Yangcheon Korean BBQ with sundubu-jjigae: Omokgyo Gopchang

Walking from Omokgyo Station and parking

Back at Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch! If you leave the car behind, it is less than a five-minute walk from Exit 1 of Omokgyo Station. If you drive, though, the alley in front of the restaurant is narrow, so parking there is not possible ㅜㅜ Rather than circling around looking for a spot, it would be better to park at Mokdong Public Parking Lot or the nearby E-Mart Mokdong and walk!!!

It is tucked deep inside a dead-end alley, so you have to find the right alley haha. It was not even my first visit, but my data was not working ㅜ so I took the wrong alley and wandered around for a bit hahahahaha.

Weeknight restaurant atmosphere

Maybe because it was a weekday, it felt more like nearby office workers coming for a company dinner than families?

I thought there would not be many people since it was Tuesday, but after 7 p.m. it really filled up!!! I got off work on time to meet Daeaejji. We both love gopchang and chicken feet, so it seems like we eat either beef intestines or chicken feet every time we meet? It has been nearly 15 years like this, lol.

Menu and what we ordered

Our order

• Assorted gopchang (beef intestines), ₩27,900 × 2 servings
• Fried rice, ₩6,900
• Zero Coke, ₩2,000

Complimentary sundubu-jjigae, liver, and cheonyeop

While I was getting lost, my friend arrived first and ordered for us haha. So I could have sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) as soon as I walked in!!! They serve it as a complimentary side, and it had a nicely spicy, deep flavor.

There was plenty of soft tofu in it too—basically the level of a decent one-person lunch!

And then there was gan (raw beef liver) and cheonyeop (honeycomb tripe), haha. So fresh. My friend and I have shared gopchang for a long time, but had we eaten liver and cheonyeop before? I could not remember, so I asked—and she said of course we had! Naturally, I ate it too lol. People who really hate it will not even touch it, but neither of us is picky... We ate it all; cleared the plate lol.

Nicely fermented green-onion kimchi and jeongguji chive salad.

Heart and bean sprouts after the fire show

As we were picking at the side dishes, they said they would put on a fire show hahaha. Honestly, last time it was full and busy, so maybe it was a staff member? ㅠ They were a little unfriendly, so I was slightly worried it might be the same this time... But everyone was so kind this time... Three staff members, maybe? took turns coming by while serving us, and their genuinely pleasant kindness made the meal even better!.

It is burning ~~fire~~ah~~~ After the fire show, let it cook a bit, then eat the heart and bean sprouts first!!! You can eat the heart once the pinkness is gone, and the bean sprouts are delicious dipped in sauce while they are still crisp!

Heart that you eat right after the pinkness disappears. I lightly dipped it in the salted sauce, and it was tender!

Garlic gopchang preferences and rich daechang

Since it was assorted gopchang, it included garlic gopchang too. Garlic gopchang is a signature item limited to 20 servings a day, so it might be unavailable if you go late..? But personally, rather than garlic inside the beef intestine, I think I prefer plump gopchang and well-grilled garlic separately hahaha. Everyone has different tastes, so if you want to try garlic gopchang, go go! So nutty.

We got caught up talking and nearly let the delicious intestines burn because we did not manage the heat, but a staff member quickly came over and stirred them lol. The daechang (beef large intestine) was a little burnt at first because I got distracted lol. Even better. So good.

I think daechang gets richer and more delicious the longer it cooks. Since beef intestines are expensive, the portion can feel a little small. Maybe we just eat a lot, though >< We debated ordering more gopchang or a side dish, then settled on fried rice!!

Fried rice scraped down to the nurungji

The fried rice comes in its own stone pot, so they move the remaining gopchang onto a separate plate. Once the egg is partly cooked, give it a good mix. Fried rice is all about the nurungji (crispy scorched rice)!!!! So good scraping up the rice stuck to the pan. The fried rice tasted a little mild at first, but once it crisped against the pan, it became nutty.

You really need carbs for that satisfying finish. I was so full that I considered walking, but my SIM was acting up and I had no data... so I gave up. It was far anyway... and my navigation would not open haha. Even in Korea, where Wi-Fi is so good everywhere, it was scary haha. Anyway, gopchang is always right! A very full finish~ The end.