Can a K-pop idol change what an entire country wants for dinner?
MAMAMOO’s Hwasa practically did.
In June 2018, Hwasa appeared on the Korean reality show I Live Alone and went to a restaurant by herself.
Her meal?
Gopchang (곱창), grilled beef intestines.
It sounds like a simple TV moment. But what happened afterward became one of Korea’s most memorable celebrity food crazes.
What Is Gopchang?
Gopchang usually refers to the small intestines of cattle or pigs, although Korean gopchang restaurants often serve several different cuts of offal together.
At a typical restaurant, beef intestines are grilled on a hot plate with vegetables.
The outside becomes browned and slightly crisp, while the inside remains rich, fatty and chewy.
It’s commonly eaten with dipping sauces and often followed by fried rice cooked directly on the same grill.
For first-time visitors to Korea, the idea of eating intestines may sound adventurous.
For many Koreans, however, gopchang is a familiar food—especially as a meal enjoyed with drinks.
Hwasa Didn’t Just Taste It — She Loved It
Hwasa’s appearance was memorable because she wasn’t delicately sampling a strange dish for television.
She genuinely enjoyed it.
During the episode, she explained that she likes organ meats including heart, liver, makchang and daechang. She ordered beef gopchang, then continued with gopchang hot pot and fried rice.
She was also eating alone, outdoors, in the middle of the day.
For viewers accustomed to polished idol appearances, the scene felt unusually casual and relatable.
Then something unexpected happened.
The “Hwasa Effect” Hit Korea
People watching the program suddenly wanted gopchang too.
MBC later reported that the broadcast triggered a nationwide “gopchang craze.” Some restaurants struggled to secure enough supply, while others sold out and closed early.
By the end of 2018, MBC was still listing Hwasa’s gopchang appearance among the year’s standout entertainment moments, noting that customers had lined up outside restaurants and that shortages followed the broadcast.
Hwasa’s influence became so closely associated with the food that she even received a plaque of appreciation from the industry.
One idol eating lunch had turned into a food trend.
You Can Still Find the Restaurant
The story didn’t disappear when the TV episode ended.
The Korea Tourism Organization currently includes Daehan Gopchang’s Jangan branch in its guide to restaurants associated with Hallyu stars, identifying it as the restaurant where Hwasa ate grilled beef intestines on I Live Alone.
For K-pop fans visiting Korea, that makes gopchang more than another dish to check off a food list.
It’s a chance to try the food behind a genuine piece of K-pop pop-culture history.
Would You Try Hwasa’s Gopchang?
Gopchang probably isn’t the first Korean food most tourists think about.
Korean barbecue, fried chicken, bibimbap and tteokbokki are much more familiar internationally.
But that’s exactly why Hwasa’s choice is interesting.
She introduced millions of viewers to something less glamorous, ate it exactly the way she wanted—and made it look so good that people across Korea went looking for it.
So if you’re ready to go beyond the usual Korean barbecue on your next trip, remember the dish that caused the Hwasa Effect.
Just save some room for the fried rice at the end.