Gimpo Korean restaurant for soju and beef tendon: Okdoenjang

What kind of Korean restaurant is Okdoenjang in Gurae-dong, Gimpo?

Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch is a Korean dining spot in Gurae-dong, Gimpo, built around doenjang (soybean paste) stew. I went for a savory stew fix, and even the exterior had a retro vibe going on.

📍 Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch 🍽️ Type: Korean dining 🕐 Hours: Daily 11:00–24:00 📌 Address: 180 Gimpohangang 9-ro 75beon-gil, 1st floor, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

The place was clean and the table spacing was wide, so I ate comfortably.

Walking inside, the lighting felt warm. Every table has a neatly installed induction stove.

The window seats were spacious too, plenty of room to settle in. Photos of the main menu items line the walls. Overall it's a tidy, comfortable atmosphere.

The banchan (side dishes) that come first

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out first — stir-fried kimchi and green onion kimchi, both salty and right up my alley. I was surprised to find meat mixed in!

Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch menu prices

Let's start with the main menu prices. We went with the feast set for two.

• Feast set for 2: ₩39,000
• Feast set for 3: ₩59,000
• Feast set for 4: ₩79,000
• Mussel doenjang stew: lunch ₩11,000 / dinner ₩13,000
• Squid doenjang stew: lunch ₩11,000 / dinner ₩13,000
• Shiitake doenjang stew: lunch ₩11,000 / dinner ₩13,000
• Beef tendon doenjang stew: lunch ₩12,000 / dinner ₩14,000
• Beef belly doenjang stew: lunch ₩11,000 / dinner ₩13,000

And here are the side menu prices~!

• Squid water dropwort pancake: ₩15,000
• Shrimp water dropwort pancake: ₩18,000
• Whole squid sukhoe (parboiled squid): ₩18,000
• Beef belly tofu kimchi: ₩15,000
• Stir-fried spicy beef tendon kalguksu noodles: ₩15,000
• Squid and pork jeyuk stir-fry: ₩29,000
• Smoked duck with steamed water dropwort: ₩22,000
• Perilla oil fried egg: ₩7,000

How the boiled pork hot pot and beef tendon tasted

The main event at Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch, the boiled pork stew, arrived generously packed in a round pot. Finally, the main dish!

They sprinkle on black pepper for us~!

It's loaded with tender meat and water dropwort. As instructed on the table sign, they set an hourglass timer while it simmered.

Once the broth started bubbling, a savory aroma rose up.

The broth was clear and felt exactly like a hangover cure, so I couldn't not order soju. The stew broth was deep and savory — great over rice, and just as great as a drinking snack.

Squid and water dropwort pancake, ₩15,000

The crispy squid and water dropwort pancake we ordered alongside also came out. It's packed with water dropwort, so the aroma is really nice.

There's plenty of squid in there too, giving it a nice chew. I'd never seen a place put in this much squid!! Really impressive. This is a Gimpo Korean food spot in every sense.

We cut it into bite-size pieces with scissors and dipped it in the sauce. The pancake was so crisp it made the perfect drinking snack.

Seasoned beef tendon and glass noodles in the feast set

The sweet and spicy seasoned beef tendon was also a standout. It was my first time properly eating beef tendon, and it turned out to be exactly my style.

Grabbing a bit of meat and water dropwort together and dunking it in the sauce worked really well. Glass noodles came out too, which we tossed into the stew to simmer. Once they soaked up the broth, they slid right down.

Overall the food was clean-tasting and seasoned just right. A great pairing for a cold glass of soju.

I dipped the tender meat in the special soy sauce. It wasn't tough at all and had a clean, mild flavor.

Is Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch worth a visit?

Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch satisfied with good-quality boiled pork and a crispy pancake. The food came out neatly plated, making it a good place to bring your parents too.