Beef makchang and ₩8,900 gopchang hot pot in Geomdan: Hwang Gop

Today I went to Geomdan for some beef gopchang (beef small intestine). I'm bringing you a review of Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch, known around Geomdan New Town for its gamey-smell-free, savory, premium gopchang. From the basic side dishes to the main gopchang to the fried rice finale, everything was so on point — gopchang maniacs, pay attention to this one!

Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch hours and parking

Open 3:00 PM – midnight

You can park in the apartment arcade's parking lot. The parking space was spacious, so parking was easy.

Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch is located in Wondang-dong, on the first floor of the Geomdan 26-danji apartment arcade, so it was easy to find. There are lots of apartment complexes nearby, so plenty of customers came in. When I went in the evening, there was even a wait — it's clearly a well-known local favorite.

Menu board and ordering method

Here's the menu board. You order via kiosk, and you can get single orders of hanwoo gopchang, daechang (large intestine), or makchang, or order a combo platter to try several parts at once. Lots of people also ordered the hot pot menus, and there was a wide range of side dishes, so there were plenty of options!

-Order details- Hanwoo gopchang Beef makchang grill Gopchang jeongol (hot pot) Fried rice Beer

Basic table setting and self-bar

Here's the basic table setting. As soon as we sat down, side dishes were set out in nice brass bowls. There were refreshing pickled onions, scallion kimchi, and pickled perilla leaves — every one of them a champion at cutting through the richness of gopchang.

The self-bar was also kept clean, so you could freely refill garlic, chives, cheongyang chili, sauce, and kimchi without feeling self-conscious. You know gopchang tastes best when you go overboard piling on chives and garlic while grilling, right? 😉

The complimentary yukhoe and muksabal

One of Hwang Gop's biggest draws is the complimentary appetizer service! The fresh yukhoe (beef tartare), when you break the egg yolk and mix it in with radish sprouts and pear, had a sharp yet melt-in-your-mouth savoriness that was outstanding.

Muksabal (acorn jelly soup) also comes as a complimentary side — the broth with a thin layer of ice has plenty of mu (radish), seaweed flakes, kimchi, and jelly in it, really waking up your appetite before the gopchang.

How were the hanwoo gopchang and beef makchang grill?

Hanwoo gopchang, 1 serving Beef gopchang grill, 1 serving

Finally, the main dish arrives! Along with the gopchang and makchang, which come out already lightly grilled and golden brown, chives, mushrooms, and onions pile generously onto the grill. Since they're pre-grilled, you just finish cooking them lightly. If gopchang is grilled wrong it burns and tastes bad, but since it arrives already grilled, it was easy — haha.

We ate the beef makchang first. It was chewy on the inside with a crispy outer texture — the texture was art — and dipping it in chives or the special sauce made it even tastier. No gamey or off smell at all, which was great.

Next up is the hanwoo gopchang. Since they use hanwoo (Korean beef), it was packed full of fat inside, and the savory fat was delicious. The savory fat crammed inside bursts with umami the more you chew. It tasted even better with aged kimchi or scallion kimchi.

Gopchang jeongol (hot pot) for ₩8,900

Gopchang jeongol (hot pot), ₩8,900

Next is the gopchang jeongol. The broth was spicy and rich — the kind of taste that calls for a cold beer. There was plenty of gopchang in it too, savory and spicy, making it the perfect pairing with drinks!

Finishing with fresh stone-pot fried rice

Fried rice

After cleanly finishing the grilled meat, you can't skip the fried rice finish, right? From the kitchen, they bring out a generous serving of savory, tangy kimchi fried rice with seaweed flakes, cooked up on a fresh stone pot. Letting it crisp slightly over low heat into a crust and scraping it all up made for the perfect meal.

If you're looking for a delicious gopchang or makchang place in Geomdan New Town, or a great-value restaurant that's generous with service, be sure to visit Hwang Gop Geomdan New Town Branch. The gopchang had no gamey smell and was packed full of fat, so it was delicious, and the staff were friendly too — I ate really well.