Gunsan gamjatang restaurant with lunchtime parking: Insaeng Gamjatang

Here's my review from a trip to Gunsan, Jeonbuk — a visit to Insaeng Gamjatang, a Gunsan restaurant famous for letting you enjoy two flavors at once with its half-and-half gamjatang (pork bone stew).

Where is Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch, and what are the hours?

Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch is on the 1st floor at 197 Gongdan-daero, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk. It's open from 7:00 AM to 3:00 AM, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Group seating available, takeout, delivery, reservations
• Separate men's/women's restrooms, baby chair, parking
• Gunsan local currency QR payment accepted
• A great review event currently running

What we ordered: the half-and-half gamjatang

Half-and-half gamjatang (aged kimchi gamjatang / napa cabbage gamjatang) lets you eat two menu items at once, piled up like a mountain. I hadn't seen this kind of half-and-half gamjatang anywhere else — the visual alone got me to visit.

They cut the aged kimchi and potatoes right there on the spot, and kindly guided us on adjusting the heat, which I appreciated.

After they set it up, it boils for about 5 minutes and then it's ready to eat. Each table has a timer, so when it rings, you turn off the flame and dig in right away.

With the weather turning chilly, I'd been craving hot gamjatang, and I'm glad I came.

I like gamjatang with perilla seed powder mixed in, and I liked that it's just sitting on the table so you can add it easily.

The gamjatang bones are chunky too — 6 in total, 3 on each side. They had a lot of meat on them, so it was easy to pick the meat off the bone.

Dip it into the mustard sauce and this right here is Insaeng Gamjatang.

The table had disposable gloves, wet wipes, perilla powder, salt, pepper, and their special sauce (mustard sauce) all set out, so you could use whatever you needed right away.

My personal pick is the napa cabbage gamjatang. Both are delicious, but the classic really is the best. Adding perilla powder to suit my taste made it even better.

Fried rice cooked right in the pot

It'd be a shame not to have the stir-fried rice too~ You pick which broth you want and they make the stir-fried rice fresh right there.

This is exactly what I came here for. Insaeng Gamjatang is known for its stir-fried rice, so make sure you try it — think of the stir-fried rice as dessert^^

The basic side dishes included white kimchi, diced radish kimchi, and pickles. Instead of a soy-based sauce, Insaeng Gamjatang serves its own special mustard sauce.

From the self-serve bar, we only grabbed extra onions, peppers, and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste). You could get any dishware you needed or refill side dishes that ran low at the self-serve bar.

What's on the menu at Insaeng Gamjatang

Insaeng Gamjatang has 5 types of gamjatang: aged kimchi gamjatang, napa cabbage gamjatang, green onion kimchi gamjatang, mustard leaf kimchi gamjatang, and soybean pulp gamjatang. We went with the commonly ordered aged kimchi and napa cabbage, but since there are special options like green onion kimchi, mustard leaf kimchi, and soybean pulp, it might be fun for curious folks to give those a try!

As a haejangguk (hangover soup) spot, it works well for solo dining, or for a group where everyone can order something different. There are also special items like grilled bones, spicy tulip chicken feet, Insaeng yukjeon (raw beef dish), crispy bulgogi, and even a kids' hot-pot bulgogi if you're bringing children — so there's something for anyone you come with.

Everything from how to enjoy Insaeng Gamjatang to the review event is posted right at each table so you can check it on the spot. The review event currently offers 2 glasses of draft beer / 1 highball / or noodle add-ins as a free treat.

Insaeng Gamjatang also has a boneless option. If picking meat off bones feels like a hassle or too tricky, the boneless version is a nice option. It also seems great for a company lunch break, a date, or eating with kids.

The review event: a free draft beer

Personally, I really think you should join the review event — I've been to a lot of restaurants, but this is the first time I've seen one offer this much. You can choose 2 glasses of draft beer, or bokbunja (Korean black raspberry) highball (bokbunja-ade also possible), plus other noodle add-in options, so pick whatever suits your taste and make sure to claim it.

Inside Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch: seating and lunch crowd

The interior is spacious and clean. The space between tables was wide too, which made things comfortable.

The long stretch of connected tables also seems great for a company dinner spot.

They also have a wide variety of drinks — beers like Kelly, Cass, and Terra, plus makgeolli (rice wine) too.

You can grab the basic side dishes from the self-serve bar without waiting.

The ventilation system is up top, so it never felt stuffy while eating, which I liked.

It's a local favorite in Gunsan, so once lunchtime hit, it filled up fast with nearby office workers and families. Gunsan local currency QR payment is accepted too, so charge it up and eat well for less~

Where to park at Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch

Insaeng Gamjatang Gunsan Branch has wide parking spaces beside and behind the building. There are a lot of cars during lunchtime, but beyond what you can see, there's plenty more parking space.

Insaeng Gamjatang in Gunsan is a restaurant that nails it both visually and in taste, with a half-and-half gamjatang I hadn't seen anywhere else and generous portions. The spacious, comfortable interior with plenty of tables makes it easy to visit as a group, and with parking fully available, lots of office workers and families come by at lunchtime. With long hours from 7 AM to 3 AM, it's a great haejangguk spot for a hearty meal anytime. To finish it off, we didn't even need to move — right next door is Ujee Coffee, known for its ice cream coffee, for the perfect after-meal coffee.