Balsan Station restaurant for nakgopsae with add-on toppings: Gungmin

I was really craving nakgopsae (spicy octopus, beef intestine, and shrimp stew) again~ You know those days when you want something spicy and intense haha. So I headed to Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch!

Gungmin Nakgopsae is a chain known for its nakgopsae, so I'd heard the name but this was my first visit. And after eating it — oh? this is actually really good?!!! Especially the sauce, which was totally my style~!

Where is Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch, and the basics

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch is on the 1st floor of Donga Building, 330 Gangseo-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 6 of Balsan Station on Line 5. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–23:00, with last order at 21:00 / 22:00, and no closed days.

• Name: Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch
• Address: 1st floor, Donga Building, 330 Gangseo-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00 / Sat–Sun 11:00–23:00 (last order 21:00 / 22:00)
• Closed: None
• Parking: Available (free)
• Restroom: Inside the restaurant, separated by gender

Since it's on the main road, it wasn't hard to find at all! Parking is free if you use the lot behind the building, so it was convenient to drive there too~

Inside the restaurant: big screen and tablet ordering

The inside of Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch was clean overall! There's a big screen on one side, so it looked like a good spot to watch soccer or baseball while eating or having a drink~

So I figured this would be a popular spot for group dinners or gatherings around Balsan Station too!

The restroom is inside the restaurant and separated by gender, and it was clean.

There's a tablet at every table, so you could order right away! There's also a review event, so keep that in mind~!

Menu and prices at Gungmin Nakgopsae

What side dishes come with the meal?

At Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch, the basic side dishes were radish wraps, perilla leaves, diced radish kimchi, white kimchi, mayonnaise, and even seaweed soup. It was exactly the combination I like haha.

I especially love the perilla leaf + radish wrap + mayonnaise combo with nakgopsae, and here it was set up like that from the start, which I really liked haha.

And water came in individual plastic bottles! These days that feels surprisingly clean and nice~

Beef intestine nakgopsae (medium): whole pieces of beef intestine

What I ordered was the medium beef intestine nakgopsae. Glass noodles are included by default, so if you love glass noodles, you're already satisfied here >_< haha.

When it first came out and I looked at the ingredients, the octopus was really plump. The shrimp were nice and big too! And I was surprised that the beef intestine came in whole, much bigger pieces than expected. When I cut it open, it was full of gopchang fat inside too!

The rice cake portion was chewy and delicious too~! The ingredients all looked clean overall, so the first impression was great~

How the nakgopsae is cooked at the table

First, stir the ingredients evenly so the glass noodles don't burn~ once the onions turn translucent and the rice cakes are cooked, lower it to setting 5 and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Then lower it to setting 2 and it's ready to eat! Apparently the trick is to eat the glass noodles first haha. And at the very end, add the fried rice ingredients into the leftover sauce and fry it up!

How spicy and sweet is the sauce?

As it simmered away, the sauce reduced down and the flavor really soaked into the ingredients. It wasn't just spicy — it had a slight sweetness and umami too, so I kept eating it nonstop!! ㅎㅎ The octopus, beef intestine, and shrimp all went well with it, but honestly the sauce was what stuck with me most that day.

Yep, I fully approve of the perilla leaf + radish wrap + mayonnaise + nakgopsae combo! Ended up ordering more haha.

A second round with octopus, pork belly and flying fish roe

Adding octopus, pork belly, and flying fish roe into the leftover sauce and simmering it again basically created a whole new dish haha.

Loading up on flying fish roe added a fun popping texture that made it even more delicious!!

Finishing with flying fish roe fried rice

The finale, of course, is fried rice~! Even when you're stuffed, there's always room for fried rice haha. They pushed the fried rice to one side, cracked an egg on it, lightly cooked it, and fried it all together!

The nutty flavor made it even better! Wrapped in perilla leaf, I ended up scraping the pan completely clean~!

After paying, they even gave us candy for dessert, which ended the meal on a nice note :)

Final verdict after a weekday 8:30 pm visit

I visited around 8:30 pm on a weekday, so it wasn't crowded at that hour, but delivery orders kept coming in nonstop. Nakgopsae itself pairs really well with drinks, so it seems like a great dinner option among bars near Balsan Station, and with parking available and plenty of space, it also seemed like a solid choice for group dinners in Magok!

But what I liked best that day was that the sauce was exactly to my taste! On a day when you're craving something spicy, this is a great place to eat generously! Next time I want to try the beef intestine hot pot too haha.

[Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch] Had a proper nakgopsae feast after a long while~! 🫶