Namyangju offal BBQ with chilled hanwoo mulhoe: Chodaechang Byeollae

I hadn't had daechang (grilled beef intestine) in a while, and while looking for somewhere solid for a proper Saturday dinner, I ended up at Chodaechang Byeollae Branch, known as one of the go-to gopchang (grilled intestine) spots in Byeollae. I really didn't expect to find hanwoo mulhoe on the menu at a place that grills offal, though.

If you like daechang, you probably know the hesitation — will it smell gamey, will the portion be too small?

I'm a daechang lover, so this time I went with Set B, which includes daechang, makchang, and teukyang all together.

Chodaechang Byeollae Branch opening time and how long the wait is

Chodaechang Byeollae Branch opens at 4pm. I got there around 3:30 and waited at a nearby café, and when the doors opened, customers trickled in but there was still plenty of open seating.

Right after opening it wasn't crowded, so I could sit down with no wait at all. If you want to enjoy this Byeollae gopchang favorite without waiting, aim for opening time.

Patchwork cloths on the tables: I thought they were reserved seats

When I sat down, every table had a colorful patchwork cloth draped over it. I first thought it meant the table was reserved, but it turned out to be the standard setup.

Sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling windows caught the copper-colored grill plates, giving the place a calm, tidy feel rather than the usual chaotic gopchang-joint energy.

Near the restroom there were even cotton swabs and cleaning wipes for glasses and phones — a nice detail since you inevitably touch your phone a lot while grilling.

How Set B covers daechang, makchang and teukyang in one order

Eating just daechang gets greasy fast, so I chose Set B (₩57,000), which comes with daechang, makchang, and teukyang together. It arrived topped with red seasoning, garlic, and cheongyang chili, pre-charred over charcoal, so there was almost no gamey smell.

À la carte, grilled daechang runs ₩20,000, grilled makchang ₩18,000, and grilled teukyang ₩12,000, and for bigger groups there's mixed grill A (₩66,000) or S (₩85,000). If you like to drink, there's wine, soju, and Terra beer too — I had driven, so I passed.

Even the side dishes stand out: the wasabi seasoned gim salad

The side dishes were better than I expected. Potato salad, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), pickled vegetables, and lettuce wraps all came out, and among them, the wasabi-seaweed salad stood out.

A sharp wasabi kick soaked into the seaweed, and it was refreshing after a greasy bite of daechang.

Two sauces came out: a soy sauce with cheongyang chili and lemon floating in it, and a doenjang (fermented soybean paste)-based one. Daechang worked well dipped in the doenjang, makchang in the soy sauce.

Staff grill the daechang for you, and the texture tugs at your chopsticks

Staff grilled everything tableside, so all I had to do was eat — very convenient.

Daechang is grilled until the outside turns golden and some of the fat renders out — that timing is the key point.

Pick up a well-grilled piece with chopsticks and it's semi-translucent, glossy, and stretches with a chewy pull.

Bite in and the outside is crisp while the inside bursts with savory fat — that's the charm of daechang.

Makchang is chewier, teukyang is cleaner and milder — alternating between the three kept things from getting tiresome by the end. If you love Byeollae gopchang, you have to try this three-cut combination.

My first hanwoo mulhoe at a gopchang restaurant

For a proper meal, I ordered hanwoo mulhoe (chilled raw beef and noodle soup). I'd never seen hanwoo mulhoe on a gopchang restaurant's menu before, so I gave it a try out of curiosity.

It turned out to be the best order of the night. Thin wheat noodles came piled on a bamboo mat, and the bowl underneath held a tangy broth, vegetables, and bright red hanwoo (Korean beef) yukhoe (raw beef).

Mixing the noodles into the cold broth completely cleared the greasy aftertaste of the daechang. It would pair perfectly with a drink, too — I held off since I was driving.

The photo event, dining with kids, and who Chodaechang Byeollae suits

Right after opening, seating was open and I could enjoy the meal with no wait. If I had one wish, it's that the food pairs so well with drinks that next time I'd love to come without driving and have a glass alongside it.

There's also an event where posting a photo gets you a free kimchi-noodle side, so before you visit, search Chodaechang Byeollae Branch on Naver Place to check the coupon.

If you're bringing kids, there are drinks, ice cream, and baby meals, making it easy for families too. All told, if you want daechang, makchang, and teukyang together with the ease of staff grilling it all for you, Chodaechang Byeollae Branch is a strong pick among Byeollae gopchang restaurants.