Cheonyeop tripe side dish at a Mokdong gopchang restaurant: Omokgyo

Looking for a place to grab dinner and a glass of soju after work, I headed to Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch near Omokgyo Station.

This place is already famous as an Omokgyo gopchang restaurant for its scallion kimchi and garlic gopchang, so I went in with high expectations — and it lived up to them.

Where is Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch, and where do you park?

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch is easy to find in the food alley whether you come out Exit 1 or Exit 2 of Omokgyo Station. For parking, there's a public parking lot nearby in Mokdong.

• Address: 1F, 226-13 Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul
• Parking: Nearby Mokdong public parking lot

Retro interior at Omokgyo Gopchang, built for drinking

Walking into Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch, I got a retro vibe from the round steel tables and storage-style stools.

The seats near the entrance have folding doors, so on nice days you can sit with them open for that open-air pojangmacha (street tent bar) feel — great for a drink.

The couple set: enough gopchang for three people

Once we sat down and checked the menu, there were set options letting you try various cuts at once. We ordered the couple set — 400g mixed gopchang, 150g beef brisket, gopchang hot pot, and fried rice all included — plus a bottle of soju that pairs so well with gopchang.

While waiting for the first grilling, they brought out cheonyeop, sundubu jjigae, and an assortment of side dishes.

The cheonyeop was very fresh, and the sundubu jjigae was nicely spicy, so we ate happily while waiting for our order.

Soon the couple set came out piece by piece, and both the composition and the portions were generous enough for three people — great value for money.

Tableside grilling service and the fire show

Once the pre-grilled gopchang arrived on the pan, a staff member grilled everything for us right at the table, explaining each cut along the way.

At the start, they also put on a flashy fire show — it helps burn off any odor and is fun to watch, setting the mood for a good drink at this Omokgyo gopchang spot.

Handmade garlic gopchang with scallion kimchi

Paired with soju, the couple set at Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch piles on a generous variety of cuts — garlic gopchang, hwangso gopchang, daechang, makchang, honeycomb tripe, heart, and thin-sliced beef brisket.

Above all, the most memorable item was the traditional handmade garlic gopchang.

Looking inside the gopchang, it was packed with fat and studded with garlic cloves — really appealing.

With every bite, the savory fat and the distinct garlic aroma blended together in the mouth, nicely balancing out gopchang's characteristic richness.

Eating the meat on the pan with chives, bean sprouts, and their house-made scallion kimchi made for a really great combination.

Gopchang hot pot and the fried rice finish with soju

The gopchang hot pot included in the couple set had a spicy, deep broth, making it a great soju pairing while slowly grilling the meat on the pan alongside it.

It was loaded with gopchang and vegetables, and the rich, clean flavor kept us eating happily to the last bite.

After eating our fill of gopchang and hot pot at Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch, they prepared a full pan of Omokgyo fried rice, the last item in the couple set.

It comes out pre-cooked, with beaten egg poured in a ring around the edge of the pan.

Cooked just until the egg is slightly underdone, then mixed with the rice, it had a rich, smooth flavor that made it a real treat.

Is Omokgyo Gopchang worth it for an after-work dinner in Mokdong?

From gopchang in various cuts to the spicy hot pot and fried rice, we finished off the evening full and satisfied with soju and a well-rounded couple set.

With its professional tableside grilling service and distinctive garlic-studded gopchang, it was a great spot for a drink — worth checking out if you're looking for an Omokgyo gopchang restaurant.