Gomgol Sikdang
October 4, 2026
Gomgol Sikdang
Ordered
Charcoal-grilled Spicy Pork
Braised Cutlassfish
Review
It was my first time visiting Gongju, and I had no idea so many people would be here for the local Gongju festival.
On top of that, singer RESCENE performed at the festival yesterday, which seemed to draw in even bigger crowds.
On top of that, singer RESCENE performed at the festival yesterday, which seemed to draw in even bigger crowds.
All the restaurants I had originally planned to visit were completely packed, so I started looking for places with a waiting system and ended up heading to one of the spots on my backup list.
About 40 minutes before arriving, I joined the remote queue via CatchTable, and even then, there were 74 teams waiting ahead of me.
Fortunately, many people seemed to give up along the way, so the wait dropped much faster in chunks than expected. By the time we arrived, our turn was coming up so quickly that it actually made me a bit nervous.
Luckily, we arrived just when we were around number 8 in line, so we were able to enter right on time.
Fortunately, many people seemed to give up along the way, so the wait dropped much faster in chunks than expected. By the time we arrived, our turn was coming up so quickly that it actually made me a bit nervous.
Luckily, we arrived just when we were around number 8 in line, so we were able to enter right on time.
Although there is a dedicated parking lot in front of the restaurant, we couldn't get in because of the overwhelming number of waiting guests and festival-goers.
Instead, there was a parking attendant at the entrance, but their directions were a bit unfriendly and hard to understand, which was slightly disappointing.
Still, there were several small public parking lots nearby, so we were able to park without much trouble.
Instead, there was a parking attendant at the entrance, but their directions were a bit unfriendly and hard to understand, which was slightly disappointing.
Still, there were several small public parking lots nearby, so we were able to park without much trouble.
Looking at the scale and how the restaurant operates, it was easy to see why the wait clears so fast despite the long line.
There is a separate pre-entry waiting zone: once your number is called, you immediately place your order, pay upfront, receive a water bottle and paper cups, and find your designated table yourself.
There were plenty of outdoor tables as well, which seemed to keep the overall table turnover rate high.
There is a separate pre-entry waiting zone: once your number is called, you immediately place your order, pay upfront, receive a water bottle and paper cups, and find your designated table yourself.
There were plenty of outdoor tables as well, which seemed to keep the overall table turnover rate high.
We ordered one serving each of Charcoal-grilled Spicy Pork and Braised Cutlassfish.
After a brief wait, the side dishes were served first, dished out in small tasting portions.
The setup allows you to freely refill any side dishes you need from the self-service bar.
Personally, I've always felt that leftover food is a waste, so serving smaller portions initially struck me as a pretty good idea.
The self-service bar also offers sungnyung (scorched rice water), so you can grab some warm water whenever you need it.
After a brief wait, the side dishes were served first, dished out in small tasting portions.
The setup allows you to freely refill any side dishes you need from the self-service bar.
Personally, I've always felt that leftover food is a waste, so serving smaller portions initially struck me as a pretty good idea.
The self-service bar also offers sungnyung (scorched rice water), so you can grab some warm water whenever you need it.
Considering how busy it was, the food came out remarkably quickly.
The charcoal-grilled spicy pork was packed with smoky, fire-grilled flavor, making it thoroughly enjoyable, and the braised cutlassfish was neither excessively salty nor too spicy, suiting my taste nicely.
However, the portion of meat felt a bit modest by our standards, making me think ordering two servings of the pork would have been a better call.
Fresh wrap vegetables were also available at the self-service bar, so we could grab as many as we needed to make lettuce wraps.
The charcoal-grilled spicy pork was packed with smoky, fire-grilled flavor, making it thoroughly enjoyable, and the braised cutlassfish was neither excessively salty nor too spicy, suiting my taste nicely.
However, the portion of meat felt a bit modest by our standards, making me think ordering two servings of the pork would have been a better call.
Fresh wrap vegetables were also available at the self-service bar, so we could grab as many as we needed to make lettuce wraps.
Overall, there wasn't much to complain about—it was a delicious and hearty meal.
Pictures
