Goyang gukbap restaurant by Kintex, suyuk set with kids: Roman Gukbap

I've been going out to Kintex a lot lately for the move-in expos, and while looking for good restaurants nearby I discovered Roman Gukbap. It's a place serving pork soup, my favorite kind of gukbap (soup with rice), and it seemed to have been on TV and known as a celebrity favorite. The distinctive exterior made me think at first it might be called "Roma gukbap."

Where is Roman Gukbap near Kintex? Hours and parking

Roman Gukbap sits right next to the Kintex exhibition halls, so it's a great spot to drop into for a filling bowl of gukbap while making the rounds at an exhibition. I ended up there myself while looking for restaurants near Kintex Exhibition Hall 2.

Hours are 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with last order accepted up to 30 minutes before closing. There's no break time on weekends, though on Sundays the restaurant closes at 9:00 PM. On weekdays there's a break time from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. There are a few parking spots in front of the restaurant.

What's on the menu at Roman Gukbap

Clear pork soup made by a chef with national-team-level credentials — as a pork soup fanatic myself, there was no way I could pass this place by. The chef's résumé is impressive too.

The gukbap lineup included Roman gukbap, offal gukbap, clear sundae (blood sausage) gukbap, boneless Roman gukbap and other pork-soup-based varieties. There was also suyuk (boiled pork) and hot pot, plus side dishes, and I liked that a kids' gukbap was offered free of charge. There was also a guide on how to enjoy the food and info on a review event.

The basic side dishes came out similar to any other pork soup restaurant — a solid recommendation among restaurants near Kintex.

Why Roman Gukbap works for a meal with kids

I liked that Roman Gukbap had dishware and a menu ready for children — I didn't expect to find such pretty baby bowls and cutlery sets at a gukbap restaurant. On top of that, they brought out small plates, scissors and tongs in advance so we could cut up the meat for the kids, and their thoughtfulness won me over right away.

I always agonize over what to order for the kids when we go to a gukbap restaurant, but Roman Gukbap offers a free kids' soup portion, which made it easy to mix rice into it for them.

And sure enough, the kids inhaled it. Maybe they take after me, but my first and second kids have loved pork soup and eaten it well since they were little. A proper find among restaurants near Kintex.

Roman gukbap vs boneless Roman gukbap: what's the difference?

Pork soup is usually divided into boneless (lean meat only), offal, and mixed varieties, and Roman Gukbap's Roman gukbap turned out to be the mixed type. If you're not a fan of offal or odd cuts, go with the boneless Roman gukbap instead.

The contents were generous and it was styled like a clear pork bone broth — clean-tasting and easy to eat.

The boneless Roman gukbap was also loaded with lean meat. This is exactly why people eat pork soup.

Even though we went a little past lunchtime, the place was still packed with customers, and delivery orders kept coming in — a proper restaurant near Kintex. Touring an exhibition really drains your energy, and a hearty bowl of gukbap was perfect for recharging.

The suyuk (boiled pork) set meal and tteokgalbi

I ordered the suyuk (boiled pork) set meal, which let me enjoy sundae (blood sausage), liver and extra meat alongside the soup. At some restaurants a suyuk set meal ends up being just broth plus meat, but here it was soup plus meat, which made for a really satisfying meal.

They also had tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) on the menu, which I ordered as a side for the kids — and wow, their tteokgalbi is delicious too.

A satisfying meal built around a bowl of rice mixed into the soup — a solid recommendation among restaurants near Kintex.

We ate there at lunch, and I'm already craving it again.

A clear broth even pork soup beginners can eat

The broth at Roman Gukbap comes pre-seasoned, so even someone new to pork soup can enjoy it. They apparently simmer it for a long time with various medicinal herbs, and there's barely any gamey smell, which lets you really enjoy the rich yet clean flavor of the broth. It's the kind of style that even people who avoid pork soup because of the smell can eat without any worry.

The suyuk meat was also satisfying in both variety and quantity.

A steaming bowl of pork soup you can fill up generously — it's nice to find something this good near Kintex, and it really does taste great.

After a while, I added salted shrimp, pepper and seasoning sauce to make it a bit heartier. Since the base is so good, even amping up the seasoning goes down easily.

You can also enjoy various side dishes like sundae and liver at Roman Gukbap.

The tteokgalbi was tasty too, making it a great restaurant to visit with kids. With a free soup portion and a solid menu lineup, it seemed like a great restaurant to visit with kids near Kintex, or a good spot for a family meal out.

They call themselves masters of broth, and it really was delicious. I like both rich and clean styles of broth, and Roman Gukbap satisfied me on both counts — a great find near Kintex.