The area around Exit 2 of Gyodae Station has that eating-alley feel, but rather than great restaurants it is mostly a cluster of similar-looking pubs. There are plenty of places, yet it is hard to know which one to walk into, and since the Gyodae area is known for gopchang, the place we end up at every time we get together is Seocho Saeng Gopchang. A search of my own blog shows I posted about it once before, but it is not exactly a standout.

Gopchang, makchang and so on

Visually it does not measure up to Shingiru Hwangso Gopchang, and it is pricier, but the gopchang itself tastes about the same or a bit better. Strangely, the gopchang at Shingiru looks fresh and delicious, yet it lacks this trashy, addictive gopchang flavour. Might be something to do with the seasoning..

Nicely cooked

One round is a little short, so order an extra portion and you leave full and happy enough.

Fried rice to finish..

Honestly there are cheaper places with fresher stuff, but these days I find myself going more and more for places where you can meet up quickly, drink quickly and split quickly. Seen that way, this is a fine place.

We moved to Gijang Kkomjangeo right across the way for round two.

The table setup

This place seemed to draw a somewhat bigger crowd.

Live kkomjangeo (hagfish)

Decent freshness. Having lots of these middle-aged-guy joints seems to be what defines this neighbourhood. Eat a reasonable amount, get reasonably drunk and go home: I could not help thinking it is the perfect spot for the typical Korean salaryman’s after-work routine.

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