Loach soup near Gochang's Seokjeong Hot Springs: Sangol Chueojeong

Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch: a loach soup restaurant near Seokjeong Hot Springs

Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch is a loach soup specialty restaurant at 136-3 Sanjeong-gil, Gochang-eup, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk. On this summer trip to Gochang, I was looking for somewhere hearty near our accommodation and ended up at this well-known Gochang restaurant.

On this trip we went to Seokjeong Hot Springs Hue Spa and stayed at Healing County. The accommodation was close to Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch, so it was perfect for an early lunch.

If you're looking for a health-boosting meal or something hearty while traveling in Gochang, chueotang (loach soup) is a solid choice. Both my parents and I love it, so I was quietly looking forward to trying it here.

How to get to Sangol Chueojeong, and how long is the wait?

Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch sits at 136-3 Sanjeong-gil, Gochang-eup, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, in a somewhat out-of-the-way spot. It's well known among loach soup fans, so everyone comes by car, and there's a wait on weekends and at lunchtime!

Near the entrance, a phrase caught my eye: "an everyday nourishing meal infused with mountain energy and human care." It seemed to mean they make food with good ingredients and effort. Seeing that before even eating gave me a strong impression that the place is run cleanly and hygienically, haha.

What to order: hwang chueotang and fried loach

We ordered hwang chueotang and fried loach. Loach soup alone felt like it might not be quite enough, so we added fried loach too.

When you order chueotang here, it comes with individual pot rice by default. Personally, chueotang plus pot rice is a combo that's hard to get wrong, haha.

Eating freshly made pot rice alongside hot loach soup and a bowl of rice disappears fast. Even before the meal started, we were already gearing up for a hearty one.

The side dishes at Sangol Chueojeong

While waiting for the food, basic side dishes came out first — salad, cabbage, tofu and more. Everything looked clean and neat, a good way to whet the appetite before the soup. The dressing on the salad had a distinctive taste, kind of like sweet corn, and I kept reaching for it more than I expected.

We sat at a window seat with a nice view, snacking on the light side dishes while waiting for the soup.

Inside the restaurant and the self-serve salad bar

The interior of Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch was quite clean. Personally, this was the first time I'd seen such a tidy atmosphere in a loach soup restaurant, and it made a good first impression. The tables were all well arranged, and it looked like a good place to eat as a family. If you're traveling in Gochang and looking for somewhere to eat with your parents, this is an easy place to visit.

On one side there's a salad bar, so if the basic side dishes weren't enough, we could go get more ourselves.

With a self-serve bar like this, you can take as much as you need without awkwardly asking for refills, and you can comfortably top up whatever side dish you like.

Sanghwang chueotang, 13,000 won with pot rice

Finally, the sanghwang chueotang we'd been waiting for arrived. Of everything we ate, this was personally the most memorable dish. At ₩13,000 with pot rice included, I appreciated the price — considering how dining prices are these days, that's a pretty good deal with pot rice included.

The broth was rich and savory. It wasn't heavy or muddy though — more of a comforting flavor that warmed you from the inside.

You could really taste the deep, savory flavor unique to chueotang, and it went well when we mixed in rice. A hot spoonful of soup with rice seemed to melt away some of the fatigue from traveling.

Minced garlic, cheongyang chili and perilla powder in the soup

Sanghwang chueotang is fine plain, but adding minced garlic, cheongyang chili (spicy green chili), or perilla powder to taste gives it a different character.

I added a bit of minced garlic and cheongyang chili, and it brought out more flavor in the broth along with a slight kick, which I liked.

Adding plenty of perilla powder brings out a nuttier flavor and makes it richer overall, so you can adjust it to your taste.

Fried loach: the best side for chueotang

Loach soup alone would've been a bit lacking, so we also had fried loach — a generous portion, freshly fried and served piping hot.

One bite and the outside was crispy with a savory flavor that kept me reaching for more.

A spoonful of the soup broth followed by a crispy piece of fried loach — the contrasting textures worked really well together.

The surprise hit: fried sweet pumpkin

Along with the fried loach, they also served sweet pumpkin fritters — crispy outside, chewy inside, with a subtle sweetness that was really good. I honestly didn't expect the pumpkin fritters at a loach soup restaurant to be this tasty. Eating one between bites of the soup refreshed the palate, haha. They're sweet enough to work as a snack after the meal too.

Eating with parents: pot rice portions and scorched rice

Both my parents love chueotang, so choosing it for this trip was a total win!

Food while traveling stays in your memory along with the mood and place of that day, so I think it matters a lot — and choosing Sangol Chueojeong was such a good call, haha.

Each person gets their own pot rice, and the portion was generous — plenty even for grown men!

At the end, they add hot water to the pot for scorched rice, so after finishing the soup we could comfortably enjoy scorched rice too!

Ending the meal with misugaru

After filling up on hot chueotang, there was also a dessert drink to finish the meal. You could choose between coffee and misugaru (roasted grain powder drink) — I went with misugaru, and it was so sweet, it tasted just like the misugaru my grandmother used to make me as a kid, haha.

Being able to finish a meal like this with a dessert drink is so nice! The misugaru was nutty and sweet and tasted better than expected, and it went perfectly with the snacks that came with it. After one cup, I actually thought about getting a refill, haha.

Hot chueotang followed by sweet, cool misugaru at the end made the whole meal feel neatly wrapped up, and my parents were completely satisfied.

Who Sangol Chueojeong suits on a Gochang trip

If you're looking for a restaurant near Seokjeong Hot Springs in Gochang, Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch has a good location and makes for a hearty, nourishing meal if you're traveling with your parents in Gochang.

If you came across Sangol Chueojeong Gochang Main Branch while searching for restaurants in Gochang, Jeonbuk, try the sanghwang chueotang and fried loach together. Loach soup alone leaves the fried loach a bit missed, and fried loach alone leaves the hot soup a bit missed — I'd recommend ordering both.