Garak-dong Korean BBQ, gopchang and makchang combo: Jinseong Hanwoo

First impressions of Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang in Garak-dong

On a weekend evening when I was really craving beef gopchang (beef intestine), my husband and I headed to the much-talked-about Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship. It's near the restaurant strip by Police Hospital Station and Garak Market Station, so it's very easy to get to by public transport.

The moment we walked in, the savory smell of oil and the sizzle on the grills hit our appetite hard. The place was already lively with office workers stopping by after work and other diners there for gopchang. The space was kept impressively clean — none of that greasy stickiness you sometimes get at grill restaurants — so we could sit down comfortably. The staff greeted us so warmly that we were in a good mood before the food even arrived.

What two servings of hanwoo gopchang and one makchang look like

When you come here, you have to go all in on the main grill dishes. To fully enjoy the intestine's real flavor, we ordered two servings of hanwoo gopchang and one serving of makchang (beef bung), which has an irresistibly chewy texture.

It comes pre-seared from the kitchen and neatly arranged on a cast-iron plate — you can tell just by looking that it's fresh. As it grilled to a golden brown, the savory aroma coming off it was almost impossible to resist.

How the gopchang and makchang taste off the grill

The hanwoo gopchang crisps up on the outside while staying packed inside with creamy fat, no gaps at all. The moment you bite in, there's absolutely no gamey smell — just rich juices and the fat's silky richness filling your mouth. It's the kind of quality that immediately tells you how carefully the raw meat is managed, even among Garak-dong's many gopchang specialists.

The makchang was sliced to just the right thickness, springy and bouncy with every bite. It wasn't tough at all, and the clean, savory flavor that builds as you chew made it a perfect partner to alternate with the gopchang.

Eating gopchang with green onion kimchi and the soy sauce dip

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang's charm shines through in its side dishes too. The signature grilled green onion kimchi and chive salad really come into their own when tossed onto the grill and lightly seared in the fat. The tangy, sour kick of the green onion kimchi cleanly cuts through the richness that beef gopchang can sometimes leave behind.

Dip the fat-filled gopchang deep into the special soy sauce loaded with sliced cheongyang chili, add a piece of chili on top, and you just keep eating without ever getting tired of it. My husband kept saying, without a hint of gamey smell, how clean the flavor was.

Finishing dinner with kkakdugi fried rice

Even after eating three servings of grilled meat and feeling completely full, there's one must-order item at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang you can't skip: kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice. As the saying goes, there's always room in a separate 'rice stomach,' so we added one serving without hesitation.

The kkakdugi fried rice comes out deliciously stir-fried from the kitchen, with crunchy kkakdugi and chewy teuk-yang (premium beef tripe) mixed generously through every grain of rice, giving it a wonderfully varied texture. Not to mention the crispy scorched rice you get from spreading it thin on the grill and letting it stick slightly before scraping it off. The spicy-sweet, savory seasoning perfectly balances out any richness, and the two of us couldn't put our spoons down until the plate was completely clean.

Evening wait times and parking at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang

There can be a wait during evening peak hours, so I'd recommend visiting on an early weekday evening or right when they open on weekends.

Free parking is available for 2 hours in the building's basement lot, but given the nature of the alley commercial district, parking space can be tight — so using a nearby paid public lot or public transport is much more convenient.

From the fresh hanwoo gopchang packed with fat, to the chewy makchang, and finally the kkakdugi fried rice finish, there's not a single dish here that misses. If you're looking for a great beef gopchang spot in Garak-dong or just want a hearty, satisfying meal out, I'd recommend Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship.