Gwangju gukbap restaurant with bracken soup: Gujeon Gukbap

The flavors of Jeju and the southern region, all in one place!

Jeolla-style gukbap and Jeju bracken hangover soup together

My husband loves Jeollanam-do-style gukbap (rice soup), while I love Jeju’s gosari haejangguk (bracken hangover soup). So we came to Gujeon Gukbap Yongbong Main Branch (구전국밥 용봉본점), where you can have the flavors of Jeju and Jeollanam-do in one place!

The menu and a free children’s meal

They have pork gukbap, assortment gukbap, and sundae gukbap (Korean blood-sausage rice soup) for a taste of the southern region, plus Sirak Market gukbap and gosari haejangguk for a taste of Jeju.

We ordered the bracken gukbap and sundae assortment gukbap, and the children’s meal for our child was free.

A clean, polished gukbap restaurant atmosphere

The exterior and interior were so clean and polished that this was nothing like the old-fashioned gukbap restaurants we imagined. It looked more hygienic, and felt like a hearty proper meal rather than something cheap to fill up on.

The kimchi and self-serve bar

The basic setting comes with rice, roasted seaweed, and kimchi. The kimchi arrives in a jar, so you can help yourself, and it was so good I think we nearly finished it all! It’s called halmaep kimchi—think Silbi kimchi, nice and spicy and delicious. Even rice and kimchi wrapped in seaweed tasted unbelievably good.

There’s also a self-serve bar on one side. Along with the basic side dishes, there are extras such as green-onion kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), so it was handy to take only what we needed.

Basic seasonings are set out at the table.

Bracken hangover soup with perilla seed powder

Whenever I go to Jeju, gosari haejangguk is an absolute must. With bracken’s distinctive nutty aroma and a slightly thick broth, it’s very different from the hangover soups we usually know.

But that’s exactly what makes it so appealing—and it’s seriously delicious. I add loads of perilla seed powder to the standard version to make it even thicker, and it is exactly my kind of food! The bracken isn’t tough; it breaks down softly and is so nutty and tasty!

I told you the kimchi was really good, right? It goes incredibly well with the bracken hangover soup too. That spicy kimchi that hits your throat just right is the perfect partner for the nutty, soft soup... oh, I’m salivating... I want it againㅠㅠ There’s only one hangover-soup place I go to in Jeju, though I’ve tried others too?? But this place is even better!! It’s almost on par with that original famous place.

The bracken hangover soup is delicious on its own, but mixing rice into it lets the grains break down into the broth, making it thicker and such a great match.

Sundae assortment gukbap with offal and pork head meat

This is the sundae assortment gukbap my husband ordered! Just looking at that vigorously bubbling broth makes you feel full and satisfied inside.

As its name suggests, it doesn’t contain only sundae: it comes as an assortment with sundae, offal, and pork head meat. That range of textures and flavors is why it’s another menu item my husband often looks for.

The broth seems to be beef-bone based, with a milky, savory feel. I always add seasoning, but my husband said he preferred it plain like this and added only a little saeujeot (salted shrimp)! You know the broth has to be truly good to eat it without seasoning, right? At Gujeon Gukbap, I think the light yet rich broth tastes better enjoyed just as it is, haha.

A full children’s meal for ₩0

This was the children’s meal. Before visiting, I planned to mix rice into my bracken hangover soup for my child, but then I saw a children’s meal on the menu for ₩0! I thought it would be something simple, but I was honestly surprised when it arrived. Sausage, seaweed, quail eggs, rice, and even beef-bone soup—it was a complete set meal. Our child ate so well, and the three of us had such a satisfying meal!!

A place I’d return to even though I don’t usually like gukbap

I don’t usually like gukbap, so when my husband wanted it, I would visit reluctantly. But now that this place has bracken hangover soup, I think I’ll be the one suggesting we come here for it before he even says he wants gukbap?? hahaha With a menu for our child too, it was honestly the best possible combination for our family!!