Rainy-day gopchang restaurant in Bangi-dong, Seoul: Jinseong Hanwoo

This is Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang, my go-to spot whenever I'm in Bangi-dong, ever since I fell for it on my first visit last winter. It's always packed with a line out the door — one of Bangi-dong's must-eat places. The menu is just three items: gopchang, daechang, and makchang, and every time you order more they set you up with a fresh plate. The gopchang is so packed with fat that I just can't stay away, so I dragged Rokcho along for another visit.

What's on the menu at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Bangi Direct Branch?

The main menu has just three items — beef gopchang, daechang, and makchang — with kkakdugi yangbap (kimchi fried rice) and anchovy noodle soup as dessert options. I'm a big fan of their kkakdugi yangbap!!

Three house-made kimchis by the owner

The scallion kimchi, mustard leaf kimchi, and kkakdugi are all made by the owner herself, and they're delicious eaten alongside the gopchang.

Beef gopchang for two: staff flip it when the timer rings

We ordered the beef gopchang for two. When you order it, they pre-cook it in the kitchen and bring it out along with a timer — when the timer goes off, a staff member comes over and flips it themselves. Since they do all the grilling, you don't have to worry about technique, you just wait. It happened to be raining that day, and the sound of rain mixed with the gopchang sizzling almost sounded like a song. Rokcho and I couldn't take our eyes off it as it cooked, chatting away while we waited. Our whole conversation was basically: "This is going to be so good..." "I already know how good it is, so I'm even more excited."

The complimentary steamed egg

The fluffy, soft steamed egg comes as a free side, and it just melts in your mouth — I demolished it while waiting for the gopchang to finish grilling.

How gopchang tastes dipped in minari-pickled garlic sauce (mijeolma)

The gopchang, packed with fat, grilled up golden and delicious. It's great on its own, but

it's even better dipped generously in Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang's own minari-pickled garlic sauce.

When you dip it deep into what they call the mijeolma sauce, you first get a sweet-and-tangy sauce flavor, then the richness of the gopchang fat, and finally a wave of garlic in the aftertaste — and that's the key. Since gopchang is such a fatty cut, it's easy to get a little sick of it if you keep eating, but that garlic knocks the greasiness right down, so I kept going bite after bite. The grilled cabbage and chive salad on the side are light and tasty too, so we ended up ordering another plate.

Finishing with kkakdugi yangbap, the radish kimchi fried rice

After finishing the gopchang, we ordered the kkakdugi yangbap as a palate cleanser. This is a side dish I never skip whenever I come here — the visual alone, with kkakdugi, radish salad, teuk-yang (choice beef tripe), garlic, and egg all laid out on the hot plate, is next level, and you just mix it all up and eat it right away.

With the teuk-yang mixed in, there's a lovely crunchy texture, and since the kkakdugi isn't overly fermented, everything balances out nicely — plus you get that garlic aftertaste, which makes it a must for a garlic lover like me. Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang doesn't have plain rice on the menu, so you can ask the owner and pick up instant rice from a nearby convenience store, but for me this yangbap was more than enough.

Always full: how long was the wait in Bangi-dong?

Every time I've visited before there's been a wait, so I braced myself again this time — but when we walked in and the dining room was empty, I thought "oh?!" and felt a bit puzzled. Turned out we'd just arrived early. Right after us, customers kept streaming in, and eventually the place was full with people waiting. It really is a Bangi-dong favorite. There are plenty of other gopchang places and restaurants around, and yet this is the one that fills up with a line — that says something.

I'm already planning to come back with a friend next month. Once you've had this gopchang, everywhere else just feels so-so. Last time, another friend told me she'd finally understood what good gopchang tasted like at a place in Sangbong, and I went in with high expectations — but the moment I took a bite, I immediately thought of this place. As far as I'm concerned, Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang is top-tier gopchang. If you're ever in Bangi-dong, you have to come try it. You'll understand exactly why this is my go-to spot.