Korean BBQ with baby chairs in Ilsan, Goyang: Chodaechang

A Goyang BBQ restaurant review, Chodaechang Baekseok Branch daechang, makchang, and galbisal ⓒ text/photos by Yeoni's mom

Dinner after a picnic at Ilsan Lake Park: why we chose Chodaechang Baekseok Branch

My husband, our baby and I went out to Ilsan over the weekend. We had a fun picnic at Ilsan Lake Park, then went out for a meat dinner in the evening. That night we ate at Chodaechang Baekseok Branch. They have a variety of menu items like gopchang (small intestine), daechang (large intestine), and galbisal (short rib meat), and it's a clean space where you can enjoy plump, tender charcoal-grilled gopchang and daechang.

• Chodaechang Baekseok Branch — great for daechang, makchang and galbisal
• 39 Gangsong-ro 87beon-gil, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours 16:00–24:00 (Sunday until 23:00)
• Signature menu: daechang, gopchang, makchang
• Parking available

Chodaechang Baekseok Branch menu: what to order with a 16-month-old

• Mixed grill S (daechang, makchang, teukyang, heart, gopchang)
• Mixed grill A (daechang, makchang, teukyang, heart)
• Mixed grill B (daechang, makchang, teukyang)
• Gopchang grill
• Daechang grill
• Teukyang grill
• Galbisal grill (salt/seasoned)

Chodaechang Baekseok Branch has a wide variety of meat cuts. Ordering the mixed grill seems like a great way to try many different parts. I visited with 16-month-old Yeoni and, after thinking about what a baby could eat, ordered seasoned galbisal, daechang, and makchang. The daechang and makchang came pre-seasoned, so Yeoni happily ate a lot of rice with the soy-seasoned galbisal.

Charcoal grilling done by the staff at Chodaechang Baekseok Branch

When you visit Chodaechang Baekseok Branch, you'll find a tablecloth draped over the table. They say this comes from wanting to welcome guests with the same warmth as a mother covering food to keep it from going cold before stepping out — like a mother's love.

Once the charcoal was ready, our order of galbisal, daechang, and makchang came out. Even in the basic side dishes and sauces, I could feel the care put in, along with real quality and flavor.

The side dish ingredients looked really fresh, and every single bite was delicious. Charcoal-grilled gopchang restaurants aren't that common, so Chodaechang's uniqueness stood out.

And what I really liked was that staff grilled everything for us. Honestly, for meat-grilling beginners, cooking seasoned meat on charcoal isn't easy.

Sometimes you get great meat but end up disappointed because it's poorly grilled — here, though, the staff grilled it with real skill and care, so we could enjoy it at its best without any hassle.

Soy-seasoned galbisal, the dish that got our toddler eating rice

They grilled the galbisal first. It's soy-seasoned, but not overly seasoned — with just the right amount of sweetness. It wasn't too much for our baby to eat either.

It was sweet and the meat was so tender that Yeoni ate a huge amount of rice with it. It suited my taste perfectly too. Eating it with the grilled chili peppers and garlic made it even more balanced and delicious.

How spicy is the red-seasoned daechang and makchang?

Next they grilled the red-seasoned daechang and makchang. It was my first time seeing daechang and makchang coated in red seasoning, and just from the look of it, I assumed the seasoning would be intense. But once I tried it, the seasoning wasn't spicy at all — nothing like what the red color suggested.

With just the right amount of savory depth and a mild kick, the seasoning seemed to bring out the flavor of the daechang and makchang without overpowering their natural taste.

Daechang usually has a lot of fat, so I normally can only eat a few pieces before it gets to be too much — but Chodaechang Baekseok Branch's daechang had a flavor that made me want to keep eating even after I'd had plenty. Knowing it's a naturally tenderized beef intestine restaurant made me trust it even more.

The makchang was soft and springy, and you could really tell they used fresh ingredients. Badly cooked makchang can leave your jaw sore the next day, but this one felt springy rather than tough or chewy, so it was easy to eat.

The accompanying sauces also stood out as something distinctly Chodaechang that you don't easily find elsewhere — dipping into the wasabi-flavored seaweed, soy sauce, and doenjang (soybean paste) sauce in turn made eating even more fun.

Is Chodaechang Baekseok Branch easy to visit with a baby?

Most gopchang and daechang restaurants feel like tough places to bring a kid to — most don't have baby chairs, and the spaces are often cramped. But here they had a baby chair and kids' dishes.

And surprisingly, they even had children's drinks. Our Yeoni got fussy while eating, and a staff member brought over a free Pororo drink as a service. Tears stopped instantly. Parking outside the restaurant was also easy, and the whole environment felt comfortable to visit with a baby, so it's a solid pick for a family meal.

Final thoughts on Chodaechang Baekseok Branch

With easy parking, a baby chair and kids' dishes all ready, and a clean, spacious, comfortable atmosphere, this was a great place for a family meal with a child. Most of all, the daechang, makchang, and galbisal were all delicious without exception, and the ingredients felt fresh and prepared with real care — very satisfying overall.

On top of that, staff grill everything for you on the charcoal, so it's a genuinely relaxing meal to enjoy. If you're looking for a comfortable meal or a drinking spot near Ilsan, Chodaechang Baekseok Branch is worth considering.