Mokdong gopchang restaurant: 17,000-won tripe hot pot at Omokgyo

Today I'm introducing Omokgyo Gopchang, a Mokdong restaurant with 30 years of tradition! I was looking forward to this visit even before I got there — I came for the green onion kimchi and garlic gopchang that everyone raves about. Even my wife, who'd said she had no appetite, got her appetite back here. Let me introduce Omokgyo Gopchang right away!

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch: hours, address and parking

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch is open Monday–Thursday 16:00–22:40, Friday 15:00–22:40, and Saturday–Sunday 12:10–22:40. Parking is not available on-site, so you'll need to use the Emart parking lot or a public parking lot.

It's a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Omokgyo Station. Parking around Mokdong and Omokgyo is really tight, so I did my grocery shopping and parked comfortably by leaving my car at the nearby Emart!

Half the seats full at 1pm: how long is the wait?

From the entrance sign to the interior, everything gave off a strong sense of 30-year tradition. Assume a wait is basically required in the evening. I visited at 1pm and even then, about half the seats were already full. Just how good is this place that people are lining up in broad daylight?! The banner outside says the famous whole garlic gopchang is only sold to the first 20 orders each day! My wife and I came here specifically to eat this.

Right as you walk in, you see a video of Omokgyo Gopchang's cooking process along with various certificates and plaques of appreciation. Watching how they make it, the reason for the reputation and the waits made a lot of sense.

Most of the seating is 4-tops, with group seating set up in the back. It was too crowded in the back to comfortably take photos, so I just shot the side area~

How ordering works and what the couple ordered

Omokgyo Gopchang doesn't use a kiosk — a staff member takes your order directly. There's also a menu pamphlet with detailed explanations of each dish and how to enjoy it best. We ordered two servings of the traditional hand-made garlic gopchang plus the gopchang jeongol hot pot. Apparently every menu item here can be ordered as a single serving! Most places require two or more of the same item, so this is a better level of service than elsewhere.

The spicy sundubu-jjigae that comes with every meal

This spicy sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) came out right after we ordered. Most gopchang places typically give you ramyeon or bean sprout soup, but Omokgyo Gopchang serves a hearty sundubu-jjigae packed with soft tofu, plus a generous helping of vegetables and mushrooms. It wasn't too spicy, just nicely kick-y — I really regretted driving because if I hadn't, I would've had a whole round of drinks with this 🥲

The sundubu-jjigae bubbling away — it's gotten pretty chilly since it's fall now, and it matched the weather really well.

Three sauces, green onion kimchi and the other side dishes

📌 Spicy special sauce — this is Omokgyo Gopchang's signature sauce, bursting with red pepper flake aroma that cuts through the greasiness. The kick from the domestic red pepper flakes is really appealing. 📌 Sesame oil salt sauce — a crowd-pleaser sesame oil and salt dip. Comes as standard at any gopchang place. Tastes exactly like what you'd expect.

📌 Shiitake wasabi sauce — a sauce where the wasabi hit at the back of your nose pairs nicely with the softness of the shiitake mushroom. It went really well with the gopchang too. 📌 Chive salad — the standard chive side dish at any gopchang place, with sesame oil aroma and sugary sweetness that you could keep eating endlessly. Wrapped with a piece of gopchang, it's basically a drinking trap!

📌 Green onion kimchi (daepa kimchi) — the most famous side dish at Omokgyo Gopchang. It's hand-made and aged, so the sauce and green onion never feel separate — it has real depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with the gopchang.

Traditional hand-made whole garlic gopchang: two servings, 28,900 won for 200g

📌 Traditional hand-made whole garlic gopchang, ₩28,900 (200g). Unlike typical gopchang where you mostly just chew on fat, this is the garlic gopchang recipe passed down from the owner's mother. Whole garlic cloves are stuffed inside the beef tripe, then pressure-cooked first to drain the fat before it comes to your table! There's no gamey smell or greasiness, and the garlic aroma soaked into the gopchang gives it a nuttiness unlike anywhere else. With three different sauces to mix and match, there was never a chance to get bored! The portion was also generous, loaded with vegetables and heart tripe, to the point I nearly burst.

They explained in detail how well-cooked the gopchang was, the best flavor combos, and the ingredients. Very friendly, and the explanation really landed, which made eating even more fun.

Gopchang jeongol hot pot at 17,000 won: how big is the portion?

📌 Gopchang jeongol (hot pot), ₩17,000. This is sold as a rice-menu item. Ordering beef tripe alongside it can get pricey, but this rice dish is relatively easy on the wallet. I thought there wouldn't be much inside, but it was actually loaded with gopchang and a really generous mix of vegetables, so with a bowl of rice it made for a filling meal. The rich aroma of perilla seed and garlic means it'd make for an even more satisfying day paired with drinks.

I figured 'hot pot' meant a small portion, but it was almost close to two servings' worth. It makes you wonder if they're even making money selling it at this size — it seems like more of a service-level item.

My wife was already full, so I added a bowl of rice and ate it together. With prices going up everywhere these days, even if you skip the jeongol, it seems like you could still enjoy the other rice dishes here affordably.

Is Omokgyo Gopchang worth booking for a group dinner?

From the special spicy sauce to the green onion kimchi to the whole garlic cloves tucked inside the gopchang, there are so many combinations you never get tired of. If I'd had the appetite, I feel like I could've eaten 5 servings! If kids could eat gopchang, I'd bring them along too, but for now, I plan to come back next time with friends or for a company dinner!

This is Omokgyo Gopchang, which has been on TV, built up a big following, and gotten famous enough that many celebrities visit! I really envy anyone who lives nearby. It's a bit of a distance for me, so I can't come often, but I highly recommend it.