Jongro Gopchang — Restaurant in New York

[Updated Feedback]

I'm thrilled to share some recent, very positive updates about Jongro Gopchang!

First, I want to applaud a server named 지희영 (Hee-young Ji). She truly knows how to grill the meats perfectly; having been helped by her numerous times, I can only say it's always been consistently incredibly good. Her customer service skills are also fantastic. I've even witnessed her patiently teaching other trainee servers, providing step-by-step guidance on grilling techniques, which was a welcome surprise given my prior annoyance with inconsistent meat grilling abilities from different servers.

I'm also delighted that 계란찜 (steamed egg) is back as a complimentary appetizer! That was a much-welcomed return. Plus, while oil splashing is part of gopchang, I appreciate that they now offer one-time use aprons. It's a thoughtful touch. I'm sure my previous reviews, along with many others, contributed to these positive changes. I feel heard and applaud management for taking the initiative.

Having visited Jongro Gopchang around 20+ times, it's definitely time for a review. In my opinion, and having tried the other major gopchang spots in K-Town, this place consistently delivers the best, purely meaty flavor (if you prefer that over marinated options). It never misses for me. I usually get the combo (gopchang, makchang, daechang), but if you're new to gopchang, I recommend starting with the makchang/daechang as they aren't as much of an acquired taste.

The vibe here feels like a natural extension of Jongro, the popular K-BBQ spot, complete with old-school K-pop music, which perfectly fits the restaurant's overall brand.

Pro-Tip: Based on my experience, the grilling tends to be better on weekends. I've had a few weekday visits where the grilling was questionable. You want to avoid seeing the daechang fats exploding out – that's a sign it's not cooked properly yet and will likely end up rubbery by the time it is. Also, be wary of oil splashes as they unfortunately don't provide covers. I recommend wearing longer sleeves and not bringing your face too close to the grill.

On a recent visit, I was a bit bummed to find that they've stopped serving the complimentary Korean-style steamed egg (계란찜) due to rising costs. While understandable, it hasn't been replaced with another appetizer, and it was always a great starter before the gopchang arrived. Also, the 김치말이 국수 (kimchi soup noodles?) has changed its flavor since they first opened and didn't taste good when I visited yesterday. I'd stick to the 냉면 (cold buckwheat noodles), which isn't the absolute best, but it's still a good refresher to combat the oiliness of the meats.

The side dishes are pretty solid. I especially love that they provide several types of pickled vegetables.

Overall, the service has been great. When it's not too busy, they're always thoughtful enough to separate the noodles for us, and the staff are generally very friendly. As a tip for the fried rice you can get after the meats, I personally wouldn't get the 날치알 (flying fish roe) because it seems more for texture and visual appeal and doesn't really justify the cost for what it adds. Sometimes you can't even feel the texture. Also, keep in mind that the taste of the fried rice can vary depending on who cooks it for you. I still remember the first time I came, the server was incredible at frying the rice, and I hope they're doing well!

Though the bathroom can feel intimate and small on the men's section, it's never felt excessively dirty. I also appreciate the hand washing station outside the bathroom (at least in the men's section), which is incredibly convenient.

I will absolutely return and bring friends, just as...

Update: 4/5 we've gone back after the promotion. But no more free cold Ramen 🥲. Prices are closer to Gopchang Story. Still great!

Original (when they first opened):

5/5 for food and service. Just super excellent overall. The portions of the assorted grilled gopchang and the side dishes were incredible. The cold ramen was an awesome surprise. The flavors were on point.

We ordered the grilledl assorted intestines without sauce. We got a variety of intestines; small, large, tripe, entrails, and heart. Sliced potatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, and rice cake. The portion was EXCELLENT for 2 people. There were also ban-chan! Scallion kimchi, cabbage kimchi, macaroni salad, sliced daikon in vinegar, and soy marinated onions. There was also a steamed egg ( made right in front of you) and cabbage and lettuce salad in sesame dressing. Everything was delicious.

There was also a surprise near the end of the meal! Cold ramen in a bean sprout kimchi sauce (I think). This WAS delicious. It was vinegary, savory, and refreshing. Given that the gopchang is a fatty meat it was super excellent with the noodles. This was easily shared between 2 people.

We also ordered the large intestine stir fry with bonito flakes. This came piping hot and sizzling on a hot plate! Excellent portion as well. Can definitely be shared.

Service was superb. There was cold water and hot tea! Always appreciate hot tea. Restaurant was about 1/3 full. Waiters were attentive. Sides were refilled. Salad was refilled. Water was refilled. It was just excellent. Very satisfying dinner. It really hit the spot when and it was like 12 degrees that night. The price with the tip was just amazing.

Hope they keep this up! Will definitely be...

My friends and I all agree that Jongro Gopchang is better than other gopchang places in town, and to refresh our memories, we came to eat gopchang again. Do not mistaken this place as the BBQ place on 2nd floor, Gopchang is only on 5th floor.

The key to eat gopchang here is to try with the non-marinated version first. The marinated one uses marinate that contains sugar and chars pretty quickly and can mask all the flavors and texture that gopchang has.

We ordered the Modeum Gopchang, which contains small intestines, large intestines, entrails, tripes, and heart.

Downright I have to say that this place has the BEST SMALL INTESTINE. Unlike other places I visited, the enzyme fillings inside burst with flavor, and leaves NO bitter aftertaste (which are always present with Gopchang story and Aghassi Gopchang). The exterior chewy texture and the creamy and juicy interior mark this piece the my favorite.

The large intestine is perfectly fatty, and when you let your server to help you grill it to the perfection, you get crispy and crunchy exterior and juicy interior, filled with beefy bombs from the beef fat.

The entrails, tripes, and heart are also great! The best thing of all is that I was able to distinguish what I was eating all the time. The texture retained during the grilling process and I enjoyed be able to tell what I was eating rather than just “blind tasting”.

Their banchans are great as well, kimchi scallions, green onion, and radishes are my favorites. Good ratio of tangy, acidic, sweet, and spicy.

Yeah, if you are gonna eat gopchang, head here. The only downside I complain is that this place don’t open during lunch hours. I don’t usually eat heavy during dinner, but I...