Andong traditional restaurant serving shark meat heotjesabap: Gilpung

One of the dishes I really wanted to try while planning my Andong trip was heotjesabap (ancestral-rite-style rice). It's famous as a signature Andong food, and while looking into my travel course I found Gilpung. It's right near Hahoe Village, so it was perfect to visit along the way. I'd always wanted to try this dish at least once, so I went in with high expectations haha.

Gilpung in Pungsan-eup, Andong: parking and what the restaurant looks like

Gilpung is a heotjesabap restaurant at 8 Nabau-gil, Pungsan-eup, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk, with a large parking lot, so there was no need to worry about parking. As a place known for traditional Andong food, the moment I walked in I could feel that famous-restaurant atmosphere.

The walls were covered with traces of TV appearances, including MBC, and I heard it was even featured on Welcome, First Time in Korea?, which made me even more curious about the place.

Walking inside, I was surprised by how huge the space was haha. There were spacious floor-seating tables, and a large private room that would be perfect for family gatherings or events.

True to its reputation as a famous restaurant, the walls were packed with autographs~

The owner of Gilpung kept the side dishes coming all through the meal

What stuck with me most was how kind the owner of Gilpung was. Throughout the meal, they kept coming by to check if we were running low on any side dishes or needed anything. Even though they must have been busy, the way they looked after every little detail felt genuinely warm. Thanks to that, we could eat comfortably, and the whole meal was a pleasant experience.

This sign made me trust the food even more haha.

Seonbi heotjesabap, Andong jjimdak (small)

What comes with the seonbi heotjesabap set at Gilpung?

Gilpung's seonbi heotjesabap was a neat yet generous spread. Looking at the heotjesabap as it arrived, I understood right away why it's called a signature Andong dish. Among the dishes filling the table, I noticed grilled salted Andong mackerel, various namul (seasoned vegetable) dishes, fritters and jeon (pan-fried dishes), and braised doraji (bellflower root) and lotus root.

Since this table setting originated from ancestral rite food, it felt light and clean overall rather than strongly seasoned.

The namul weren't heavily salted but had a nutty flavor, making them great to mix with rice, and the staff recommended mixing them with Joseon soy sauce~

The salted mackerel was salty yet clean-tasting, pairing really well as a side dish for rice.

Shark meat also came out, which I'd never tried before, and it had a mild flavor with no off-putting taste haha.

Tasting the side dishes one by one, I naturally finished a whole bowl of rice before I knew it. The Andong sikhye that came with the meal also stuck in my memory.

How is Andong sikhye different from regular sikhye?

Andong sikhye is a bit different from regular sikhye (sweet rice punch) — apparently it's made with chili powder and ginger. It had a tangy taste that felt refreshing after eating a variety of dishes. They also gave us regular sikhye so we could compare them side by side.

Andong jjimdak (small): more than enough for two people

When you think of Andong, jjimdak (braised chicken) is another must. Gilpung's Andong jjimdak (small) came with generous chunks of potato and carrot and plenty of glass noodles, all coated in a slightly saucy soy sauce glaze that went great with rice.

The sauce was salty and a bit sweet — a familiar flavor, but tasting it in Andong made it feel fresh again. That said, since heotjesabap itself already comes with such a variety of side dishes and a generous portion, the total amount of food was quite a lot for two people. In the end, we packed up more than half of the jjimdak to take home.

We brought it home and reheated it the next day, and it still tasted great, so we ended up enjoying every last bit of the leftovers. It paired amazingly with Andong soju haha. If you want to properly experience the region's traditional food while traveling in Andong, heotjesabap is definitely a dish worth trying.

Being able to enjoy so many side dishes in one spread made tasting each one its own kind of fun, and it was a memorable meal in terms of directly experiencing Andong's food culture. Above all, the owner checking in on us throughout the meal to see if we needed anything made it an even more comfortable and pleasant experience.

Ordering tips at Gilpung: order for your group size and pack up leftovers

If you order heotjesabap and Andong jjimdak together, the portions are quite generous, so it's a good idea to order according to your group size. Like us, you can also get leftovers packed to take home~ If you're planning an Andong trip, exploring sights like Wolyeonggyo Bridge or Hahoe Village and then enjoying a full table of heotjesabap as Andong's traditional food could make for a great travel course.

They also sell Andong soju.

Gilpung visitor information: address, parking and seating

Gilpung is located at 8 Nabau-gil, Pungsan-eup, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk. Group dining, reservations, and takeout are all available, and the restrooms are separated for men and women.

One-line review — From the neat heotjesabap spread to the generous Andong jjimdak, this was a meal we thoroughly enjoyed thanks to the kind owner who made experiencing Andong's traditional food a genuinely pleasant experience.