Dunsan-dong beef intestine grill, 20-minute Monday wait: Uhwa Gopchang

There's a famous saying (?) that when you're feeling down, go toward the meat. Worn down and beaten by society, let me take you to Uhwa Gopchang in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon.

You can tell how fresh beef gopchang (grilled beef intestine) is by how much gop (fat) is packed inside. Look at this. Absolutely full of it.

Uhwa Gopchang hours, parking and restrooms

Uhwa Gopchang, a well-known spot in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, is open daily from 17:00 to 24:00. Parking is free for 2 hours at The Prime City underground lot, and the restroom is inside the commercial building, separated for men and women.

When does Uhwa Gopchang open its outdoor tables?

Uhwa Gopchang is famous in Daejeon for its outdoor seating (yajang). I was hoping to enjoy it this time, but unfortunately it wasn't running that day. The outdoor seating season runs from late April to early November. Reservations aren't really possible — it's first-come, first-served. It's also closed in rain, heat waves, or cold snaps, so it's worth checking with the restaurant before you visit.

Parking at Uhwa Gopchang is free for 2 hours at The Prime City building's underground lot. Thank you, Dunsan-dong restaurant with actual parking!

A 20-minute wait even on a Monday evening

I visited at 6:40pm on a Monday and there was already a wait. I thought, surely people aren't craving gopchang on a Monday — but the place was packed with people (myself included) craving gopchang! I was number one on the waitlist and got in after about 20 minutes. If you want to eat indoors, I'd recommend booking through Naver Reservations beforehand.

Uhwa mixed platter for two and same-day slaughtered beef

First, I ordered the recommended Uhwa mixed platter for two (200g per person, ₩23,000).

They bring in cattle slaughtered the same day in Osan, Gyeonggi-do, and the vegetables are sourced fresh every dawn from Noeun Market. The fact that this is proudly displayed right in the middle of the restaurant says a lot about how confident they are in the freshness.

Side dishes at Uhwa Gopchang: tteokbokki and seaweed soup

The basic side dishes set out were raw liver, tripe, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), miyeok-guk (seaweed soup), pickled perilla leaves, pickled onions, green onion kimchi, and dipping sauce. While waiting for the food, I curbed my hunger with the tteokbokki and seaweed soup. The tteokbokki was delicious — haha, total nostalgia, like the cup tteokbokki from outside school.

I can't eat raw liver or tripe, so I sent those back. Bye-bye..👋

Five cuts of gopchang grilled for you by the staff

The Uhwa mixed platter consists of gopchang, daechang (large intestine), makchang (rectum), chadolbagi (thin sliced brisket), and heart. It comes pre-seared, and a staff member grills it for you directly.

Vegetables grilled in gopchang fat — how could that not be delicious? The daechang is cut into bite-sized pieces and grilled until even more golden brown.

The heart cooks first — one clean bite wrapped in chives, and wow.

The sizzling makchang gets a dip in makjang sauce topped with pepper, and wow.

The daechang, dunked in pickled onions and piled endlessly with bean sprouts and perilla leaves, and wow. Ugh... it's straightforwardly delicious. There are so many things to pair it with, you can mix and match to your taste.

A light somaek (soju and beer mix) for people who barely drink

This place seems to be popular for Dunsan-dong company dinners too. What goes with gopchang? Soju! How do you resist gopchang and soju together? (I'm not much of a drinker, though.) But with every table topped with soju bottles and glasses clinking, everyone looked so happy. I couldn't resist wanting to join in on that vibe.

Here's how a non-drinker makes their own somaek.

• What you need: cola, sprite (ask for a beer glass when ordering drinks)
• 1️⃣ Pour the sprite first, then splash in the cola
• 2️⃣ (Coolly and nonchalantly) mix it together
• DIY somaek complete! Ta-da~~~

Extra gopchang order and unlimited side dish refills

I ordered an extra serving of gopchang and refilled the chives and mushrooms. At Uhwa Gopchang, all the side dishes and vegetables, including the tteokbokki, are refillable — so feel free to ask.

They gave us more heart on the house, haha.

Cleared.

If you write a Naver receipt review, you get free fried rice. I was going to do it, but I was way too full. Why didn't I eat it! I regretted it once I got home ㅠㅠ Everyone reading this, please go eat the fried rice at Uhwa Gopchang in Daejeon on my behalf.

Is Uhwa Gopchang worth it? Final verdict

Freshness is everything with offal. You really have to be careful when choosing a gopchang restaurant. Uhwa Gopchang in Daejeon was fresh, free of any gamey smell, and full of savory flavor — one of the best gopchang restaurants I've had in Daejeon. Delicious and friendly service, which put me in a great mood haha.