Namdong Korean restaurant for a hearty dinner: Gukdam Sundaeguk

A warming bowl of sundae-guk after work

The evenings have been getting a little chilly lately. On the way home after finishing the day, my wife said she wanted a warm, filling meal out too. So, while deciding what to have for dinner, we headed to Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch, which is known for its rich broth.

It is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00 and is regularly closed on Sundays.

A bright, cozy dining room

As soon as we arrived, the neat, stylish awning and sign caught my eye. Inside, the restaurant was very clean and had an overall bright, cozy atmosphere, making it a comfortable place to eat.

We visited around dinner time, and customers kept coming in. There were people having a drink after work as well as married couples dining with their families. The moment I walked in, I could see why it is already so popular with locals as a place to eat in Ganseok-dong.

Ordering extra sundae-guk, suyuk, and chal sundae

• Extra sundae-guk (Korean blood sausage soup)
• Suyuk (boiled pork slices)
• Chal sundae (chewy glutinous rice blood sausage)

After looking over the menu and wondering what to get, we decided to really dig in. We were especially hungry after work that day, so we ordered both suyuk and warm sundae-guk for a very generous meal.

Neatly prepared side dishes and barley ssamjang

After we ordered, the side dishes were set out neatly. There were even additional dishes at the self-service bar that were not on the table, so the spread felt really abundant. Everything was tasty, of course, but I was even more surprised that almost all the ingredients were domestically sourced.

The ssamjang (Korean dipping paste) in particular was no ordinary ssamjang. It was barley ssamjang, which made it feel tastier and a little more special. I normally eat only one chili pepper or so, but the barley ssamjang was so good that I ended up having a few more.

Extra sundae-guk loaded with meat, offal, and sundae

Then the day’s main dishes, sending up clouds of steam, began filling the table one by one. The savory aroma of the sundae-guk bubbling away in its ttukbaegi (earthenware pot) immediately made my mouth water.

The extra-size sundae-guk that arrived first stood out from the size of the ttukbaegi alone. When I gave the broth a light stir with my spoon, there was so much meat, offal, and sundae that it seemed to go on forever.

I tried the broth first, and its deep, savory richness, without any unpleasant odor, softly filled my mouth. The pale, rich broth warmed me from the inside out, and it felt as if the fatigue built up over the day simply melted away. The meat was tender too, and my wife kept admiring how clean-tasting and rich the broth was as she happily ate. It had the impressive depth of flavor you would expect from a representative gukbap (rice soup) spot in Ganseok-dong.

Suyuk with salted shrimp and seasoned chives

The plate of suyuk we ordered alongside it looked especially great, with a lovely sheen across the slices. The lean-to-fat ratio was so good that it somehow looked healthy just sitting there.

I picked up a slice right away, topped it with a little saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp), and tried it with the seasoned chives. The texture was wonderful—it melted in my mouth with none of that gamey smell. My wife could not put her chopsticks down, saying she could not believe how tender the meat was. Boiled until perfectly tender without any off odor, it had an ideal balance of clean and savory flavors.

Finishing with chewy chal sundae

Lastly, the chal sundae had a wonderfully springy exterior and a satisfyingly chewy center. It was clean and delicious with just a light dip in salt, and it was also fantastic with the seasoned chives. The more I chewed, the more its savory flavor came through, making it the perfect side for the sundae-guk and suyuk. If you are craving a warm, filling bowl of gukbap near Ganseok-dong, or looking for a clean, well-composed local meal, I recommend Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch.