Yangjae Station chicken BBQ date: cartilage and deodeok, Yanggyegok

Why Yanggyegok chicken BBQ for a Yangjae date dinner

Yanggyegok (양계옥) is a BBQ restaurant near Yangjae Station that serves dakgalbi (chicken galbi) and grilled chicken in several ways. We were on a date in Yangjae and looking for a good place, and I was craving grilled chicken rather than the usual pork or beef, so we went to Yanggyegok!

It's famous as a Yangjae favorite, so the portions are generous, and the side meals are unusual enough that I got even more curious. The staff were kind and the food was so good that I'm writing this review with all my heart :-)

• Address: 2615 Nambusunhwan-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Unit 109 and 110, 1st floor)
• Hours: 11:00-22:00 / last order 21:00
• Weekday break time: 14:30-16:00

Getting to Yanggyegok and the vibe inside

Come out of Yangjae Station Exit 4 and turn at Olive Young, and you'll see Yanggyegok right away. We came for dinner in the middle of our Yangjae date, and the place looks seriously hip, with a very Mullae kind of feel. The menu is posted outside, so you can check it beforehand.

Should you book Yanggyegok for dinner?

Since it's a well-known Yangjae spot, I figured there would be a wait and booked ahead. Right after we walked in, three more groups came streaming in.

The Yanggyegok menu and what we ordered

At Yanggyegok we picked the Modeum Hanpan (mixed platter) and the chogye bibim makguksu (spicy shredded chicken buckwheat noodles)! Here's the menu. It's designed like a newspaper called "Yanggyegok News", which is so cute, hahaha. I was in the mood for grilled dishes, but next time I want to try something from the meal menu too.

It's a BBQ place, but is the smoke okay?

The inside of Yanggyegok was really comfortable, with no smoke hanging in the air, which I loved. We came shortly after dinner service started, and by the time we'd ordered it was almost full.

Tissues are attached to the vent at every seat, which is handy, and there are plenty of aprons hanging on the wall. Such a thoughtful Yangjae spot ><

What's at the Yanggyegok self-serve bar?

You can take the banchan (side dishes) and 4 sauces from the self-serve bar. The lettuce wraps and the radish were really good here.

Yanggyegok Modeum Hanpan for ₩41,000: what's in it?

The Yanggyegok Modeum Hanpan is made up of salt dakgalbi, chicken cartilage and deodeok (bellflower root), and costs ₩41,000. The lineup was so good that I chose it. The deodeok is thick, so it passes!

They put all the ingredients on the grill at once, dakgalbi included. Dakgalbi goes in the middle!

Do you grill the dakgalbi yourself at Yanggyegok?

At Yanggyegok a staff member deboned the chicken and cut the dakgalbi into bite-sized pieces, which was convenient. They cut it and grill it for a while, and once it's mostly done, you just flip it front and back and eat when it turns golden.

Befitting a Yangjae dakgalbi favorite, it looks delicious from the very first look. The deodeok is nicely grilling at the edge too.

I've had chicken cartilage a few times at yakitori places, but never in such big pieces or so many at once, so I was curious. Being a Yangjae favorite made me look forward to it even more.

Yanggyegok chogye bibim makguksu for ₩11,000: how does it pair with dakgalbi?

The Yanggyegok chogye bibim makguksu is ₩11,000, a special Yanggyegok dish that came out while the finishing touches were grilling. The shredded chicken itself is generous, and being makguksu (buckwheat noodles) it left my mouth feeling fresher. Dakgalbi can feel a bit heavy and dry, but it pairs well with the noodles.

How the fully grilled Yanggyegok salt dakgalbi tasted

The Yanggyegok salt dakgalbi was mild and tender, and even better eaten warm right after grilling. A truly great place we found during our Yangjae date!

There are 4 sauces, so you can pick according to your taste. I'd been searching for a Yangjae BBQ place, and I'm glad I ended up here.

With pickled radish wraps and perilla leaves, there are so many things to wrap the grilled chicken in that I inhaled it all, haha.

The hot soup that came with the Modeum Hanpan

Partway through the Yanggyegok Modeum Hanpan, they also brought out a hot soup. It has garlic chives and shredded chicken in it too, and I helped my digestion with the warm chicken broth. It goes surprisingly well with the main dishes. Yangjae favorite indeed!!

The big chicken cartilage: what was the texture like?

The Yanggyegok chicken cartilage I'd been curious about! The crunchy, bouncy texture was fun, and the big size made it even more fun to chew.

The deodeok that stayed with me

Besides the mushrooms and shishito peppers, the grilled deodeok was so good. It goes well with the grilled chicken and deepens the flavor, which is why it stuck with me. I fully admit this is a real Yangjae meat spot.

Is Yanggyegok good for dates and group gatherings?

I think Yanggyegok works for a dinner date in Yangjae and also as a spot for group gatherings. The inside is comfortable and spacious, so a group company dinner seems fine too. It's near Yangjae Station and serves tasty grilled chicken, so next time I want to try other dishes. I had a really great meal :-)