Chuncheonjip, a famous dakgalbi restaurant with a short walk from Sinchon Station and Ewha Womans University has been a household name for local foodies for years.
The art of dakgalbi lies in the secret of marinated chicken, boneless, diced, and cooked to perfection on a hot iron pan with sliced potatoes, vegetables, and cheese served with noodles or rice.
Wondering what they have in store for you at this 30-year-old restaurant? Here’s a sneak peek.
How To Get To Chuncheonjip Dakgalbi Makguksu?
Chuncheonjip is only three minutes away from the Sinchon Station out of exits 1 and 2, making it a great place to enjoy a hearty lunch after visiting the Ewha Womans University in the morning.
The Dining Environment
As the locals attest, Chuncheonjip is always scrambled every day, especially around noon time and after work hours. When I stopped by the restaurant around 2 pm, about 80% of the seats were occupied.
You can see a large menu written in Korean hanging on the wall with prices. Despite the language barrier, the staff communicates with brilliance in English and you shouldn’t have a hard time ordering.
How To Order?
Start by choosing the base first, which includes:
- Cheese Dakgalbi
- Boneless Dakgalbi
- Spicy Dakgalbi
- Kimchi Dakgalbi
- Octopus Dakgalbi
Then you round it up with the add-ons such as rice cakes, sweet potato slices, noodles, and rice.
Amongst those three, the first two flavors are my favorite. These are the safe bets especially if your taste buds cannot handle Asian heat.
Or else, go for the spicy dakgalbi and test your palate with this original best-seller. Diced chicken is beautifully marinated with gochujang sauce, a thick spicy sauce made of red chili peppers, fermented soybean, and rice blended well with a bit of salt.
The price range comes between KRW 7,500 and 8,500 which is quoted per person and multiplied by the number of people in the group no matter if you all order the same flavors or go separate each.
On the drinks, you have soju, beer, sake, and plum wine to choose from.
Serving Dakgalbi The Right Way
Each serving of dakgalbi comes with complimentary side dishes in small bites. You’ll have macaroni salad, pickled yellow radish, kimchi, and pickled wasabi radish. If you order cheese dakgalbi, the cheese comes in a separate serving that you can add on top later.
The right way to serve dakgalbi is by using an iron pan set up in the middle of the table. You add all of the ingredients into the hot pan first and keep stirring until the chicken is ready to eat and the cheese is all melted. Noodles come last.
Another great thing about dining at Chuncheonjip is the staff. They are always fast to give you a hand and help with the frying so you don’t have to fret over how to cook to perfection. Once the rice cakes are ready, they pick them up into the bowl of each diner so you can test the flavor before the cheese comes in.
To enjoy dakgalbi to the fullest, work your chopstick magic and try to pick everything all at once. Dip a piece of chicken into the cheesy base and pair it with a piece of rice cake. That’s pure heaven!
A free mini yogurt drink is offered once your meal comes to an end. And if the sauce is too good to be left over once all the chickens are gone, order some extra rice to slash it up.
More Seoul Travel Ideas:
- Man Jok Oh Hyang Jokbal: The Best Braised Pig’s Trotters In Seoul
- Kyochon Chicken Hongdae: The Best Fried Chicken Chain In Seoul
- 6 Best Things To Do In Hongdae: Indie Culture, Shopping, Urban Arts, And Nightlife
Everything You Need to Know about Korea
Explore more of our adventures around Korea:
- Travel Guide: A Pocket South Korea Travel Guide
- Attractions: Nami Island, Gwangjang Market
- Food: Ultimate South Korea Food Guide
Simplify Your Korea Trip