Two-person gopchang set with a mukguk side in Geomdan: Hwang Gop

📍 Location: 420 Ieum 1-ro, Sangga-dong 1st floor Unit 9, Geomdan-gu, Incheon, South Korea 🕓 Hours: 15:00–24:00

If you like gopchang (grilled beef intestine), you've probably heard of Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch!! I was looking for a place to eat gopchang in Geomdan New Town and ended up here — the clean, tidy atmosphere made it a good spot for a family meal too. Hope this review helps ✨

What we ordered at Hwang Gop, and the mukguk side

We ordered the assorted gopchang 2-person + fried rice set and added yukhoe (beef tartare) on top. Before the main dishes arrived, the basic side dishes were set out one by one, and I personally loved that mukguk (jelly noodle soup) was one of them. The cool, tangy mukguk was great to eat before digging into the gopchang, and it also went well as something to nibble on in between bites.

Is Hwang Gop okay with a child?

We visited with our child, and there were more families with young kids than I expected, which made the meal feel more comfortable. You'd think a gopchang place would have a mostly drinking-focused vibe, but the restaurant was clean and had plenty of family customers, so it worked fine as a family outing. The place itself is on the tidy side, with an open kitchen layout that lets you glimpse the cooking. Reviews also often mention the clean interior and open-kitchen atmosphere as a plus.

Complimentary yukhoe, plus an extra order

They even threw in a free serving of yukhoe (beef tartare)~! We had actually planned to order yukhoe anyway, so getting a complimentary one too made the meal feel generous right from the start haha. The fresh yukhoe came topped with an egg yolk, and it was nice to have something light to eat while waiting for the gopchang.

What's on the assorted gopchang platter, and how it's pre-grilled

Our main order, the assorted gopchang, came with several different parts rather than just plain gopchang, so it was fun to pick and choose. Even in photos you can see gopchang, daechang (large intestine), makchang (rectum), yeomtong (beef heart) and more piled generously, with a mound of chives right in the middle!! Hwang Gop is known for pre-cooking (chobal) the gopchang before serving, and sure enough, it arrived already partly cooked, making it easy to eat. I liked that after the pre-cooking, staff grilled it further to a perfectly ready state for us.

Fat-packed gopchang with chives

As the gopchang browned on the grill, a savory smell rose up that made me even hungrier haha. The well-cooked gopchang was golden on the outside and packed with fat inside, so one bite delivered a strong savory flavor. With gopchang, how much fat it holds really matters, and the more I chewed, the more that savory taste came through, so I kept reaching for more. It was great on its own, but eating it with the chives piled on top gave it a whole different flavor. The rich, fatty gopchang paired with fragrant chives cut through the greasiness, so I kept eating them together.

Fried rice to finish on a fresh grill plate

And you can't skip the fried rice after gopchang haha. We ordered the set that included fried rice from the start, and it was served on a brand-new grill plate, which felt more hygienic and just nicer overall. Gopchang alone can leave you slightly unsatisfied, but with the fried rice added, we ended up quite full.

Overall, this meal felt extra generous since we got to try gopchang, yukhoe, and fried rice all together. Having mukguk as a basic side and getting a free yukhoe on top meant we weren't bored even while waiting for the gopchang haha.

If you're looking for a place to eat gopchang in Geomdan New Town, Hwang Gop is worth checking out as one of the go-to gopchang spots in the area. You can enjoy several different cuts at once with the assorted platter and follow it up with fried rice, and the clean interior makes it suitable not just for drinks with friends but for a family meal too. Next time we visit, we'll try some of the individual gopchang menu items instead. This time we sampled a variety with the assorted platter, so next time it might be fun to order based on our favorite cuts haha.