Andong restaurant 5 minutes from Hahoe Village: jjimdak at Gilpung

Andong jjimdak, salted mackerel, heotjesabap — a Hahoe Village restaurant, Gilpung

I went on a temple stay in Andong recently. After it ended, I was going to head straight home, but then I thought, "When am I ever going to come all the way to Andong again?" so my husband and I decided to keep traveling haha. I'll post the temple stay review soon (though my reviews keep getting delayed because I'm lazy... T.T)

Once we decided to keep exploring Andong, the first thing on my mind was "what should we eat in Andong?" ...though honestly there wasn't much to think about lol. Andong means jjimdak (braised chicken), right? Let me introduce Gilpung, where we had a proper meal during our Andong trip :)

• Location & parking for a heotjesabap restaurant near Hahoe Village, Andong
• Menu & prices at heotjesabap restaurant Gilpung
• Taste review of Andong jjimdak & salted mackerel

How long does it take to reach Gilpung from Hahoe Village?

Gilpung is a restaurant in Pungsan-eup, about a 5-minute drive from Andong's Hahoe Village. We looked around Hahoe Village before eating, and by the time we'd walked the whole loop we were properly starving lol, so we went straight to eat jjimdak in that state. It's a great route for anyone looking for restaurants near Hahoe Village too!

Parking at Gilpung

Gilpung has a spacious dedicated parking lot. Especially in Andong, a lot of people drive between the various attractions, so it was convenient to visit by car!

Gilpung location and opening hours

Gilpung's address is 8 Nabawu-gil, Pungsan-eup, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Hours are Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00 and Sat–Sun 09:30–20:00, and you'll need to check with the store for closed days.

What is heotjesabap?

You're probably wondering what heotjesabap even is...? I had the same reaction the first time I heard it — ???????? huh?? lol. Heotjesabap is a dish that originated from serving food in the style of a memorial-rite table without actually holding a memorial rite. Beyond jjimdak or salted mackerel, people looking to try a bit more of Andong's traditional local food often go for heotjesabap!

Is Gilpung's dining room good for groups?

The inside of Gilpung was much roomier than it looked from outside. There are plenty of seats and the tables are spaced generously, so it looked like a good spot for large families or group trips!

Gilpung menu and prices

Gilpung's menu isn't just jjimdak — they also have Andong jjimdak, Andong salted mackerel, heotjesabap, and other classic Andong dishes, so it's nice that you can order several things and share.

On one side of the restaurant they were also selling Andong soju.

You can't skip Andong soju when you think of Andong, right? If you're wondering what souvenir to buy while traveling in Andong, it might be worth checking out the Andong soju here after your meal.

They also sell Andong salted mackerel separately outside, so if you like it after trying it at the restaurant, it's nice to be able to buy extra. You don't have to go somewhere else to pick up Andong specialties lol.

After ordering, the side dishes come out first, and they were exactly my type lol. The garlic scapes were tasty and the kimchi had that slightly country-style flavor I like. Overall nothing was too strong-flavored, so I kept reaching for more.

What two of us ordered at Gilpung

• Andong jjimdak, medium — ₩38,000
• Andong salted mackerel — ₩15,000
• Sikhye, 2 cups — ₩2,000

So... what does Andong mean? Jjimdak, hehe ♥ From the moment we planned the trip, we said we absolutely had to eat Andong jjimdak at least once. So we ordered jjimdak as the main and salted mackerel as a side, and the table ended up wonderfully full lol.

How does the Andong jjimdak taste?

Gilpung's medium Andong jjimdak (₩38,000) had the sauce soaked evenly through every ingredient.

The chicken had really soaked up the sauce, and you could properly taste that sweet-and-salty flavor. We came all the way to Andong to eat jjimdak, and I thought — good choice.

The sauce is so good that even without chicken, you could mix it with rice alone and finish a whole bowl lol.

Sikhye or gamju: which should you order?

Gilpung's sikhye (sweet rice drink) is 2 cups for ₩2,000. I'd tried Andong-style sikhye the day before and it wasn't for me, so this time I ordered gamju (sweet rice punch) instead. Andong-style sikhye actually has red pepper powder in it, which is a matter of personal taste, so since they also have tasting cups, I'd recommend trying a sample first and buying more if you like it!

It was so good that I bought some gamju to take home too, hehe.

Is the Andong salted mackerel worth adding?

And the thing I was just as curious about as the jjimdak — Andong salted mackerel! It's ₩15,000, and you can't come all the way to Andong and skip the salted mackerel haha.

It comes out grilled to a nice golden brown, and honestly... it's the kind of visual that summons white rice automatically lol. Flake off the fish, pile a big piece onto warm rice, take a bite... no words needed. If you're looking for good Andong salted mackerel and there are several of you, I'd recommend ordering it alongside jjimdak to share.

Being able to try a variety of Andong's signature dishes — jjimdak, salted mackerel, heotjesabap — all in one place is the biggest advantage for travelers. If you're touring Hahoe Village or Byeongsan Seowon and looking for somewhere nearby for a hearty meal, or if you want jjimdak but can't give up salted mackerel either, Gilpung is worth adding to your Andong Hahoe Village restaurant list :)