Goyang Korean restaurant for solo sundae-guk: Pyeongando

Special sundae-guk in Hwajeong-dong after a 15-minute lunch wait

I was craving a hot bowl of gukbap (rice soup) at lunchtime, so I went to Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch, a popular spot in Hwajeong-dong. It has long been known for sundae-guk (Korean sausage soup), and when I visited at lunch, there were indeed quite a few people there for a meal.

I came alone this time, but since it overlapped with lunch hour, I could not sit down right away and waited about 15 minutes before eating. Still, because it is a gukbap restaurant, tables turn over quickly, so it did not feel like a particularly long wait.

Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is on the first floor at 24 Hwajung-ro 104beon-gil, Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (경기도 고양시 덕양구 화중로104번길 24 1층), and it is open 24 hours. You can use the street public parking in front of the restaurant or the building parking.

Since it is open 24 hours, it is great when you want a late-night meal, a simple drink with gukbap, or a company dinner, too!

Meal options beyond sundae-guk and unlimited sundae refill hours

Sundae-guk is the best menu item, but there are also meal options such as pork-bone hangover soup and ox-bone rice-cake mandu soup for anyone who cannot eat it.

For reference, sundae is unlimited from 11:30 AM to 2 PM and from 5:30 PM to 8 PM! I had some too, and I loved its clean flavor without any strong off smell.

Simple side dishes such as napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and chives are served as well. The kimchi was especially a little sweet, which made it just right with the sundae-guk.

I ordered special sundae-guk and galbi mandu

What I ordered that day was special sundae-guk, plus an order of galbi mandu as a side. Along with regular sundae-guk, Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch has a variety of choices, including special sundae-guk, a sundae-guk set meal, king mandu, and charcoal-grilled galbi mandu.

I had come to eat alone, but I wanted a proper meal that day, so I ordered the special size. The broth comes seasoned as standard, and it was delicious without adding anything else.

Gukbap is at its best when a steaming bowl arrives in front of you, and perhaps because it was the special size, it looked very generous too. When I took a spoonful of broth first, it was rich and savory, the kind that is perfect for mixing with rice.

Some people have mixed feelings because of the distinctive smell of sundae-guk, but when I ate it, I did not notice much off smell. The broth was tasty too, so I was satisfied. Above all, the atmosphere did not feel awkward for eating alone at lunch, making it a good solo-dining choice.

One bite of the plump sundae is seriously filling. Maybe because I ate such a good lunch, I stayed full right through dinner.

Add the chives too, and their fresh aroma comes through, making it even tastier~

You cannot leave out perilla seed powder in sundae-guk, right? Add plenty, and its nutty flavor makes the sundae-guk even better~

One-bite galbi mandu alongside rich sundae-guk

What I quietly ended up loving was the galbi mandu. I thought eating only sundae-guk might feel a little lacking, so I ordered it as a side. Having one dumpling at a time alongside the gukbap made for a nice combination.

With the hot, rich broth of sundae-guk and the slightly sweet, meaty galbi mandu together, I felt I had chosen well. I came alone, but special sundae-guk plus galbi mandu really felt like a proper lunch!

The galbi mandu are just the right one-bite size, so they are perfect as a side dish.

A clean restaurant atmosphere that was comfortable for dining alone

The interior has the feel of a clean restaurant. You can order while seated at your table, and the owner is kind as well.

What I felt during this visit was that this is definitely a place people seek out at lunchtime. I waited around 15 minutes too, but once I ate, I understood why customers gather here at lunch.

When you are craving a hot bowl of gukbap in Hwajeong-dong—especially if you are looking for a good place to eat alone—it is worth stopping by at least once. Next time, I want to try something other than the special sundae-guk, so I will probably look at the set meal or another gukbap option when I return. It had been a while since I had a truly delicious bowl of gukbap.