Anyang gopchang restaurant with assorted grill and fried rice: Ilmigop

Honestly, gopchang isn’t something I eat often, but I happened to see it in my feed and suddenly craved it for the first time in years, so I visited Ilmigop.

Ilmigop in Bisan-dong with a hanok-like atmosphere

Ilmigop in Bisan-dong

Ilmigop, located in Bisan-dong, is said to take its name from the phrase cheonha ilmi, meaning “the finest taste under heaven.”

I arrived right when it opened, so I was able to take relaxed photos of the restaurant while it was quiet—and the interior was something special.

The interior is decorated in a hanok (traditional Korean house) style, giving it a warmer, more comfortable feel than a typical gopchang restaurant.

The menu included gopchang, makchang, daechang, and more,

and we ordered two portions of assorted grill so we could try several cuts at once.

Ilmigop says it tenderizes its meat using only natural ingredients and follows the principle of preparing and selling ingredients delivered that day on the same day, which made me look forward to the food even more.

While we waited, the banchan (Korean side dishes) were set out first.

I started with the simple salad, which was tangy and fresh—just right for gently waking up the appetite.

The generous portion and doneness of the assorted grill

A generously portioned assorted grill

After a short wait, the assorted grill finally arrived. It is said to be 250 g per person, and it looked quite generous in real life. Above all, the gopchang, makchang, daechang, beef heart, and assorted vegetables were all piled on together, making it look satisfying from the start.

It arrived about 70% cooked, so it was convenient: we only had to cook it a little longer at the table.

The distinct textures of each gopchang cut

Different textures from every cut are the appeal

First, the gopchang, filled with gop (rich intestinal fat), browned beautifully outside while remaining chewy and nutty within. The more I chewed, the deeper that distinctive rich flavor came through, and even though it had been a long time since I’d eaten gopchang, it was delicious without feeling heavy.

The makchang had a much firmer, springier texture than the gopchang. Cooked until crisp outside, it picked up a nutty grilled aroma, while the inside still had a lively bite, so the texture really stood out.

Daechang delivered that rich, fatty savoriness first. Its browned exterior was lightly crisp, while the inside was soft and moist, filling my mouth with nutty flavor with every bite.

The beef heart was leaner and firmer than the other cuts. It was tender yet chewy, making it great for enjoying a clean, straightforward meat flavor.

Tangy sauces and accompaniments

A refreshing sauce that was exactly my taste

Two sauces came with the gopchang. One was a tangy sauce with garlic, and I loved how the sharp garlic aroma and acidity neatly cut through the gopchang’s richness. Personally, the tangy sauce with finely chopped chili was the best match for my taste.

It was still a little early for alcohol, so I ordered Fanta. Thoughtfully, it was served in a beer glass with ice, which somehow let me pretend I was having a beer too—very satisfying.

Even the vegetables grilled in gopchang fat

Seasoned chives also came with it, along with a generous amount of vegetables including enoki mushrooms, onion, scallions, and potatoes.

The enoki mushrooms and chives were especially delicious as they absorbed the fat released from the gopchang while cooking.

Eating onions, potatoes, or scallions in between was a nice change of texture from eating only meat, and it made the meal feel much more substantial.

The scallion kimchi and pickled onions served as side dishes added clean, refreshing bites throughout and paired well with the gopchang too.

Complimentary soft tofu stew and fried rice

Spicy soft tofu stew on the house

I also tried the complimentary sundubu-jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew). A whole block of soft tofu and several clams were inside, giving the broth a clean, savory depth.

The broth was nicely spicy yet refreshing, cleansing the palate between bites of gopchang.

Fried rice to finish

Once we had finished the gopchang, we couldn’t skip the fried rice, so we ordered it. The staff took the griddle away, cooked it themselves, and brought it back, so we could simply wait comfortably. It came as 1.5 portions, which made it even more satisfying.

When the fried rice arrived shortly afterward, the center was piled high like a volcano fried rice, with egg surrounding it.

Well-fermented kimchi gave it a tangy flavor and a fluffy, separated grain texture, and it came together softly with the nutty egg. I was already quite full after all that gopchang, but it was so good I couldn’t stop eating.

The rice stuck to the bottom became crisp like nurungji (scorched rice), so I ended up scraping up every last bit.

Seasoned danmuji (yellow pickled radish) came as a side dish too, and it went exceptionally well with the fried rice.

Final thoughts on Ilmigop’s assorted grill

I visited Ilmigop because I was craving gopchang for the first time in a while, and I was pleased that one assorted grill let me try gopchang, makchang, daechang, and beef heart in so many ways. Each cut had slightly different chewiness, nuttiness, and tenderness, making it fun to choose between them, and the plentiful vegetables grilled in gopchang fat made for a filling meal.

The fried rice at the end was delicious enough that I couldn’t put my spoon down. It had been so long since I came out for gopchang, and I enjoyed it so much that I wondered why I had gone without it all this time. A great gopchang spot in Bisan-dong where the quality ingredients really come through in the flavor.