Gimpo sundae-guk with clear or spicy broth: Paldam Sundae

On days like these, when I’m craving a warm bowl of soup, I don’t think there’s anything quite like sundae-guk (Korean sausage soup) 😊

Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch for lunch in Gimpo

This time, I visited Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch (팔담순대 김포본점). It’s quite well known in Gimpo for Chef Lee Won-il’s sundae-guk, so I’d been curious—and since I happened to be nearby, I stopped in for lunch 🤎

They are currently open mainly during lunchtime, so I’d recommend checking the hours before you go 😉

To cut down the wait a little, we joined the remote queue through Catch Table before heading over 📱 At 11:30 a.m. on a weekday, we waited about 15 minutes before getting in. It’s such a popular spot that it felt much more convenient to join the remote queue first rather than simply turning up.

Once inside, the whole place felt clean and neatly organized.

Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch is also known as a place many celebrities have visited, which made me even more curious 👀✨ You could see signs of famous visitors throughout the restaurant, and it really showed how popular it is as a local food spot.

It was fun and strangely exciting to hear that people I’d seen on TV or social media had actually come here 😊 Even while eating such a familiar dish as sundae-guk, it gave me the different kind of fun of thinking, “Oh, celebrities come here too.”

Since it’s such a well-known place, there seemed to be a wait even at weekday lunch. I thought it would be somewhere anyone looking for good food in Gimpo might be curious to try 🤎

Rather than feeling flashy or overly decorated, it had a relaxed atmosphere where you could focus on the sundae-guk and enjoy a comfortable meal. It was a nice spot for lunch 🍚

Ordering gukbap and using the self-service bar

When everyone orders one gukbap, the offal meat comes with unlimited refills.

There’s a self-service bar and bar-table seating, too.

Clear sundae-guk, spicy sundae-guk, and suyuk

Once we were seated, we ordered one clear sundae-guk, one spicy sundae-guk, and one suyuk (boiled sliced pork).

For two people, it was nice to order one each of the clear and spicy sundae-guk, then share the suyuk 😊

Clear sundae-guk that was easy to enjoy

First, the clear sundae-guk had a clean, mild broth, so it was easy to enjoy without feeling heavy. It still had that satisfying heartiness sundae-guk is known for, but the broth wasn’t murky, making it great with rice 🍲

Spicy sundae-guk with an added kick

The spicy sundae-guk had that warm broth with a pleasantly spicy kick, so it had a different charm from the clear version 🌶️

If you like spicy broth, I think this one would suit your taste better.

The suyuk we ordered alongside it was also great to have with the sundae-guk 🥩

It comes bubbling away like a hot pot, with mung bean sprouts and chili peppers, so it was pleasantly spicy, clean, and mild.

Rather than having just one bowl of gukbap, ordering a side dish as well made it just right for two people to share.

More than anything, the fact that there was a queue even at weekday lunchtime made me think, ah, there’s a reason so many people come here for good food in Gimpo 😊

If you’re looking for a good restaurant in Janggi-dong or Seokmo-ri and craving a warm, filling meal, Paldam Sundae Gimpo Main Branch could be a good choice.

I think I’ll be back to try the other sundae dishes next time 🤎 If you like sundae-guk, do stop by at least once 🍲✨