Gwacheon motsunabe restaurant with fried tofu pouches: Horangigul

What kind of place is Horangigul Gwacheon Branch? Exterior and basics

Today's review is of Horangigul Gwacheon Branch, a go-to spot near the Gwacheon Hillstate apartments. It's famous in Anyang for its daechang jeongol (beef offal hot pot), so I decided to check out the Gwacheon location. The sharp, rich broth here is seriously addictive..!!! And it's super accessible from Government Gwacheon Complex Station.

• Horangigul Gwacheon Branch, a favorite near Government Gwacheon Complex
• Hours ; 11:00-23:00
• Break time ; 15:00-17:00
• Closed Sundays
• Public parking lot nearby

Horangigul Gwacheon menu: daechang jeongol and weekday lunch specials

It was so busy even on a weekday that I couldn't take interior photos, haha, sad. Here's the menu at this Government Gwacheon Complex Station favorite.

The signature dish is the gopchang (beef small intestine) / daechang (beef large intestine) jeongol. The original is daechang jeongol, but you can also choose gopchang jeongol or a mixed gopchang-daechang version. Spice level goes from mild to extra spicy across 4 levels.

They also have weekday lunch specials that are perfect for office workers — gopchang-daechang grilled rice bowl set, grilled butter mackerel set, gyudon (beef rice bowl) set, katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) set, butadon (pork rice bowl) set and more, hahaha. There are also set menus with sides like garlic mayo shrimp or chicken skin gyoza.

How to eat motsunabe properly: the 8-minute timer and leaving a third of the broth

I ordered the spicy daechang jeongol for two. Here's how to eat motsunabe the right way~~~ Wait 2-3 minutes for the offal meat before eating it, and dip the other ingredients in yubu (fried tofu) soy sauce first!

Also, since they don't refill the broth, you need to leave at least a third of it if you want noodles or risotto at the end. Adding noodles or risotto is basically a must, so promise yourself to leave enough broth...~~~~

Once the food arrives, a timer gets set, and after an 8-minute wait, you get to dig into the daechang jeongol from this Gwacheon Hillstate favorite!!!!!!!!!!

Yuzu soy sauce is set on every table so you can just pour it as you go, and garlic scapes come as a side dish.

Spicy daechang jeongol for two: how does the broth taste?

And here it is, the daechang jeongol~~~~~~~~~~~! Since the meat and offal need 2-3 minutes before eating, just start with the fried tofu, vegetables, and tofu first, haha.

Honestly, the broth looks incredible just from a glance. It's sharp and deeply rich, and even though it has offal in it, the spiciness balances it out so it never feels too greasy!!!! It's genuinely the kind of dish that makes you want to drink...........

There were way more vegetables underneath than I expected~! Really generous portions. I loaded up fried tofu, tofu, meat, and vegetables and dipped them all in the refreshing yuzu soy sauce.

Look at this offal!!!!!!!!!!! Savory yet rich flavor..!!!!! I usually can't eat much daechang because it's too greasy for me, but at this Gwacheon Jungang-dong favorite, it goes down so easily with this spicy, sharp, hearty broth!!

This fish cake was also really delicious!!!!!!!!!!! Chewy fish cake with a high fish content!

Why to add the yubu jumeoni (fried tofu pouches) from the start

I also ordered the yubu jumeoni (fried tofu pouches) as an extra. They come frozen, so they need to simmer for at least 5 minutes, which means it's better to add them right from the start. Only ₩500 each, super cheap, hahaha.

The daechang is nice and plump too~~~~~~~~~~~. True to its reputation as a Gwacheon Hillstate favorite, it was nearly full even on a weekday..!!!

The cheese risotto finish is the highlight

Once the fried tofu pouches were cooked through, I immediately ordered the cheese risotto!!!!! The broth was so good that I really tried hard to leave a third of it (lol). You can order the risotto even without finishing all the ingredients first, since they'll scoop everything out separately for you — order whenever works for you.

Ah, this is honestly the real highlight of Horangigul............. Risotto soaked in that savory broth is seriously delicious. An absolute must!! My dad said he's curious about the jjamppong noodles too, so next time I'm treating him to that instead..(?)

I enjoyed every last bite. If you're looking for a Gwacheon Hillstate favorite! Or looking for something to go with drinks! I'd recommend this spicy, savory motsunabe with a glass, hahaha.