Magoknaru gopchang restaurant with extra daechang and soju: Hwang Gop

Wrapping up the week, I found myself craving savory gopchang (grilled beef intestine) and a cold glass of soju, so I headed to Hwang Gop near Magoknaru Station — a spot known for its excellent gopchang. It's famous for serving free domestic yukhoe as a side dish, so I had high expectations going in. Between the gopchang packed with savory fat and the daechang (large intestine) we added, I left properly, satisfyingly full.

Where is Hwang Gop Magoknaru Branch, and what are the hours?

It's located on the 1st floor of the Hillstate Eco Magoknaru Station officetel. It's about a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 or 2 of Magoknaru Station, so it's easy to get to by public transport.

• Hours: Daily 16:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Sunday: 12:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)

Apparently there's usually a bit of a wait, but since we went in the early evening, we were seated right away.

Inside Hwang Gop: outdoor tent-bar style seating

The name 'Hwang Gop' is written big on the front of the store, so it catches your eye from a distance. Inside, unlike the typical gopchang restaurant you might picture, it has a clean, tidy interior.

One section is set up like a street tent bar (pojangmacha), which gave it a great atmosphere. Since the weather was mild, we chose to sit in that tent-style area.

What's on the menu at Hwang Gop Magoknaru Branch?

The menu had the basic grilled items along with gopchang hot pot.

• Grilled items: hanwoo (Korean beef) gopchang, hanwoo daechang, makchang, heart, mixed grill platter, and more
• Hot pot: original hanwoo gopchang hot pot, aged kimchi gopchang hot pot
• Side dishes: yukhoe, fried rice with egg, whelk noodle salad, gopchang hot pot in a stone bowl

Free banchan: domestic yukhoe and chilled mukbap

Hwang Gop is famous for serving domestic yukhoe as a complimentary side dish.

When you hear 'free side dish,' you might picture the disappointing taste of typical frozen yukhoe, but this was honestly comparable in quality to yukhoe you'd pay for separately.

It had a savory, chewy texture that made for a great appetizer before the gopchang even hit the grill.

Along with the yukhoe, a bowl of mukguksu also comes out. With bits of ice floating in it, it's refreshingly cold, and it cut through the richness that can build up from eating gopchang non-stop, keeping the meal feeling cleaner.

On top of that, green onion kimchi, pickled onion, and mountain garlic leaves — all essential with gopchang — also come out.

I personally love pairing gopchang with green onion kimchi, but at other restaurants I've felt a little awkward asking for refills over and over. Since the side dishes at Hwang Gop are self-serve, I liked that even more.

How does the Hwang Gop mixed platter with extra daechang taste?

We ordered the 'Hwang Gop mixed platter (2 people)' with an extra order of daechang.

Hwang Gop mixed platter for two, plus one portion of daechang

At Hwang Gop, the gopchang comes pre-cooked once, and then a staff member grills it right at your table, watching over it until it's cooked exactly right and ready to eat. The mixed platter includes 5 types: gopchang, makchang, daechang, heart, and pork belly-brisket. We waited, listening to the sizzling sound as the staff member grilled it for us. Just watching the video back makes me want to eat it all over again...

The gopchang had absolutely no gamy smell, and the more you chewed, the more the chewy texture and savory flavor spread through your mouth.

Dipping it lightly in the chive salad, mushrooms, and special sauce grilled alongside it... this is exactly why people come out for gopchang!

And for some reason that day, I was really craving daechang, so we ordered an extra portion — and I'm glad we did. Thick, plump, springy daechang is truly the textbook example of crispy outside, juicy inside.

Just when the daechang starts to feel a bit rich, adding a piece of green onion kimchi on top makes you keep going back for more. Normally after gopchang you have to finish with fried rice to properly wrap things up, but I was so stuffed that day I couldn't manage the fried rice in the end.

Hwang Gop is also known for its aged kimchi gopchang hot pot, and there's still so much more I want to try.

Final verdict on Hwang Gop Magoknaru Branch

Hwang Gop is a gopchang restaurant close to Magoknaru Station that even serves domestic yukhoe and mukguksu as free side dishes. The staff grill the pre-cooked gopchang for you right at the table, and the generous self-serve side dishes made for a comfortable meal. If you're looking for a spot for a work dinner near Magoknaru Station, or just hunting for a great gopchang restaurant, I recommend Hwang Gop.