Takeout gukbap set opposite Kintex in Goyang: Roman Gukbap

Roman Gukbap, a Kintex gukbap spot a friend recommended

Roman Gukbap is a gukbap restaurant in the eatery alley of Daehwa-dong, across from The Hyundai Kintex. A friend who really knows her restaurants told me, "You have to try this place," so I went, and I ended up getting takeout too.

It's not far from my home, so it was an easy trip. I already had a sundae-gukbap (blood sausage soup) place I visit often, but after the recommendation I got curious what Roman Gukbap would taste like.

It's easy to get to, and looked good for lunch, dinner, solo meals or a family outing. If you're hunting for a restaurant near Kintex, it's an easy place to drop into.

What does the name Roman Gukbap mean?

I heard the name "Roman" (로만) carries the meaning of "only": only with love, only with sincerity, only with good ingredients, only with a taste that never changes, only with a heart for the customer. The name caught my eye as soon as I walked in, and I liked that the restaurant's name holds the intention to finish every bowl with good ingredients and care.

Another surprise was the background of the chef in charge of the kitchen. They said he has won awards representing South Korea as a national team member at an international cooking competition.

What are the atmosphere and seats like at Roman Gukbap?

Open the door and the first thing you see is the open kitchen in a clean, tidy space. Being able to watch the cooking made me trust it more, and the self-serve bar was kept neat too.

There's also a private space, which looked great for family meals, office dinners and gatherings. Best of all, both the owner and the staff welcomed us kindly, so the whole meal felt comfortable.

What comes in the Roman Gukbap set for two?

When I ordered the Roman Gukbap set for two, it came with tender pork suyuk (boiled pork slices), pork liver and sundae alongside the gukbap. The moment the table was set, the first thing out of my mouth was, "Wow, this is really generous." I thought it would be just gukbap, but it was a proper set.

There were also lots of other gukbap types and side dishes that go with drinks, so plenty to choose from. Personally, I was curious about the sweet-and-sour seasoned badger-style dish (오소리무침) and the squid sundae.

The gukbap itself also held plenty of tenderly boiled pork suyuk. The meat was soft with no gamey smell at all, and even better eaten with the broth.

Is the Roman Gukbap broth rich or clear?

The broth was clearer than I expected, yet deep in flavor from the very first spoonful. When I think of gukbap, I picture a milky, rich bone broth, so I naturally came expecting that, but the broth I got was clear. Then I took the first spoonful and completely changed my mind.

Even though it's clear, the flavor was deep, with a gentle savoriness and a cool, refreshing finish that lingered. It wasn't harshly intense; it was the kind of broth where your spoon keeps going back without effort.

Turns out they simmer domestic pork bones with 8 healthy herbal ingredients in the right proportions to get a broth that's clear yet deep. Maybe that's why I could barely detect the usual pork smell, and the clean but deep flavor stayed with me. I figure the chef's long experience plus good ingredients made this taste possible.

Can you get the Roman Gukbap set to go?

You can take the Roman Gukbap set out, so as we finished eating I thought my husband would love it and packed a gukbap set for two.

I thought it would be great for soothing a stomach worn out by cold food in summer, or for the morning after drinking, with hot, clear, refreshing Roman Gukbap. I've filed it away as a gukbap place to come back to whenever I crave good gukbap.

Roman Gukbap location and opening hours

• Name: Roman Gukbap (로만국밥)
• Address: 7-4 Hosu-ro 838beon-gil, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea, 1st floor (eatery alley opposite The Hyundai Kintex)
• Hours: Daily 10:00–22:00
• Break time: 14:30–16:00
• Signature dishes: Roman Gukbap, Roman Sundae Gukbap, Roman Offal Gukbap, Spicy Roman Gukbap, Pungmi Jakryeol Blood Sundae Gukbap, Roman Gukbap set (gukbap + suyuk)