Makchang grill in Garak-dong, Seoul with an 8 PM wait: Jinseong Hanwoo

Here's another gopchang report from Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang. I remembered how good my last visit was, so this time I headed to the Garak branch.

How to get to Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship, and where to park

This Garak-dong beef intestine grill restaurant is near both Garak Market Station (Line 8) and Gyeongchal Byeongwon Station (Line 3), close enough to walk from either — great for anyone working nearby. There are a lot of good restaurants around, but this one feels like the best of the best.

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship also has basement parking in the building, so it's easy to visit by car too. We drove and parked without any hassle!

The storefront and how long the 8 PM wait took

The exterior stands out even from a distance! Every time I pass by this area, the place is packed — it's a true gopchang hotspot. A big sign said they're open until 11 PM.

We ended up waiting again that day. I visited around 8 PM, past the usual dinner rush, so I figured there wouldn't be a wait — but of course there was! We waited a bit before getting seated. Turnover is quick though, so the line moved fast.

What the seating inside is like

The inside of this Garak-dong beef intestine grill restaurant is spacious and airy! There are tons of seats, but being such a popular place, it was completely full.

Menu and prices at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship

The menu here features gopchang, daechang, and makchang, plus kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice and anchovy noodles as sides. All the gopchang, daechang, and makchang are domestic Korean beef (hanwoo)!!!

Side dishes, the kimchi trio and the minari pickle garlic sauce

The basic side dishes include steamed egg, chive salad, kimchi, and sauce. All of them pair well with gopchang.

The kimchi trio at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship — green onion kimchi, mustard leaf kimchi, and altari radish kimchi — is all house-made, apparently. Maybe that's why it was perfectly fermented, with just the right taste and ripeness :)

The real kick of Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship is this minari (water dropwort) pickle garlic sauce — dunk the gopchang, daechang, or makchang in it and the flavor practically doubles. It's basically a magic sauce.

Ordering 2 servings of makchang and 1 serving of gopchang

We ordered 2 servings of makchang and 1 serving of gopchang. The portions looked generous and the presentation passed with flying colors...! I'd actually come craving makchang, which is why I ordered 2 servings of it, but honestly the gopchang was incredible too.

The gopchang and makchang were grilled on a hot stone plate together with kimchi, chives, bean sprouts, potatoes, and other vegetables. Sizzling, crackling — such a satisfying sound while it cooks. Watching it bubble away in its own fat, you can practically taste it with your eyes.

Staff walked around and grilled the gopchang for us directly, which made things so easy and pleasant. They looked completely swamped and busy, but somehow still managed to grill everything perfectly on time — impressive, haha.

Beautifully grilled makchang and gopchang. Rare portrait-style food shot, lol — it just looked too good not to photograph.

Now all that's left is to eat the perfectly grilled gopchang and makchang!!!!!!! Fully loaded and ready to eat.

How did the makchang and gopchang taste?

The makchang was grilled perfectly — chewy and clean-tasting, and

the gopchang was truly the real deal....! It was genuinely delicious, gopchang!!!! Sadly I was too full to order more. Packed full of fat inside, and that chewy texture combined with the clean, rich flavor when you bite in was seriously amazing.ㅎ_ㅎ

I dipped it into that minari pickle garlic sauce I mentioned earlier, the kick of Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship, and finished the meal really full and really satisfied. This sauce is truly magic. I'll say it as many times as it takes!!!!!!!!!

Cleaned my plate down to the sides too...! I recommend Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship as a go-to Garak-dong beef intestine grill restaurant. Whenever you're craving gopchang, head to Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship~~~~