Goyang Korean restaurant for a hearty sundae soup set: Gohyangok

Sundae gukbap (Korean blood-sausage soup with rice): Korea’s natural hangover cure and nutritional supplement that warms you right down to your soul!

There is a gukbap (rice soup) restaurant that I naturally find myself visiting every month or two. It has a spacious dedicated parking lot, and the restaurant is always clean, so I turn the steering wheel toward Gohyangok Eolkeun Sundaeguk Wondang Branch, a great Seororeung-area spot, without a second thought.

• Location: 286-4 Seongsa-dong, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–22:00 / Sat–Sun 05:30–22:00
• Along with spicy sundae soup, there is a wide range of gukbap options, including clear sundae soup, spicy offal soup, boiled pork soup, dried pollock hangover soup, soybean-pulp sundae soup, and dried-radish-green sundae soup.

Hanok-style interior and plenty of seating

Not that familiar, homey(?) smell or old-school feel you might associate with a gukbap place—no, no, no!

Instead, you are welcomed by a spacious, comfortable dining room with a high-ceilinged, hanok-style look. (It is honestly one of the most memorable interiors among all the sundae soup places I have visited.) The window-side bar tables are especially well arranged, so it is very nice even when you come alone. I have eaten by myself here before and had such a relaxed meal.

What comes with the clear sundae soup set?

That day, I was craving a creamy white broth rather than spicy sundae soup loaded with red seasoning, so I chose the clear sundae soup set.

When you order the set, a bubbling earthenware bowl of sundae soup comes with a cute little hinoki cypress steamer holding boiled pork and assorted sundae. The basic sides are cubed radish kimchi, young-radish kimchi, fresh kimchi salad, and thin wheat noodles.

The self-serve bar is kept so clean that you can help yourself to more kimchi without feeling self-conscious.

Rich, creamy pork-bone broth with no off smells

One spoonful, and every trace of gaminess or porky odor was gone; all that remained was a rich, savory broth that clung to my lips. Add finely chopped Cheongyang chili peppers, perilla seed powder, spicy seasoning paste, and salted shrimp to taste, and the umami shoots straight up.

The broth is generously filled with tender head meat and sundae, making every spoonful satisfying. The beeeest 👍👍👍 First, I mixed in the included thin noodles and slurped them up, then added hot rice and topped it with a piece of cubed radish kimchi—so clean and good. Even among Goyang’s sundae soup specialists, this is the kind of place that makes your thumbs go up automatically. 👍

Moist boiled pork and blood sausage with a subtle hinoki aroma

I think the hinoki-steamed boiled pork that comes with the set is an absolute must-order item. Bean sprouts and chives line the bottom of the steamer, so whenever the steam rises, the hinoki aroma gently infuses the meat. The ratio of lean meat to fat is just right, making the pork moist, tender, and pleasantly chewy.

Paired with crisp bean sprouts, there is no time for it to feel greasy. And the traditional blood sausage that comes alongside it?

It was not the fake kind of sundae filled with nothing but glass noodles. It was packed tightly with glutinous rice, vegetables, and seonji (congealed blood), and the more I chewed, the more its savory, rich flavor filled my mouth. (You are so completely my style, Mr. Sundae~💕)

Once again, I ate happily and deliciously on this visit. 🫶🏼

Gohyangok Eolkeun Sundaeguk Wondang Branch, a great Seororeung-area spot, is somewhere I keep returning to regularly thanks to its tidy atmosphere and consistently good broth. If you are looking for a good sundae soup restaurant around Wonheung, or craving a filling bowl of gukbap near Seororeung, you will not go wrong by stopping in.