Gansuk-ogeori sundaeguk restaurant, mini-brazier sundae: Gukdam

Where is Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch and how do you get there?

When I want a hearty meal in Gansuk-dong, one of the dishes that always comes to mind is sundaeguk (blood sausage soup). This time I visited Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch, near Gansuk-ogeori.

Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch is located in Gansuk-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, right across from Sangincheon Elementary School, so it wasn't hard to find at all. It's also fairly close to Gansuk-ogeori Station, making it a convenient stop when looking for somewhere to eat nearby.

Inside Gukdam Sundaeguk: dining room and self-serve bar

Walking in, the place felt a bit different from your typical sundaeguk restaurant.

Overall it was neatly kept and fairly spacious inside, making it comfortable to eat in. The tables weren't cramped together, and having a separate self-serve bar was convenient too — you could grab as much extra banchan (side dishes) as you needed.

What banchan comes with the sundaeguk?

At a sundaeguk restaurant, the basic banchan like kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi) matter a lot, and here they had ones that paired well with the soup.

In particular, the kkakdugi, saeujeot (salted shrimp), and dadaegi that are essential with guk-bap (soup with rice) all came out together, so I could add them to taste.

Chapssundae served on a mini brazier

At Gukdam Sundaeguk you can also enjoy chapssundae alongside the soup.

The sundae (blood sausage) is served on a mini brazier to keep it warm, which meant it stayed hot throughout the meal — I found that pretty impressive. The chewy chapssundae, dipped in salt or saeujeot, went really well with the sundaeguk too.

Sundaeguk two ways: milky broth, then spicy with dadaegi

And then the main dish — sundaeguk. It comes in a milky broth, generously packed with meat and sundae inside, so just looking at it felt filling.

I tried the broth on its own first, then stirred in dadaegi partway through to change up the flavor. Rather than adding dadaegi from the start, I think it's better to try the clear broth first and then add it to taste.

Once the dadaegi went in, the broth turned a bit spicier, giving a whole different feel — like getting two flavors out of one bowl. And with such a generous amount of ingredients, eating it with rice fills you up more than you'd expect.

There's also an XL size for the sundaeguk — ordering the XL gets you a noticeably bigger portion than the regular size, so if you usually eat a lot of guk-bap, the XL might be worth it.

Gopchang jeongol for one and suyuk order hours

Gukdam Sundaeguk doesn't just do sundaeguk — they also have jeongol (hot pot) dishes, which looked great for ordering a variety of things when visiting with a group.

In particular, the gopchang jeongol (tripe hot pot) can be ordered as a single serving, which seemed like a good option for solo diners or for two people who want to share it alongside something else. If you're planning to order suyuk, note that it's only available during certain hours, so it's worth checking depending on when you visit.

Finishing with nurungbap and sungnyung from the self-serve bar

After finishing the meal, you can also help yourself to nurungbap or sungnyung at the self-serve bar, which made for a satisfying finish all the way to the end.

Who should eat at Gukdam Sundaeguk near Gansuk-ogeori?

Overall, Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch was a good spot to visit when you want a hot bowl of guk-bap in a clean, tidy setting. If you're a fan of sundaeguk especially, I'd recommend trying the plain broth first and then adding dadaegi for a spicier version.

It's a solid choice for solo dining around Gansuk-dong or Gansuk-ogeori, and also works fine for a hearty meal with family or friends.

As the weather gets a little chillier these days, nothing beats a hot bowl of guk-bap. If you're looking for sundaeguk or guk-bap in Gansuk-dong, Gukdam Sundaeguk Main Branch is worth a warm meal.

• Address: 8 Namdong-daero 897beon-gil, 1F, Unit 101, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Hours: 10:00 – 22:00
• Near Gansuk-ogeori Station