Gumi restaurant for a first taste of black goat suyuk: Irojeong

I've been feeling unusually low on energy lately, so even when I eat, I've been craving something a bit more fortifying. That day I had boyangsik (health-boosting food) on my mind, so I headed to Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch, a place I'd had my eye on for a while.

It's close to Geumosan, so it kept popping up whenever I searched for the best mudfish soup restaurants in Gumi or restaurants near Geumosan. Once I actually went, there were quite a lot of customers.

Parking and the wait at Irojeong: 10 teams and a Tabling sign-up

The parking lot at Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch was full of cars, but it was so spacious that there was no need to worry about finding a spot. When I arrived there were 10 teams waiting, so I signed up on Table Ring and waited inside the café that doubles as a waiting area.

The waiting space was nicer than I expected.

What's at the Iroje Cafe self-bar while you wait

Turns out the waiting area at Irojeong isn't just a plain waiting room — it also operates as a dessert space called 'Iroje Cafe.'

There were even ice cups, so some people took their drinks to go iced. The self-bar had bowls full of green, pink, and beige gangjeong (Korean rice puff snacks), plus sipjeon daebo tea, boyang sujeonggwa (a spiced persimmon punch), and sweet pumpkin sikhye all set out.

You could help yourself to as much as you wanted, so while waiting I had some gangjeong and a cup each of the tea and sikhye. There was a wait, but snacking the whole time made it feel less tedious than expected.

Inside the back room at Irojeong: how it feels with kids

When our turn came, we were led into an inner room.

It used a lot of wood, giving it a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, and the overall vibe was calm.

It looked like a good spot for family meals or for visiting with elderly parents.

With baby chairs and a play room with arcade games, it was also perfect for going with kids.

Irojeong Gumi Geumosan Direct Branch: hours, address, facilities

• Address: 32 Bakjeonghui-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:10
• Group seating, takeout, reservations, separate men's/women's restrooms, baby chairs, kids' play room

Sanghwang black goat suyuk set, 30,000 won: my first time eating black goat

The sanghwang black goat suyuk set I ordered at Irojeong is ₩30,000 per person and requires a minimum of two people. Honestly, this was my first time ever trying black goat. I was a little worried it would have a strong gamey smell, but once the food arrived and I tasted it, it was better than I expected.

The suyuk (boiled meat) came piled with white jelly mushroom, along with wild ginseng and chives. I put a piece of the meat on with some mushroom and chives, dipped it lightly in the sauce, and there was almost no gamey smell at all.

The suyuk itself wasn't heavy, and eating it together with the mushroom and chives made the flavors work well together. I was a bit nervous going in since it was my first time, but after the first bite I realized I'd worried for nothing.

Free side dish self-bar and free extra rice

The basic side dishes included kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), jelly mushroom, japchae, salad, and assorted fritters, all available to help yourself to as much as you wanted at the self-bar.

Extra rice was also free, and it was nice to be able to grab more side dishes without any hesitation.

The sanghwang black goat soup that came with the set was fairly rich too. Mixing the broth, which had ugeoji (dried radish greens) and black goat meat in it, with the turmeric rice made for a pretty filling meal.

By the time I finished the suyuk and the soup, I felt like I'd had a proper boyangsik meal.

Next visit to Irojeong: the loach soup

Irojeong is known not just for black goat but also as one of the go-to spots for mudfish soup (loach soup) in Gumi, so I'm planning to try that next time. This time I took on black goat, and it turned out to be much less intimidating than I expected — a meal I'll remember.

What I liked most, surprisingly, was being able to enjoy tea and dessert in the waiting area both before and after the meal. It felt like they'd really put thought into creating a proper space for waiting customers.

If you're looking for somewhere to eat with family near Geumosan, or want to try a different kind of boyangsik than usual, this is a place worth considering. Even someone like me, trying black goat for the first time, could get through a meal without much hesitation — so next time, I'll be back for the mudfish soup.