Chili, blood and ginseng sundae at Paldam, a Gimpo sundae-guk spot

Did you know there's a sundae-guk (blood sausage soup) place in Gimpo you have to wait in line for?? I used to think, why on earth would anyone wait for sundae-guk! But after eating here, I totally get it haha. Here's my review of Paldam Sundae, a Gimpo sundae-guk spot everyone's talking about~

How to join the wait at Paldam Sundae: timing your CatchTable slot

You can join the wait list for Paldam Sundae through the CatchTable app. It technically opens at 09:30, but the waiting button usually doesn't activate until around 11:30, lunchtime. If you calculate your arrival time before leaving home and hit the waiting button in advance, you won't have to wait long and can eat right away~

I also calculated my arrival with a 2–3 minute buffer and hit the waiting button on the way!! haha The wait number can keep climbing in real time, so I'd recommend checking it often.

This is the outside of Paldam Sundae~ The greenhouse-looking structure is the waiting seating area. Thanks to reserving ahead, we never had to sit there and got in right away! haha

Parking and seating at Paldam Sundae in Gimpo

You can park in front of Paldam Sundae, but the spaces are pretty tight compared to the number of guests~~ If there's a closed-down store nearby, you can sometimes use that area, but parking wasn't easy here overall ㅠ

Our turn came and we got in~! There were a bit over 10 tables, and I hope the place expands soon haha.

Paldam Sundae menu and prices: what you get in the omakase set

Let me show you the Paldam Sundae menu!

• Clear sundae-guk ₩10,000
• Spicy sundae-guk ₩11,000
• Omakase set ₩15,000
• Also side dishes, sundae hot pot, and more

For sundae-guk you can choose lean meat only or with fat included~ I heard the spicy sundae-guk uses a special dadegi (chili paste seasoning) consulted on by chef Lee Won-il!

We ordered one clear sundae-guk and one spicy sundae-guk, both as omakase sets.

The tablet on the table has menu photos and descriptions, so you can order with reference to that~^^

There were also a ton of celebrity signatures and photos on the walls~^^

Self-serve bar: unlimited organ meats, side dishes and rice

The basic side dishes are kimchi and diced radish kimchi! If you need more, you can grab extra from the self-serve bar~ Rice and organ meats are also unlimited refills, which I thought was amazing~

At first I didn't realize the organ meat self-serve bar was near the entrance. People kept walking around holding plates and I wondered, what's that? Turns out this was it — pork head meat, heart, windpipe, liver, lung, and more~

You just grab as much as you want to eat and dig in^^

Three sundae varieties and sous vide boiled pork in the omakase set

We ordered two cold drinks in advance along with the omakase set, and the sundae platter came out first!

The sundae varieties in the omakase set change day to day — the day I went it was cheongyang chili sundae, blood sundae, and ginseng sundae. Plus tender sous vide boiled pork on top~ wow.

The handmade sundae was packed full inside, and the boiled pork was so tender — amazing!

How does the spicy sundae-guk taste? As sharp as yukgaejang, even with fat

Then the spicy sundae-guk arrived~ The color alone, such a deep red, looked delicious. And it was packed with sturdy chunks of sundae too!

It was loaded with ingredients like this! I ordered it with fat included, but the broth didn't taste greasy at all — instead it had that spicy, clean kick like yukgaejang (spicy beef soup)~

Clear sundae-guk at Paldam Sundae: why we ordered both broths

This is the clear sundae-guk! I usually prefer sundae-guk with spicy dadegi stirred in, but since I noticed a lot of people at Paldam Sundae, a Gimpo sundae-guk spot, ordering the clear version, I tried it too — and it turned out to be perfectly seasoned and savory, surprisingly?

Ordering two omakase sets, one clear and one spicy, really felt like the proper way to enjoy Paldam Sundae, a Gimpo sundae-guk spot~^^

You can add perilla seed powder from the table to your taste, and if you want more seasoning, adding salted shrimp or cheongyang chili makes it even tastier!

For the handmade sundae in the omakase, I tried dipping it in ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) and also in salted shrimp — 6 pieces was actually quite a lot~ I couldn't finish them all so I gave the rest to my husband haha.

The sundae-guk itself was also loaded with sundae and lots of meat, so I ended up pretty full~

Dipping rice and sundae together in one bite is just the best~!! Paldam Sundae is famous as a Gimpo sundae-guk spot for a reason — the broth really is different from other places~

I kept thinking the spicy flavor was a little similar to yukgaejang haha. You know how yukgaejang never feels greasy afterward, just refreshing? This sundae-guk gave me that same feeling~^^ A famous chef's consulting really does make a difference!

Even though I've been eating small portions lately, this broth was so good I kept spooning it up.. Now I really understand why people wait — a true Jangi-dong gem! That wraps up my review of Paldam Sundae, a Gimpo sundae-guk spot~^^