rice puffs) set out as a snack.

With this much care put into the place, I could see why it's popular enough to have a wait!

Irojeong menu and prices

Irojeong's specialties are sanghwang loach soup and black goat dishes. But personally, rather than a single loach soup dish, I especially liked the set menus where you get to eat several dishes together.

• Sanghwang loach soup ₩11,000
• Boiled pork + mackerel + loach soup set ₩18,000
• Sanghwang black goat soup ₩18,000
• Sanghwang black goat boiled meat set ₩25,000
• Octopus seafood pancake ₩20,000
• (Kids' menu) Korean beef seaweed soup ₩11,000
• (Kids' menu) Pork tenderloin cutlet ₩10,000

Personally, if it's your first visit, I highly recommend the boiled pork + mackerel sanghwang loach set. You get boiled pork, mackerel, loach soup, and side dishes all at once — a really solid combination. Note that set menus require an order of 2 or more people!

Honest review: the pork, mackerel and loach soup set, pancake and cutlet

We ordered the boiled pork + mackerel + loach set (₩18,000), pork tenderloin cutlet (₩10,000), and octopus seafood pancake (₩20,000).

When you walk in, there's a self-serve bar — one warning here! There are side dishes and rice out, so I assumed I was supposed to scoop my own rice, and I went ahead and did it.

But if you wait, the turmeric rice and side dishes are actually served separately. Don't grab them from the start — just go get extra side dishes or rice later if you run out!

There are somyeon (thin wheat noodles) and dessert fruit there too, but they're not served to the table, so help yourself if you want them!

The mackerel-loach set comes on a pretty wooden tray with various side dishes neatly arranged. Fried loach, fried sweet potato, salad, japchae, and all kinds of banchan (side dishes) — the spread was really varied.

The fried loach is moist and crispy — delicious. It barely tastes fishy at all! Very easy to eat without hesitation, and the sweet potato fritters are sweet and tasty too.

And the boiled pork is genuinely delicious! The slices are quite thick, so I thought it might be tough, but it's actually so tender! Honestly better than the bossam I recently ordered from a dedicated bossam place.

The lean-to-fat ratio is great too, and even though it's thick, it's soft and juicy — the kind of dish that makes you want to order another plate.

And now the main event, sanghwang loach soup! It looks clean and neat from the moment it's served. The perilla powder is already mixed in, and you can add garlic, chili, or sancho pepper powder to taste.

I only eat loach soup at places I trust, and here there was barely any fishy taste — the broth was rich but still well-seasoned enough to pair perfectly with rice. And the base rice isn't plain white rice but turmeric rice, which made it feel extra special!

The mackerel included in the set was also really moist and tender. One fish comes cut into 2 pieces with almost no bones, so it's easy to eat — great for kids too.

There were so many varied side dishes that the portion never felt lacking. Truly a generous spread!

The octopus seafood pancake we ordered on top was visually stunning too. A whole large octopus is placed on top of the pancake.

The edges were crispy and the inside was moist — a textbook example of a good pancake texture — and the octopus was incredibly tender too!

It's well-seasoned even on its own, but with the accompanying vinegar-chili sauce it's cleaner, and dipped in the soy sauce meant for the fried loach, the umami really comes through! Yummy~~~

Lastly, the pork tenderloin cutlet! It's on the thinner side compared to thick Japanese-style cutlets, but since it's served freshly fried, the inside stayed juicy and moist. No dryness or toughness, so it seemed like something kids would eat happily too.

We ate so much and so happily that we all agreed to skip dinner. My mom was so satisfied she promised we'd come again! She said she'd bring her friends here for gatherings, or even for our birthdays! That's how well this clean, neat place suits both the older and younger generations' taste — you really should stop by!