Sadang gopchang grill for three, 4:30pm on a weekend: Bareun Hwangso

I went to Bareun Hwangso Gopchang (바른황소곱창), a gopchang (grilled beef intestine) spot in Sadang, and finished off my weekend with the assorted platter. The gopchang blood sugar spike hit me at full throttle and I passed out in a nap, then woke up. Is there a happier weekend than that? My belly is full, my energy is high, and I'm in such a good mood that I'm warning you now: I'll be talkative today, hehe~

Bareun Hwangso Gopchang opening hours and parking

Bareun Hwangso Gopchang is open Mon–Sat 16:00–24:00 and Sunday 16:00–23:00, and if you use the Sadang No. 1 public parking lot, they cover 1 hour of parking with a meal. The address is 4 Dongjak-daero 7-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. I was hungry from 4:30pm on, so I walked in like a proper little piglet.

• (Mon–Sat) 16:00 - 24:00
• (Sunday) 16:00 - 23:00
• (Address) 4 Dongjak-daero 7-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
• (Parking) Sadang No. 1 public parking lot, 1 hour covered with a meal

Is there a wait at 4:30pm on a weekend?

Even at the awkward hour of 4:30pm on a weekend, Bareun Hwangso Gopchang was packed. We barely got one of the last tables, and guests who came later had to wait. As expected, it lives up to its reputation as a Sadang gopchang favorite. I'll walk you through why it's so popular, one thing at a time!

Bareun Hwangso assorted gopchang: what's included and the price

The assorted gopchang at Bareun Hwangso Gopchang is ₩24,000 per serving, a solid 250g of hanwoo small intestine + hanwoo daechang + beef makchang (the fourth stomach). Three of us went and ordered 3 servings of assorted gopchang, 3 canned drinks and 2 servings of kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice. The vegetable refill and the heart aren't counted in the grams, and they give them to you as a freebie~!

Side dishes and spicy fish cake soup

The side dishes at Bareun Hwangso Gopchang are minimal: seasoned chives, pickled perilla leaves and a sauce. Every time I see sparse side dishes I think the same thing: just how confident are they in the main menu? The sourness went really well with the rich meat.

Then comes the odeng-tang (fish cake soup). It had a peppery, spicy kick, and as I kept eating I realized why 💡 It wipes out the richness of the gopchang, makchang and daechang! I actually got goosebumps while eating. By the end I was basically cradling the bowl at my side and drinking it.

How did the kitchen-grilled assorted gopchang taste?

The assorted gopchang at Bareun Hwangso Gopchang comes fully grilled from the kitchen, which is convenient, and there was relatively less meat grease too. Eeek, this is an unedited photo. Crazy, right?

It arrives already grilled, but a staff member explains each cut and how to eat it, and even stir-fries the vegetables once more for you.

I only ate, honestly. The portions at Bareun Hwangso Gopchang are big. And the small intestine and daechang are hanwoo, no less! And everything was delicious! No gamey smell at all, and the grilling was just right. Offal for the first time in a while: absolutely fantastic.

Plump hanwoo daechang, filled to the brim

The daechang in the Bareun Hwangso assorted platter is ttung-daechang (thick, plump large intestine), and how packed the inside is moved me. It looks like a whole daechang cut up, and how did they cut it so beautifully, like a work of art? I expected the fat to burst out with the first bite, but it was just nicely rich and nutty, so so good.

How is the kkakdugi fried rice served at the end?

For the kkakdugi fried rice at Bareun Hwangso Gopchang, they move the leftover meat to a separate plate and stir-fry the rice on a brand-new grill. After finishing everything, of course you start round two by frying the rice. That's business etiquette and basic human nature.

Thanks to the fresh grill, I worried less about grease. Since it's kkakdugi fried rice, you chew finely diced radish, and it isn't too sour, so the seasoning is just right. They gave us a whole bottle of mayonnaise. The warm-up was no joke, and we squirted it on with gusto. I'd call the finish perfect.

Next time I want to eat it with Buldak tongtong noodles. Apparently they stir-fry them in beef gopchang fat,,,, how long is the boss's spoon handle?? At least as long as Imeda's, I'd guess.

Why is Bareun Hwangso Gopchang in Sadang so popular?

I think Bareun Hwangso Gopchang is popular because it uses hanwoo daechang and gopchang and doesn't skimp, giving generous portions. It was a meal that lingers, so I took one more photo for no reason,, and all of us walked out patting our satisfied bellies. Getting full on gopchang feels like a success story.

It seems like a great place to stop for a drink after work too; I bet all that built-up stress would melt away. Next time I'll come for the Buldak tongtong noodles~!