Goyang restaurant for hwangchil duck baeksuk: Guil Baeksuk

This is absolutely a place I need to revisit—I already want to eat it again while writing this post.

This is Guil Baeksuk (구일백숙), serving wholesome duck baeksuk (Korean boiled duck soup) slowly infused with hwangchil, a tree also called the wild-ginseng tree because it is rich in saponins.

What to Check Before Visiting Guil Baeksuk Haengju Fortress Branch

• 62 Haengju-ro 15beon-gil, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Open daily from 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM
• Closed on the 24th and 25th during the Chuseok holiday

Since it is baeksuk, I recommend making a reservation before you visit.

The dining area has a calm, neat atmosphere, so it is a nice restaurant for a cozy meal with parents, friends, or a partner. There are high chairs too, so it is really great for families!

About Hwangchil Trees and Duck Baeksuk

Is Duck Meat Really Good for You?

The Benefits of Hwangchil Trees and Duck

Let me tell you about the positive synergy created when hwangchil and duck come together. It tastes even better when you know, right?

Duck baeksuk contains abundant protein and unsaturated fatty acids, making it an excellent restorative dish in every season. With hwangchil added, the broth gains even more depth and varied nourishment.

Hwangchil Trees Full of Saponins

Hwangchil trees are said to contain plentiful saponins like those found in ginseng and wild ginseng, making them an ingredient that may help with restoring energy and supporting immunity.

They are sometimes compared with lacquer trees, which are often used in baeksuk.

Hwangchil You Can Eat Without Side Effects

Hwangchil is considered a precious ingredient with excellent medicinal properties, and it is said that there is no concern about a lacquer-tree rash or allergy side effects, so anyone can eat it. This was my first time hearing of and tasting hwangchil, and I completely fell for it.

Neat Side Dishes at the Level of an Upscale Korean Set Meal

The table is filled with refined, high-quality side dishes you might expect only at an upscale Korean set-meal restaurant.

You can clearly see the care and effort put into every single ingredient here.

Home-Grown Vegetables and House-Made Kimchi

They make the side dishes with fresh vegetables carefully grown in their own field,

and even the kimchi served at the table is made in-house using only Korean ingredients.

The kimchi looks completely different. Even the ingredients in the seasoning are totally unlike Chinese-made kimchi.

Side Dishes That Taste Like Grandma Made Them

The refreshing, crunchy cucumber kimchi reminded me of the comforting homemade flavor of the kind my grandmother would quickly toss together,

and fragrant deodeok-muchim (seasoned bellflower-root salad) also comes as a basic side dish, making the table even fuller and more varied. The deodeok was so delicious, but I finished it all so quickly that I do not have a close-up photoㅠㅠ

Roasted Sea Salt

Roasted salt is set on the table for dipping the duck. If the soup tastes a little mild, try adding just a touch of salt.

Guil Baeksuk's Menu and Side Dishes

There are plenty of meal options besides baeksuk: rice-stealing soy-marinated crab (₩43,000), barley-dried yellow corvina (₩28,000), stir-fried webfoot octopus (₩18,000), spicy braised chicken (₩60,000), potato pancake (₩15,000), and acorn jelly (₩15,000).

Why You Should Try Guil's Hwangchil Duck Baeksuk

Broth Simmered with Hwangchil for More Than 10 Hours

The signature hwangchil duck baeksuk here uses a carefully made broth simmered with hwangchil for a full ten hours or more. From the color of the broth to the aroma that rises from it, it is distinctly different from ordinary clear duck baeksuk.

Easy to Eat Because the Bones Are Removed

Rather than bringing out a whole duck with tough meat, they serve the duck as suyuk (sliced boiled meat), with the bones neatly removed for diners' convenience.

The two of us ordered the half portion for ₩45,000, and these days there are hardly any places where you can get baeksuk this deeply flavored along with side dishes of such wonderful quality for this price... I am touchedㅠㅠ I do not think the owner is making any profitㅠㅠ

How to Enjoy Hwangchil Duck Baeksuk Even More

• Enjoy the boiled duck like a samhap, paired with seasoned chives and house-made kimchi using Korean ingredients.
• Wrap the tender boiled meat in savory soy-seasoned perilla leaves. Honestly, the side dishes here are the best. Everything is delicious.
• Slowly savor spoonfuls of the milky duck bone-broth herbal soup.
• Soak the sticky rice in the warm broth, or add all the rice and simmer it gently into a porridge.

Savoring the Duck Bone-Broth Herbal Soup

Try slowly savoring this milky duck bone-broth herbal soup one spoonful at a time. The deep, rich nourishment from the hwangchil tree and duck reaches right through your body.

A Filling Finish with Sticky Rice

You can ladle some of the warm duck bone-broth herbal soup into a small bowl and lightly soak the sticky rice in it,

or add all the sticky rice and simmer it gently into a soft porridge—it is comforting and filling.

Thanks to the carefully prepared side dishes and nutrient-packed meal, both my body and mind felt satisfied, and I felt truly treated. The weather has been so sunny and lovely lately, so I am planning another outing to Haengjusanseong and another visit. I am so curious about the other dishes, too.