Black garlic loach soup at Sangol Chueojeong, a Gochang restaurant

A must-visit restaurant in Gochang, Jeonbuk — I completely fell for Sangol Chueojeong. This was my first trip to Gochang, and between the sights, the food, and the stay, I came away really satisfied. Especially this Gochang restaurant, Sangol Chueojeong, which felt like a great place to bring your parents.

Gochangeupseong fortress and Seokjeong hot springs before lunch at Sangol Chueojeong

I picked Sangol Chueojeong, a Gochang restaurant, for my last evening plan. Gochangeupseong fortress, one of Korea's 100 Beautiful Roads, was still hot out but so pretty once I walked the whole loop!

After a tiring day out, I went to Seokjeong Hot Springs Hu Spa to enjoy the hot spring and spa, then headed to Sangol Chueojeong to properly recharge my body.

How to get to Sangol Chueojeong: parking and waiting times

Sangol Chueojeong is a Gochang restaurant tucked deep into the hillside, with easy parking right out front. I stayed at Gochang Welpark Hotel and deliberately walked there — I wanted a glass of bokbunja since I was in Gochang! It's about 1km one way from Seokjeong Hu Spa and Welpark Hotel, and the air along the way was so nice it felt like a healing course in itself. There were a lot of customers when I arrived — I could immediately see why it's so popular!

There can be a wait on weekends or during mealtimes.

It was too busy for me to photograph the interior, but it's very clean with a calm, old-fashioned atmosphere. There's a self-bar in the middle where you can grab more of any side dish you're running low on.

What's on the menu at Sangol Chueojeong

This Gochang restaurant's main dish is loach soup, made from loach cleaned fresh every morning and simmered for a long time with precious sanghwang mushroom. Pork cutlet is apparently one of their other popular items too!

Just from the paper tray set on the table, I could tell this would be a great place to bring your parents. Gochang really is a healing city.

Even the water comes as sanghwang mushroom tea or dungulle tea. Having a cool cup after the walk was pure bliss.

The side dishes served with the meal

The basic side dishes at Sangol Chueojeong come out as neat and tidy as the restaurant's atmosphere.

The kimchi was so good it made a great appetizer paired with tofu.

Fresh salad with a tangy dressing. Every banchan at Sangol Chueojeong was clean and good — nothing to leave behind. I was already won over before the main dish even arrived.

Today's pick: black garlic loach soup, boiled pork and bokbunja

My pick at this Gochang restaurant today was black garlic loach soup, a small pork platter, and Gochang's famous bokbunja wine — a completely healthy spread. Walking one of Korea's 100 Beautiful Roads, soaking in a hot spring, and then eating a proper nourishing meal — is there a better healing course than that?

It's my favorite color, purple, but also I've been really into bokbunja wine lately.

The small pork platter at Sangol Chueojeong is just as popular as the loach soup. The plating alone was outstanding.

A nourishing dish made with domestic pork shoulder that really fills your protein quota. Paired with the deliciously seasoned chive salad, it was so good.

The Sindongjin pot rice that comes with the loach soup

Ordering loach soup at this Gochang restaurant gets you pot rice too! The freshly made pot rice is Sindongjin-sam pot rice. Even the rice comes with real care at Sangol Chueojeong.

Is the loach soup broth fishy?

Personally, I'm not usually a fan of loach soup, but I was completely won over after eating it at Sangol Chueojeong. Not even a trace of fishy taste, and the broth flavor is truly amazing. Rich, delicious — the kind of mild flavor anyone, young or old, would like.

It was packed with dried radish greens too, so there was fun in fishing them out. If loach soup always tasted like this, I feel like I'd come back often.

Finishing with a cup of misutgaru

The misutgaru dessert at Sangol Chueojeong felt just like the old-fashioned kind you'd mix up at home.

A proper nourishing meal followed by a sweet misutgaru finish — perfect. A must-visit restaurant in Gochang, Jeonbuk, Sangol Chueojeong — I'll definitely stop by again next time I'm in Gochang.