Grilled Pork Intestines and Pork Neck in Gunsan, South Korea at Sundolli Gopchang (Gopchang Restaurant)

During a trip to Gunsan, South Korea, I visited Sundolli Gopchang (Gopchang Restaurant) at 43-9 Uchegtong-geori 2-gil, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk State. I went on a Saturday evening and waited about 2 hours to eat. The makchang and pork neck were worth the wait, but the burden of waiting was considerable.

Waiting in Line at Sundolli Gopchang in Sinchang-dong, Gunsan

It was a rainy Saturday evening. It's the busiest time of the week, so I understood, but when I arrived there were about 20 groups ahead of me. They don't take reservations, so you have to line up and wait your turn. With the rain, the wait felt even longer.

Seating and Turnover at Sundolli Gopchang

There aren't many seats, so the wait tends to be long even when there are only a few groups ahead of you. The main hall seats about 6 groups, and there are 2 private rooms. Altogether, about 11 to 12 groups could dine at the same time. Since it's a place that serves gopchang and makchang, many customers drink alcohol with their meal, and the turnover is slow as a result.

Side Dishes and Kimchi Jjigae at Sundolli Gopchang

The side dishes were served neatly. The kimchi jjigae came out as a complimentary service. From what I found, it seems to be given when you order alcohol. They also sell it separately, so I couldn't tell the difference between the one that's sold and the complimentary one. It was a stew made with aged kimchi, and the flavor was plain rather than deep. Still, I thought it would make a great side dish for anyone who drinks.

Makchang and Pork Neck Review at Sundolli Gopchang

I ordered the makchang and pork neck, which are known to be delicious. Because the wait had been so long, I considered ordering 3 servings and taking the leftovers to go, but I had other Gunsan restaurants to visit, so I ordered just 2 servings. Even so, the portion was quite generous.

The makchang was coated in a sweet-and-spicy sauce that stayed on the mild side of spicy. The texture was chewy, and it was truly delicious. The pork neck was tender too, and I was satisfied with it. I put a little salad on a perilla leaf and ate it with mayonnaise mixed with garlic and chili pepper, which made it even better.

Two hours is a long time, so it's hard to say outright that I'd go again. Still, I do want to go back. If you go, I think a weekday would make the wait less of a burden.