Beef Intestines BBQ

I used to think beef intestines (gop-chang or 곱창) were disgusting and the above picture probably doesn’t look too appetizing unless you are a fan.  Until my coworker took me to the below restaurant and then I became hooked!  It’s crack like good!  Trust me!

This place is pretty famous and there’s even a sign that says this is one of the President’s favorite restaurants.

Same basic setup as your normal Korean BBQ spot but beef intestines are MAD expensive!  I don’t understand why!  They don’t eat it in the states, why don’t they just ship that here, increase the supply and lower the price?

The rectangular pieces to the left are the large intestines (양곱창 = KRW 29,000) and the tube like pieces to the right are the small intestines (대창 = KRW 27,000).  Both the large and small intestines are chewy but the large have a more meaty texture with a slight crunch, while the small are very soft and gooey.  They say beef intestines have a lot of collagen, so it’s good for your skin.  That’s why ALOT of Korean girls love beef intestines.

During the cooking process, the lady comes and stirs it many times, probably because it’s so expensive and they don’t want it to burn.  She also cuts it into small bite size pieces so it cooks faster and it lasts longer.

Pictured above are the large intestines, the ones with a more meaty texture.  They are supposed to be healthy for you and have a lot of collagen.  They don’t have much fat, so they are bit dry but chewy and ever so slightly crunchy.  Probably a good way to start for the novice, they might think its a tough, chewy piece of chicken.

The three pictures above are the small intestines, which are definitely not healthy for you.  In the last picture, look at all the fat in the middle . . . it tastes like buttered meat!  It is utterly amazing and words can not describe the taste.  If you can get past the concept and the appearance, you will understand just how I feel.  Like a little slice of heaven!  OMG!  I could go back right now!

And because beef intestines are pretty expensive and also on the greasy side, you can’t eat too much, so we ended the meal with your standard fare at any Korean BBQ place.

Rating:  9 out of 10

양미옥:  02-2275-8838, Euljiro 3-ga station (을지로3가역) exit #6

http://www.wingspoon.com/seoul/chungmuro/yangmiok/index.nhn