Anyang gopchang restaurant mild enough for morning sickness: Ilmigop

The day I went looking for gopchang in Beomgye, Anyang: Ilmigop

We were originally supposed to go to my parents' place for lamb skewers today, but the plan suddenly fell through. My idea of a wild pregnant Saturday started a little differently than most — with a big, generous nap, haha — and then in the evening I spent ages trying to figure out what to eat. I was a bit disappointed since I'd really wanted meat, and since it had been a while since we'd eaten out, I started searching for dinner options.

That's how I found Ilmigop! Ever since getting pregnant, I hadn't been able to handle strong-smelling foods like meat or gopchang (grilled beef intestines) very well, but that day both my husband and I were suddenly craving gopchang. So we thought, "Should we try it today?" and headed to this gopchang restaurant.

• Ilmigop
• Tue–Fri 17:00–24:00 / Sat–Sun 14:00–24:00 (closed every Monday)
• 9 Bisan-ro, 1st floor, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Ground-level parking available on-site

Busy from early on

Even though we arrived right as dinner service was starting, the dining room was already fairly full. There's an apartment complex nearby, so there were plenty of families in too, and it had that comfortable neighborhood-spot vibe — a good first impression.

Looking at the menu, the beef tartare mulhoe guksu (cold raw beef and noodle soup) looked amazing too. But pregnant women can't eat raw food, ㅠㅠㅠㅠ so I sadly saved that for next time and focused on the assorted gopchang grill that day.

Side dishes and the complimentary sundubu stew

Ilmigop serves a sundubu (soft tofu) stew alongside the standard side dishes. The sides came out first, and to avoid a blood sugar spike, I dutifully polished off a bowl of salad before the main dishes arrived.

And then the free sundubu stew! Since it was complimentary, I expected something basic with just tofu chunks floating around, but it was surprisingly legit. It was loaded with clams, zucchini, and all kinds of vegetables, and the broth had a decent kick. Not super spicy, but eating a spoonful between bites of gopchang cleansed the palate nicely. And you know what that means — one bottle of soju gone in no time, ^^;;

Ilmigop's assorted grill, pre-seared for easy cooking

The assorted grill we'd been waiting for finally arrived! Everything comes pre-seared, so you only need about 5–6 more minutes on the table grill. The staff explained how to eat it very kindly — cook for about 5 minutes, then lower to medium-low heat, and cook the makchang (beef bung) and daechang (large intestine) a little longer until crisp for the best flavor.

Alright, now that it's here, let's pour a glass (of zero-sugar cola, haha).

Beef heart

I started with the beef heart, since it gets tough if overcooked. The pieces were so big that even cut in half, they filled my mouth nicely with texture. My husband said the heart was his favorite piece of the night too.

Gopchang I could actually eat despite morning sickness

Honestly, there was one thing I'd been worried about that day. Since getting pregnant and becoming sensitive to smells, I'd struggled with meat and strong-smelling food, so I was afraid I might not be able to eat the gopchang because of the smell. But it turned out to be needless worry. The moment I took a bite, I could taste the rich, nutty flavor of all the filling inside, and I barely noticed any smell at all. They say they follow a same-day delivery, same-day prep, same-day sale policy, and it definitely showed in the freshness. In the end, our little one ate all the gopchang. ^^♡

Makchang

Next was the makchang (beef bung), with its appealingly chewy texture. Following the staff's tip to cook it crisp, it came out with great texture and a nutty flavor — personally, it was my favorite piece of the night. If you love that classic chewy gopchang texture, you'll enjoy the makchang here too.

Daechang

And of course, daechang (large intestine)! Cooked crispy on the outside and juicy inside, it burst with rich, nutty fat. It's delicious plain, but adding a couple of the peppers from the soy sauce dip cuts through the richness, and I kept reaching for more.

Assorted grill for two — how much food is that, really?

In between, we kept snacking on the fluffy roasted potatoes too. It had been a while since we'd had gopchang, so every bite tasted extra good. Normally, my husband and I order at least three portions when we go to a meat or gopchang place. So at first, we planned to eat the assorted grill for two, then add on single orders of whatever we liked best. But no — the portion was way bigger than expected. Even my husband, who eats a lot, stopped us from ordering more, saying, "If we order more now, we won't be able to eat the fried rice," and went straight ahead and ordered the fried rice instead, haha.

Fried rice is a must at any gopchang restaurant

And here it is — Ilmigop's signature fried rice! The menu description said it was a 1.5-person portion, and seeing it in person, I understood why. It was truly a massive amount. The owner must be seriously generous, haha. The egg draped over the top looked especially mouthwatering. While eating it, my husband started reminiscing about his part-time job at Mapo Galmaegi, where they used to pour egg mixture over the rice too, and how scrubbing the grill pan afterward was brutal.

Ah, the grill won't be hard to clean at this place, huh.

Frying it slowly over low heat until it got nice and dry created the most perfect nurungji (scorched rice crust) on the bottom. Have you ever seen scorched rice this perfect? Not a single burnt bit, all golden brown — and I didn't even need to fight with the grill to scrape it off. A tap with a spoon and it popped right off, clean.

"What is this grill pan? How does it turn out like this?" we kept wondering, amazed, and even though we said we were full, we ended up finishing every last bite of the fried rice. After the gopchang and then the fried rice, I felt like I was about to burst, but there was no way I was leaving that scorched rice behind, haha.

Thoughtful touches, even for the lingering gopchang smell

One more thing that showed the owner's attention to detail — after a gopchang meal, the smell usually clings to your hair and clothes, right? But Ilmigop even keeps Febreze on hand to help get rid of it, haha. It's a small thing, but it made me feel cared for as a customer. If you're the type who worries about smelling like gopchang afterward, you'll probably appreciate this touch too.

Parking at Ilmigop was easy too

Parking was fairly convenient as well. You enter through the lot entrance between Nammun Tteokbokki and Dongnaejeong,

and there's a ground-level lot right there. Parking can be a hassle when you're driving somewhere, but that day it was easy, which made for a relaxed meal.

Honest review: gopchang in Beomgye, Anyang at Ilmigop

Overall, the staff were friendly and the portions were generous. Most importantly, since I hadn't been able to properly eat meat or gopchang because of the smell since getting pregnant, this dinner turned out far better than I expected, which made it a satisfying evening. The beef heart in particular was big and had a great texture, and the makchang, chewy and nutty, was the standout piece of the night.

The daechang, cooked crisp, had that rich nutty flavor done right, and the fried rice we finished with was generous in portion and had a perfectly made scorched rice crust — very satisfying. Just the assorted grill for two was already a lot of food, so if you're visiting as a couple, I'd recommend not over-ordering at the start. If you love gopchang like we do, you can easily get full going through the assorted grill and then the fried rice.

Parking was easy, the staff were friendly, the portions were generous, and there are various coupon events running too — if you're looking for a good gopchang restaurant, Ilmigop is worth a visit.

• 10% coupon for pregnant guests, firefighters, police, and military
• Free assorted gopchang coupon on your birthday
• Happy hour coupon Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri from 5pm to before 6pm
• Beef chuck flap coupon for visits after 8:30pm

Since I hadn't been able to properly enjoy meat or gopchang for a while after getting pregnant, this was a dinner I could finally relax and enjoy again. Today's conclusion, as always... gopchang eaten exactly when you're craving it is the best gopchang. ♡