Baby-friendly Gochang restaurant with pork cutlets: Sangol Chueojeong

Where is Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch, and when is it open?

• 136-3 Sanjeong-gil, Gochang-eup, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, South Korea
• Tue–Sun 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:00–16:30 (no break on Sat/Sun)
• Closed every Monday
• Parking: open lot in front of the restaurant
• Baby chair available

Today I stopped by Gochang Seokjeong Hot Springs and then visited Sangol Chueojeong, a restaurant locals recommend in Gochang. Loach soup (chueotang) is such a great pick when you want a hearty, restorative meal! I'd heard there was a great chueotang spot in Gochang, so I went to check it out. The exterior caught my eye right away for looking upscale and clean. They had gentle background music playing too, which added to the atmosphere. There were lots of trees around, so the air felt fresh.

How long is the weekend wait at Sangol Chueojeong?

Sangol Chueojeong has a row of waiting chairs lined up near the entrance. We visited early, around 11:30, so there was no wait for us. But by the time we left, there were quite a few people waiting. I'd recommend coming early on weekends! They also use a table-waiting app, which was convenient. Apparently there's a reservoir above the restaurant, so if you're waiting, taking a walk up that way could be nice.

On weekends they operate without a break time, so you can drop by whenever's convenient. Just a heads-up, they're closed every Monday!

One nice detail: there's a hand-washing sink right at the entrance, so you don't have to go all the way to the restroom to wash up.

Dining room with a baby: table spacing and restrooms

The main hall at Sangol Chueojeong was spacious. Most tables seat four, with some up to eight. The interior had a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel that captured a nice sense of Korean sentiment — very East Asian and lovely. The space was also very clean and comfortable. What I liked most was how wide the hall was and how much space there was between tables.

The restrooms are located outside the building. If you go around the left corner from the entrance, you'll find them there. I liked that they have separate restrooms for men and women, which made things convenient.

Sangol Chueojeong menu: what to order besides loach soup

Sangol Chueojeong in Gochang is known for chueotang, but honestly the pork cutlets are also amazing. Order the chueotang and the pork cutlet both — they're seriously, seriously delicious. And the boiled pork was so good too, you really have to try it. I loved that the menu had a good variety. When you go with a bigger family, everyone wants something different, right? Sangol Chueojeong doesn't have a huge menu, but it has exactly the right variety of dishes you actually need — that was a real strength.

They're also running a receipt review event, so keep that in mind — you can get some barley candy!

Self-serve bar and side dishes: the seokbakji steals the show

The self-serve bar was tidy and clean. I personally prefer a smaller number of high-quality dishes over lots of mediocre ones, so this was very satisfying. Being able to refill side dishes was great. And you really have to try the seokbakji (radish kimchi) here! It's a seokbakji destination in its own right. Real deal!!!

The basic table setting that comes standard was also generous! I personally loved how healthy it felt. Whenever we eat out it's usually heavy, spicy food, but Sangol Chueojeong's vegetable-focused side dishes really appealed to me. And more than anything, they tasted good. The salad dressing was genuinely delicious — it seemed to be made from corn, a flavor I hadn't tried anywhere else. Eating the salad before the meal made me feel healthier already.

We ordered sanghwang chueotang, handmade pork cutlet, cheese pork cutlet, and a small boiled pork platter. For reference, this was for three adults and one baby!

Handmade and cheese pork cutlets the baby actually ate

Just look at the color of these pork cutlets — glossy and mouthwatering. Sangol Chueojeong makes their pork cutlets by hand, and I think that's exactly why the flavor is impossible to imitate. The breading was seriously crispy, and the cheese pork cutlet had cheese overflowing from inside. The plain handmade pork cutlet had that classic, old-school cutlet flavor that was just right. Personally, I liked the handmade one even more — I love old-style pork cutlets, so it hit the spot for me. Paired with the accompanying salad, it had even more savory depth. Our baby ate the pork cutlet too, and ate it well! The seasoning wasn't too strong, so it was easy for a baby to eat. Since we had a baby with us, we asked for the sauce on the side so we could dip pieces in — that turned out to be an even better way to eat it!

See that cheese waterfall? The meat was thick, and the cheese inside was piled in generously too. Crispy and savory — genuinely delicious. Our baby really enjoyed the pork cutlet.

How does the sanghwang chueotang broth taste?

Sangol Chueojeong's chueotang lived up to its reputation as a chueotang destination — it was genuinely delicious. The broth wasn't murky at all, just clean-tasting. Usually even when the loach is ground fine, the broth can occasionally have that heavy, muddy loach taste come through, but Sangol Chueojeong's version was rich yet clean. They also loaded it with hearty ingredients, so just eating the solids alone was pretty filling. My husband loves chueotang, and after finishing a bowl and working up a sweat, he said it felt incredibly refreshing.

Pot rice and scorched rice served with the chueotang

When you order chueotang at Sangol Chueojeong, it comes with pot rice like this! You know how good pot rice tastes. The rice really was delicious. They even add a nice touch of a mini ginseng on top! Scoop out the rice first, then pour water in — and it magically becomes scorched rice (nurungji). You know the meal isn't over until you've had the scorched rice too, right?

They give you hot water for this! Just pour it in to make the scorched rice!

Small plate of boiled pork: portion size and flavour

The portion was surprisingly generous for something labeled a 'small' boiled pork platter. Eating it together with the chive salad and radish that came alongside was genuinely delicious. The meat had no gamey smell and was tender, and surprisingly the fatty part was chewy in a good way. It was also great wrapped in the cabbage from the self-serve bar. This place is a chueotang restaurant, but honestly nothing here was anything less than delicious.

There are toothpicks at the counter, so use them if you need them.

Why pair Sangol Chueojeong with Gochang Seokjeong Hot Spring Spa

I visited Sangol Chueojeong, a restaurant Gochang locals recommend. It's known as a chueotang destination, and sure enough there were plenty of older customers there too. You know how a place full of middle-aged men is always a guaranteed good spot, right? I loved that it wasn't just chueotang — the pot rice on the side made the whole meal feel even healthier. And despite being known for chueotang, I was surprised at how good the pork cutlets and boiled pork were too. It's great that it's not a single-item menu, and for families with a baby, it's nice that there's something for the little one to eat as well. It's just two minutes from Gochang Seokjeong Hot Springs, so it's a great meal option for anyone visiting the spa. Hot spring and hearty meal — two birds, one stone! If you're looking for a good chueotang restaurant or Gochang restaurant, I genuinely recommend Sangol Chueojeong!