Kid-friendly gopchang restaurant in Geomdan, Incheon: Hwang Gop

Geomdan's gopchang spot, the one you crave even more once fall arrives: Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch.

Once fall hits, why do I crave gopchang (grilled beef intestine) so much haha🤣 But eating gopchang out with kids has a bit of a difficulty level, right? I'd bookmarked a place in Geomdan that people said was really good, and finally went... and wow!

I couldn't believe how well the kids ate gopchang lol. I worried for nothing. The beef gopchang was packed full of fat so it tasted like the real deal, and the samgyeop yangji (pork belly and beef brisket) we ordered for the kids was also so good that all four of us ate it up nicely.

Here's the Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch review, let's go!

How to find Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch, and where to park

Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch is located at 420 Ieum 1-ro, Sangga-dong 1st floor unit 9, Geomdan-gu, Incheon, about 673m from Exit 1 of Ara Station. Hours are Mon–Thu and Sun 15:00–24:00, Fri–Sat 15:00–01:00, with last order at 23:00 Sun–Thu and 00:00 Fri–Sat.

• 🚗 Parking: Free parking available
• ✔️ Outdoor tent seating available
• ✔️ All menu items available for takeout
• ✔️ Reservations possible weekdays until 7pm, weekends until 6pm; after that, walk-in or waiting only

For parking, they say it's closest to enter through the rear surface lot of the LH26 apartment complex and walk toward the Bldg 2605 commercial building. We walked over slowly that evening and the cool weather made it perfect for an evening stroll.

We arrived in the early evening and there were quite a lot of people, so we nearly ended up waiting🤣 Reservations are possible until 7pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends, with walk-in and waiting after that. If you're planning to visit during peak dinner hours, it's a good idea to head over a bit early.

Inside Hwang Gop: dining room and outdoor tent seats

Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch felt clean overall and the tables weren't cramped, so it was comfortable for a family meal. As a family outing with kids like us, the atmosphere wasn't intimidating at all.

Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch also has outdoor tent seating. In cooler weather, having gopchang with a shot of soju out there would probably feel amazing haha.

The Hwang Gop menu and what our family of four ordered

You could order easily via kiosk at Hwang Gop. The main menu includes the Hwang Gop combo set, beef gopchang grill, beef daechang (large intestine) grill, pork makchang grill, and beef gopchang hot pot, while sides include beef ilrong, samgyeop yangji, domestic yukhoe (beef tartare), and fried rice — plus drinks and alcohol for those who want a drink with their gopchang.

That day we ordered beef gopchang grill for two, samgyeop yangji for two, egg fried rice, and plain rice.

Complimentary beef yukhoe and muk sabal (acorn jelly soup)

Hwang Gop brought out a taster portion of beef yukhoe and a bowl of mukjabap (acorn jelly soup), which was such a nice surprise.

The yukhoe was fresh with a lively, bouncy texture, and the seasoning wasn't overly strong, just enough to whet the appetite.

And the mukjabap! It went surprisingly well with gopchang. The cool, bouncy acorn jelly and clean broth refreshed the palate right before digging into the gopchang.

Especially since gopchang can leave a greasy feeling in your mouth, taking a spoonful of mukjabap in between felt like it cleaned everything right up.

Beef gopchang grill packed with fat, served pre-grilled

Finally, the beef gopchang grill we'd been waiting for arrived. The price was great and the portion was seriously generous😆

Since it comes pre-cooked to a degree, you just need to finish grilling it at the table to your liking. No need to scramble while also looking after the kids — it was genuinely convenient.

The intestines were properly stuffed with fat!! As they grilled to a golden brown and that savory aroma rose up... I was practically drooling🤤

The outside grilled golden and slightly crisp, while the inside was chewy with a savory flavor that built the more you chewed, plus a faint smoky char — it was delicious even with just a light dip in salt.

How the kids reacted to their first taste of gopchang

Honestly, what I was most curious about that day was how the kids, trying grilled gopchang properly for the first time, would react.

"This is good?"

Hahaha. Hwang Gop's beef gopchang had no gamey smell or off-flavor, and the base seasoning wasn't too spicy or strong, so it worked fine for eating with kids too. Of course tastes vary by kid, but ours ate way more than I expected🤭

Samgyeopsal and yangji: the other big win at Hwang Gop

We ordered samgyeop yangji as a backup in case the kids didn't eat the gopchang, but it exceeded expectations too. Tender inside, with the outside grilled golden for a slight crispness, and a fairly deep savory flavor.

Even people who aren't fans of gopchang's particular texture would probably have far fewer objections to samgyeop yangji. Our kids ate it up really well too. And of course I ate plenty myself🤣 Good call ordering two portions — pat on the back haha.

Green onion kimchi is the best side dish, and the self-serve bar is refillable

Trying each of the side dishes, they all paired nicely with the gopchang. There was pickled ramp (myeongi namul), green onion kimchi, and pickled onions, and the green onion kimchi in particular was my favorite.

Topping a piece of gopchang with a bit of green onion kimchi adds a sharp, tangy kick that cuts through the richness and keeps you from getting tired of the flavor. And you can grab more from the self-serve bar anytime you run low.

Grilling potatoes in the leftover gopchang fat makes the surface turn crispy and golden with a huge savory boost. It's a quietly great little bonus dish haha.

Finish with the egg fried rice, every time

And the essential K-course I have to recommend: egg fried rice!😆 Even though we were already pretty full from the gopchang, seeing the fried rice arrive somehow opened up a whole new stomach lol. The savory egg and rice, stir-fried sweetly and topped with generous seaweed flakes, came ready to eat without needing to do any extra stir-frying ourselves — so convenient.

It was already tasty on its own, but we added aged kimchi and green onion kimchi from the self-serve bar. And that combo... total upgrade💡

Hwang Gop apparently uses low-temperature aged namdo (southern-style) mukeun-ji kimchi made from 100% domestic ingredients, and its deep flavor with clean tanginess went incredibly, incredibly well mixed into the fried rice. Add the crunch and umami of the green onion kimchi and it blended naturally into the fried rice's savory egg flavor.

Even my older son said, "Wow, I'm full, why does this still fit?" while eating it. "That's just how it is lol."

Why Hwang Gop works for a family dinner in Geomdan

We suddenly craved gopchang and went looking, and ended up properly enjoying beef gopchang loaded with smoky char, packed with fat, and savory with no gamey smell. Above all, I'd worried whether the kids would be able to eat it, and it was even more satisfying that they ate more gopchang than expected.

With a good range of menu options like samgyeop yangji, gopchang hot pot, and beef yukhoe, it's a genuinely good spot to visit as a family. If you're craving beef gopchang in Geomdan, or want gopchang for a family outing, I'd recommend Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch. And next time, I'm definitely ordering the beef heart we missed this time. (Still thinking about it lol.)