Gimpo sundae-guk restaurant, remote waitlist and 3pm close: Paldam

I used to think sundae-guk (blood sausage soup) was pretty much all the same, but this place completely broke that assumption. Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch is a sundae-guk place people actually wait in line for — you might wonder how good soup could possibly be to warrant a wait, but once you visit, you'll get it haha.

Parking and waiting at Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch

Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch is at 5 Ungok-ro, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. Parking is a bit tight, but with a little flexibility it's manageable — just keep that in mind.

One tip: you can use an app called CatchTable to put your name on the waitlist remotely, and I really wish I'd known about this sooner. You can also use the on-site waiting machine, but if there are 5 teams ahead of you, figure on about a 20-minute wait.

Opens 10am, closes 3pm

Oddly enough, opening time is 10am but closing time is 3pm. Last order is 2:30pm, and they're closed every Thursday, so keep that in mind. Closing time is 3pm!

The inside was really packed with people. Honestly, they could use an expansion.

Paldam Sundae menu and prices, ₩5,000 omakase set

Here's the menu and price list. You order using the kiosk placed at each table.

• Clear sundae-guk / clear lean meat sundae-guk
• 211 spicy sundae-guk / spicy lean meat sundae-guk
• Sundae-guk special
• Omakase set
• Boiled pork slices (suyuk)
• Handmade assorted sundae
• Bone stew sundae hot pot
• Squid sundae
• Stir-fried organ meat
• Roasted nut sundae

We ordered two spicy sundae-guk and the omakase set. The omakase set is a sundae-guk plus an extra ₩5,000 add-on.

They say it's handmade sundae made using specialty ingredients from all over the country, a broth simmered for 14 hours from Korean beef and pork bones for a clean flavor without any gamey smell, sous-vide-cooked suyuk boiled with medicinal herbs for tenderness, and Paldam's patented sundae and broth, cooked fresh in-store every day.

They even have a patent certificate for the recipe.

Off to the side you'll find Jerusalem artichoke tea, onion skin tea, and vending machine coffee — nice to enjoy as dessert after the meal.

Basic side dishes and the organ meat self-bar

Paldam Sundae's basic side dishes are diced radish kimchi and cabbage kimchi.

For anything else, you can just help yourself at the self-bar as much as you like. There's onion and hot pepper there too.

This is the organ meat self-bar. Different types of organ meat are laid out, and you can serve yourself as much as you want.

Pretty surprising that there's an actual organ meat self-bar.

The broth can splash, so I'd definitely recommend being careful when you scoop it.

Today's omakase sundae came as three types: cheongyang chili sundae, blood sundae, and nut sundae. Seems like the lineup rotates.

The taste of spicy sundae-guk, meat portion and broth

About 10 minutes later, our order arrived. The spicy sundae-guk came with a generous amount of meat.

From the sundae itself to every bit of the offal, everything was really substantial and good.

The amount of meat was especially insane — honestly, if you order the special size, I think two people could easily share it.

Of course, sundae-guk needs perilla seed powder — I dropped in two spoonfuls.

I set the hot sundae aside separately to let it cool a bit, and it was really hearty and good.

Above all, this broth — it was really rich and good.

What the ₩5,000 sundae omakase includes

This is the sundae omakase. This whole spread for ₩5,000 — pretty great, right?

They even separated the pieces for easy eating, which made it fun to pick and choose.

I tried dipping it in vinegar-chili sauce, and it was quite the special treat.