Gopchang feast with friends near Yeonsu Station: Yeonsu Gopchang

Why I picked Yeonsu Gopchang again for a friends' get-together

Yeonsu Gopchang has a great word-of-mouth reputation near Yeonsu Station, so the writer booked it for a friends' get-together without a second thought. I absolutely love gopchang, so I chose a place that is tasty and perfect for drinking. I had eaten here before and the memory of how amazingly good it was stayed vivid, so I went back without hesitating, like a hidden gem. It's already a well-known Yeonsu Station favorite, and many people count it as the restaurant of their lives.

Where is Yeonsu Gopchang Yeonsu Main Branch, and what about hours and parking?

Yeonsu Gopchang Yeonsu Main Branch is at 13-5 Saemmal-ro 21beon-gil, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 1st floor, and it's open daily from 16:00 to 01:00 (closed on the 5th Sunday of each month). Public transport access is great: it's about 648 m from Yeonsu Station Exit 1. Stroll for about 10 minutes and you'll easily spot the restaurant in the lively Yeonsu-dong food alley.

If you're driving, parking is thoughtfully taken care of too. Park at the Neulbom underground public parking lot or the Matgoeul-gil public parking lot and they cover 2 hours of parking fees, so you can eat in peace. It's just a 3-minute walk from the lots to the restaurant, so access is superb.

Three operating principles posted in the restaurant

Once you read the operating principles hanging inside, you immediately understand why Yeonsu Gopchang is so special and tasty.

First, based on the know-how of a veteran with over 10 years of hands-on trimming, the gopchang is slowly aged for a full day (24 hours) in a dedicated aging room kept at the ideal 2℃. They say this strict process completely removes the gamey smell and makes the meat not tough at all, with richness that builds the more you chew. That really boosted my trust.

Second, to break the old prejudice that "gopchang places are greasy and slippery," it said they give up a day's sales once a month, on the last Sunday, to deep clean the whole restaurant. They wipe even the hidden corners with the honest thought that they're feeding their own family, which firmly built my trust in their hygiene. A wonderful Yeonsu-dong, Incheon restaurant.

Finally, under the belief of serving guests "with care rather than speed," they give freshly boiled liver and sundae every day, hot fish cake soup and mulddeok served in an aluminum kettle, and even a small taster of stir-fried white sundae, all as standard. They treat you as a person, not just a meal, offering the neighborhood's best healing space.

The relocated interior and the self-service corner

Yeonsu Gopchang moved from its old spot to a new one, and perhaps because of that the interior is cleaner and fresher, which made me very happy from the first impression. There are plenty of tables, so it seems many people happily use it for cozy dates, group gatherings or as a Yeonsu-dong drinking spot.

There's also a neatly organized self-service corner on one side, where you can grab side dishes or sauces yourself without feeling awkward. I really liked that system.

What's on the Yeonsu Gopchang menu?

The signature items at Yeonsu Gopchang are the Mixed Set and the Special Set, and there's a wide choice of stir-fried gopchang, grilled makchang (beef large intestine) and gopchang hot pot. Looking at the menu after sitting down, it was full of appealing dishes worthy of its Yeonsu Station reputation.

• Yeonsu Gopchang Mixed Set, Special Set
• Fire-pre-grilled vegetable gopchang stir-fry full of smoky flavor
• Salt-grilled makchang
• Spicy, rich gopchang hot pot
• Savory seasoned grilled makchang
• Teriyaki makchang, the classic sweet and salty
• Fiery flame makchang
• Sundae gopchang stir-fry
• Spicy chili pepper gopchang stir-fry
• Mild white gopchang stir-fry

The side dishes that go with the mains are also varied and generous, so people of any age can fill up to their taste.

Also, right now if you join the Naver photo review event at Yeonsu Gopchang, you get a nostalgic prize draw with 1st to 5th place prizes. It's small fun and excitement, so I strongly recommend joining for the heck of it.

What comes in the Yeonsu Gopchang Special Set?

The Special Set comes with fire-grilled vegetable gopchang stir-fry, salt-grilled makchang, seasoned grilled makchang, earthenware gopchang hot pot, cheese bomb steamed egg and pure sesame oil fried rice, plus free kettle fish cake soup and liver/sundae. After some thought, our group ordered the Special Set, said to have the best lineup and be the most popular, and the table was laid out so generously it looked ready to buckle.

Free kettle fish cake soup, liver and sundae

The free fish cake soup, liver and sundae that arrived before the Special Set mains were so good that they vanished in an instant. The liver, boiled fresh daily, wasn't dry at all and was freshness itself, and the sundae was very soft with a springy texture that filled my mouth happily. The fish cake soup comes skewered in a kettle, which adds charm, and the broth was deep and clean, perfect as a drinking snack too.

Fire-grilled vegetable gopchang stir-fry and salt and seasoned grilled makchang

When the fire-grilled vegetable gopchang stir-fry, salt-grilled makchang and seasoned grilled makchang finally arrived, the look alone was overwhelming, and my hands kept busily moving over the lavish combination. Perhaps thanks to the 24-hour low-temperature aging, I didn't notice even a hint of gamey smell, and with every bite savory juices and smoky flavor burst through my mouth, so I felt the true worth of this Yeonsu Station favorite with my whole body.

The salt-grilled makchang was crisp outside and the height of chewiness inside, and the sweet-spicy savory seasoned makchang was so addictive that drinkers looking for a Yeonsu-dong bar will find the drinks magically slipping down. The chewy rice cake add-ins were a treat, and the soft, well-seasoned sundae mixed in too, so you get varied flavors and harmonious textures at once. I kept blurting out "this is the best!"

Earthenware gopchang hot pot and cheese bomb steamed egg

The earthenware gopchang hot pot in the Special Set had a rich, savory broth that soothed deep inside, and the tender texture of the gopchang packed into the pot was outstanding.

And the cheese bomb steamed egg, puffed up and nearly overflowing the pot, made my heart flutter just by looking at it. Loaded with savory, salty cheese, it had a popular, addictive flavor everyone would love. The soft egg and the moist, nutty cheese blended together, and every big spoonful melted in my mouth with supreme softness.

Finishing with pure sesame oil fried rice

The Special Set finishes with pure sesame oil fried rice. I was already about to burst, but a Korean meal isn't complete without fried rice, so I asked for it, and it arrived with a beautifully colorful look that delights the eyes. Topped generously with a pretty fried egg, crunchy kimchi, nutty seaweed flakes, firm bite-sized pickled radish and fresh garlic chives, it was touching.

I was sure I couldn't eat any more, but the moment the nutty sesame oil aroma hit my nose, the fried rice seemed to pull my spoon along, and it just kept going in.

Is Yeonsu Gopchang worth going back to?

The gopchang flavor, the friendliness and the cleanliness all satisfied the writer, who has decided to return. The owner and staff were all so kind that I felt treated like a guest, the gopchang's own flavor was even better than I imagined, and the restaurant was clean and pleasant, so I was very satisfied the whole time at this Yeonsu Station favorite. I'll definitely come back next time!