Bundang chicken restaurant, half-and-half nurungji tongdak: Jangjakkun

Why we chose Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch for dinner with a 9-year-old

I ate half-and-half nurungji chicken (scorched rice chicken) with my 9-year-old daughter at Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch, a Yatap chicken restaurant known for its oak-fired chicken. Fried chicken is always good, but sometimes you crave something leaner and nuttier than the oil-fried kind. That was exactly how I felt that day — while debating dinner with my daughter, nurungji chicken popped into my head, so off we went.

Chicken roasted golden over oak, with crispy scorched rice underneath... that combo already had me hooked before I even sat down.

So here's my detailed review of the half-and-half nurungji chicken my daughter and I tried together.

Where Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch is and when it opens

• 📍 Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch
• 5 Jangmi-ro 92beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (B1 and 1F)
• Hours: 16:00–24:00 (weekends), 16:30–24:00 (weekdays)

Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch is an easy walk from exit 1 of Yatap Station. It's tucked inside the food alley, so it wasn't hard to find either. If you're driving, the Matgoeul public parking lot is a good option.

The first thing that catches your eye out front is the firewood and the whole chicken.

You can even watch the chicken turning and roasting from outside.

Watching it turn golden brown made me hungrier before I'd even walked in.

Is the Jangjakkun Yatap dining room comfortable with kids?

The inside of Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch was roomier than I expected.

Walk up about half a flight of stairs and you'll find tables, including some group seating — it looked like a good spot for a get-together with friends or a work dinner too.

It also wasn't at all uncomfortable for us to come for a family dinner with a kid. I'd worried a bit that the vibe might feel too bar-like with my 9-year-old daughter along, but visiting early in the evening made for a comfortable meal.

Ordering the nurungji chicken half-and-half

Looking at the menu, there were more types of nurungji chicken than I expected.

From the basic herbal nurungji chicken to versions with seasoning or corn cheese, it was tricky deciding what to get. Since picking just one flavor felt like a waste, we went with the half-and-half nurungji chicken.

How did the half-and-half nurungji chicken taste?

When the half-and-half nurungji chicken finally arrived, it looked the part right away.

Golden roasted chicken sitting over a bed of scorched rice, sizzling away on a hot stone plate... I should've been taking photos, but I wanted to dig in right away.

I tried the chicken first. It clearly had a different appeal from oil-fried chicken.

It wasn't heavily greasy, staying lean while the meat inside stayed moist. The chicken shredded easily and the skin was nutty and savory, so I kept reaching for more.

My 9-year-old daughter ate well too.

When eating with a kid, it was easiest to serve her mostly from the non-spicy side.

Scraping the scorched rice off the hot stone plate

What stuck with me most about Jangjakkun, though, was the nurungji (scorched rice). Sitting under the chicken, it naturally soaked up the chicken's flavor, with the part stuck to the bottom turning crispy while the inner part stayed a bit moister — the textures were completely different.

A bite of chicken, then a bite of nurungji — the combo was really good. Having the scorched rice alongside made it feel more like a full meal and much more filling than just a whole chicken on its own.

There was a quiet fun in scraping up that crispy scorched rice at the very end.

If you're in Yatap looking for chicken that's a bit different from usual, or trying to figure out a dinner menu to share with your kid, give Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch a try. Next time, I want to try their other nurungji chicken options too.

Frequently asked questions

What did you order at Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch?

I ordered the half-and-half nurungji chicken. Getting two flavors at once works well if you want to try a variety.

Is Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch okay to visit with children?

I went with my 9-year-old daughter. Choosing the non-spicy option made it comfortable to eat together.

How is nurungji tongdak different from regular fried chicken?

It's oak-roasted rather than oil-fried, so it's relatively lean, and it comes with scorched rice underneath, making it feel as filling as a full meal.