This is Songdo Gupbap, a Korean restaurant focused on gukbap (soup with rice), with fried chicken, braised pork knuckle and hot pot also available.
The meal began with multiple small dishes (clockwise from top):
- Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) retained a firm crunch. The spice level sat at moderate, though the acidity was softer than sharper versions.
- Kkaennip-kimchi (perilla leaf kimchi) featured tender leaves. The perilla came through as mild and herbaceous, with a light mint-like note and a subtle nashi-like sweetness under the garlic and chilli.
- Maneuljjong-jangajji (pickled garlic scapes) delivered a clean snap. Flavour leaned savoury-sweet, with a fresh preserved character.
- Baechu-kimchi (napa cabbage kimchi) offered a familiar fermented profile, moderately spicy with steady savoury depth.
- Ssamjang, raw white onion, and fresh chilli were provided for adjusting the pork gukbap, alongside chives.
Spicy Wagyu Beef Gukbap ($28.00) — slow-cooked wagyu beef brisket (MB8–9) in a spicy beef broth, served with steamed rice.
The dish arrived still boiling, with a deep red-brown broth and a light oil sheen, delivering a deep, umami-heavy beef flavour, with a richness that briefly read as mushroom-like before settling into a clear beef profile. The spice was present but controlled, sitting within the broth rather than overpowering it. The brisket broke apart easily, absorbing the broth while adding body back into it. Spring onion and onion added a mild sweetness that kept the profile from feeling heavy. Finish carried a lingering savoury warmth, with the spice fading cleanly.
This version was more enjoyable than the beef gukbap from Miryang, with greater depth and a cleaner, more focused beef flavour.
Pork Gukbap ($25.00, inc. rice) — Busan-style assorted pork cuts in pork bone broth, served with steamed rice.
The dish arrived boiling, with a milky broth and visible fat, delivering a clean, mild pork flavour with a softer body. Through the mid-palate, the broth showed less depth on its own. Adding ssamjang, saeu-jeot, and perilla powder built up saltiness, umami, and a light nuttiness, bringing the soup closer to balance. The pork was generous, with a mix of lean and fatty cuts that added variation without feeling uneven. Chives introduced a mild herbaceous lift.
Compared to the pork gukbap from Miryang, this version lacked the same depth and richness in the base broth, relying more on adjustment at the table to reach a similar level.
Overall, a gukbap-focused restaurant defined by broth clarity and balance, strongest where the base broth carries its own depth.
Sodong Gukbap is located at 22/37-41 Railway Pde, Lidcombe NSW 2141.