Hongdae Korean restaurant for gopchang jeongol and tendon: Doonjeong

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch near Hongik University Station

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch (도온정 홍대직영점) is about a three-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station. Being so close to the subway made it easy to get to.

I found out it received a Blue Ribbon for two consecutive years, 2025 and 2026. That made me look forward to it even more for no reason, haha.

Saturday evening atmosphere and menu

I visited a little after 7 PM on Saturday. The restaurant mainly had tables for four, with fairly generous space between them.

The tables were not cramped together, so it looked like a good spot for a group meal too.

The menu had a wide range of Korean dishes, from hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap (Korean beef tartare mixed rice) and hanwoo gomtang (beef bone soup) to seasoned meat, pancakes, yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), suyuk (boiled sliced meat), and gopchang jeongol (beef tripe hot pot). There were plenty of choices, from proper meals to dishes that would go well as drinking snacks. They also had several alcoholic drinks, mostly traditional Korean liquor and makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

The basic sides were kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and kimchi, and I personally thought the kimchi was really good!

Hanwoo gopchang jeongol with rich tripe filling and tendon

I ordered the hanwoo gopchang jeongol. After it simmered briefly, a staff member added more broth. Once it started boiling, it looked delicious just sitting thereㅠㅠ

And of course, I took a full-table shot too…

The hot pot was filled with a variety of ingredients, including hanwoo gopchang, suji (beef tendon), mushrooms, cabbage, and green onion.

The broth was rich yet nicely spicy, and the portion was generous overall, so we could really dig in. I scooped up some gopchang to try, and it was full of rich filling inside. The pieces were plump and not tough, which made them easy to eat.

The tendon was chewy too, so it was nice to alternate it with the gopchang, and it paired well with soju. Before I knew it, we had almost finished it… so I added udon noodles at the end.

Finishing the hot pot with udon noodles

The staff kept checking on the hot pot and took care of everything from the broth to the udon noodles, so I could eat comfortably. The udon cooked quickly too,

so I tried it right away. The noodles were bouncy and chewy, with just enough of the hot-pot broth soaked in, making them perfect for finishing the meal.

A generous Korean meal near Hongik University Station

I visited Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch near Hongik University Station. The hanwoo gopchang jeongol had gopchang packed with rich filling and chewy beef tendon, while the broth was warmly spicy and delicious. The staff were kind as well, so the whole meal felt comfortable. This time I had the gopchang jeongol, but I was also curious about the hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap and hanwoo gomtang. Next time, I would like to come with a group and try some other dishes too. If you are looking for Korean food near Hongik University Station—such as gopchang jeongol, yukhoe, or gomtang—it would be worth a visit.