Braised oxtail and drinks at Jeongdam, a Gwangju Gusicheong restaurant

This time, four of us friends ended up having dinner in Gusicheong, and while looking around for what to eat, we found out about Jeongdam (정담).

I don't usually eat ox tail stew that often, so I was actually curious about it, and it seemed like a good spot both for a proper meal and for having a drink, so we decided to visit.

Where is Jeongdam Gusicheong Main Branch? A short walk from Chungjang-ro

Jeongdam is located near Gusicheong in Gwangju, so it's a great spot to head to for dinner after hanging out around Chungjang-ro.

Inside Jeongdam: a warm, easygoing room for a group of four

Once inside, the whole place had a warm feel thanks to the wood-tone interior. Each table had basic tableware neatly set, and there was a big screen on one side too, making it a more relaxed atmosphere than I expected.

It wasn't a super quiet restaurant vibe, but it wasn't a chaotic bar scene either, so it was a good atmosphere for eating and drinking with friends. It worked well for our group of four, and it seemed like a spot that would suit larger groups too, whether for a meal or a drinking session.

Jeongdam's menu and braised oxtail prices

Looking at the menu, the ox tail stew (소꼬리찜) immediately caught my eye as the main dish. It comes in small (500g) for ₩49,000, medium (750g) for ₩69,000, and large (999g) for ₩89,000, and ordering it comes with a set of thin wheat noodles, soft tofu stew, and ginseng sprouts.

There were also other options like spicy ox tail hot pot for ₩50,000, soy sauce ox tail stew for ₩50,000 (small) / ₩90,000 (large), stir-fried squid with rice balls for ₩30,000, and shrimp pancake for ₩22,000. The side menu included perilla oil fried egg, rice balls, spam-ham-egg roll, nachos, and self-serve ramyeon, and there was quite a variety of drinks too.

The four of us ordered the medium ox tail stew for ₩69,000 and had some drinks alongside it.

The banchan (side dishes) that arrive before the oxtail

While we waited for the food, the banchan (side dishes) were set out first, and there were more varieties than I expected. Mushroom pancake, stir-fried sausage, black beans, kimchi, and diced radish kimchi all came out together.

The mushroom pancake in particular came out warm, and it was delicious when I tried a piece. Simple pick-up dishes like the stir-fried sausage and black beans were also great to munch on while drinking.

And when we ordered the ox tail stew, they also set up a soft tofu stew as part of the base. It wasn't something we added separately, so having a stew included as well made the whole set feel solid enough for a proper meal.

Jeongdam's braised oxtail, eaten with garlic chives on top

The ox tail stew that came out as the main dish looked great right from the start. It had a generous pile of chives on top of the ox tail, along with chili peppers and sesame seeds.

I personally love eating chives together with meat, so this combination really suited me. Eating the meat with chives on top instead of plain was more fragrant and made for a much cleaner-tasting bite.

And the best part was how tender the meat was! With ox tail stew, I expected it might be a bit chewy at first, but once I tried it, the meat came off the bone so smoothly that it was easy to eat. Even the meat stuck to the bone could be gently pulled off with chopsticks, and the seasoning had soaked in well.

Eating the seasoned ox tail together with the chives, I kept reaching for more. The thin wheat noodles that came with it also went well when dipped into the sauce.

Since there were four of us, I thought the noodles might run a bit short, but the staff noticed first and told us they'd bring more noodles if we needed. Little touches like that might not seem like much, but as the person eating, it genuinely felt nice.

Jeongdam uses Korean-grown kimchi

There was also a notice posted in the restaurant saying they use 100% domestically produced Korean kimchi. Since we were eating kimchi and diced radish kimchi as part of the banchan, I ended up checking this detail too, and it was nice to see it noted that domestic kimchi is used.

Friendly service and Jeongdam's receipt review event

The staff were really friendly too. They explained each dish as it came out, and they told us upfront they'd bring more noodles if we ran low, which made the meal easy to enjoy.

They were also running a receipt review event. You could take part by using one of the designated hashtags when writing a review, and the restaurant's Instagram was posted as well.

Overall, the food was delicious, but what stuck with me most was how attentively the staff took care of us. The four of us had the medium ox tail stew along with drinks that day, and the atmosphere was more relaxed than expected, and the food was satisfying — I think I'll come back the next time we gather in Gusicheong.

I especially loved the combination of tender ox tail stew topped with chives, so next time I'd like to try some of the other menu items too. If you're looking for a good ox tail stew restaurant in Gwangju, a restaurant and bar near Chungjang-ro in Gwangju, or a place in Gusicheong for both a meal and drinks, Jeongdam is worth a visit :)

Jeongdam Gusicheong Main Branch: hours, closing day and address

• Address: 12-1 Munhwajeondang-ro 35beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, 1-2F
• Hours: 17:00 - 24:00
• Closed: Every Sunday