Gunsan gamjatang restaurant with torch cheese show: Insaeng Gamjatang

My husband and I came to Gunsan for a fishing trip, and on the way home we stopped by Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch for a hearty dinner haha >_<

Open daily 07:00–03:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)

There's parking space behind the restaurant

Inside Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch and what's on the menu

I came in the early evening. It was a weekday and we arrived right as break time ended at 5pm, so I got to photograph the quiet interior! The restaurant is really spacious too, definitely big enough for group visits >_<

The signature menu item is half-and-half gamjatang — apparently the first Korean gamjatang brand to develop a half-and-half version! ⸝⸝• ̫•⸝⸝ The types include aged kimchi gamjatang, gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi) gamjatang, ugeoji gamjatang, green onion kimchi gamjatang, and tofu dregs gamjatang. Besides gamjatang, they also sell haejangguk — ugeoji, aged kimchi, green onion kimchi, gat kimchi haejangguk, boneless haejang ramyeon, and more.

For a review event, writing an Instagram or Naver receipt review gets you a choice of 2 draft beers, a highball, or extra noodles/rice cake! There was also a sign explaining how to eat gamjatang for the best experience. You know how when something's written down like that you just can't help but follow it exactly, haha.

Orders are placed via kiosk like this!

What we ordered today was the cheese spicy pork bone grill (mild) from the special menu! It comes as a set with haejangguk broth + flying fish roe rice balls >_<

The self-serve corner and the 3 basic side dishes

Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch has a separate self-serve corner, so you can freely refill any side dishes you run out of—

3 basic banchan come out with the meal. The baek-kimchi (white kimchi) was so good I refilled it myself ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Wet wipes and hygiene gloves were set up at every table, so it was convenient not having to get up and go find them!

Set item ①: flying fish roe rice balls

Ready to eat and waiting! First came the flying fish roe rice balls that are part of today's cheese spicy pork bone grill set — with hygiene gloves on, they shaped them into neat round balls right there >_<

Mild cheese pork bone grill and the tableside torch show

The cheese spicy pork bone grill arrives with a generous layer of cheese underneath and seasoned pork bones on top!

A staff member put on the fire show, which made it that much more fun to watch, haha. Melting the cheese with the torch, you could really feel how carefully she was cooking it!

She split the large bones in half and set each piece up so they'd be easy to eat! On top, another round of snow-flake cheese gets added. Honestly, shouldn't they rename it from cheese spicy pork bone grill to something like cheese-cheese-cheese bomb... on bones? Haha.

One more pass with the torch melted the cheese while adding that extra fire-roasted flavor — I was so excited before even taking a bite!

Set item ②: the haejangguk broth

The haejangguk broth is served boiling hot, with sujebi (hand-torn dough) and green onion kimchi inside! My husband said the broth was so good — the green onion kimchi gave it a slightly tangy edge >_<

Ta-da! Our full spread was complete! I started shaping the round rice balls but got too distracted by the flashy cheese-and-fire show, so I just ended up scooping it all up instead — haha.

That cheese pull is just so satisfying to look at!

With hygiene gloves on, I picked the meat off the bone and rolled it in cheese — genuinely so good >_< Did I always love cheese this much?..

They keep a low flame going so the cheese doesn't harden, so it keeps stretching like this~~

Spice wimp: go mild or medium?

There was so much cheese that I could keep pairing pork bone and cheese together all the way through. If you handle spice well, medium or spicy might be worth trying too! With that much cheese, the spiciness should get neutralized plenty. I'm a total spice wimp so I went with mild, and I still enjoyed it a lot >_< (If I'd known there'd be this much cheese, I think I would've tried medium haha)

What fell short at Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan

Near the end of our meal, though, I kept hearing what sounded like someone hacking up phlegm or blowing their nose from somewhere inside the restaurant... ㅠㅠ

Since it was after break time, our party was the only table in the restaurant at that point. We'd nearly finished eating so it wasn't a big deal, but if it had happened right when we sat down, I think I would've said something about it. Aside from that, it was a really satisfying meal!

Also, the female staff member who served us was really kind, and I appreciated how carefully she handled the torch on the pork bone grill ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Who this Gunsan gamjatang spot is for

• ❥ Anyone wanting a really hearty, filling meal
• ❥ Anyone looking for a hangover-soup spot near Gunsan
• ❥ Anyone curious about half-and-half gamjatang or pork bone grill, not just regular gamjatang
• ❥ Anyone who loves the spicy + cheese combo >_<