Danyang chicken restaurant with fresh nurungji: Danyang Heukmaneul

Black garlic nurungji dakgangjeong at Danyang Gugyeong Market

While traveling in Danyang, I stopped by Danyang Gugyeong Market to look for something tasty.

Once inside the market, food stalls stretched all the way along, so it was quite fun browsing this and that.

The one that immediately caught my eye was Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong (단양흑마늘누룽지닭강정)! There were signs that it had been featured on TV, and more than anything, people were lined up outside even though it was a weekday. I ordered right away, haha.

• Location: 31-1 Dojeon 4-gil, Danyang-eup, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
• Hours: 10:00–20:00

How long was the weekday wait?

The day I visited was a weekday, not even a weekend. Still, people kept ordering, so it was not the kind of place where you could grab it immediately. I ordered first and came back about 30 minutes later to pick it up, and my dakgangjeong was ready just then. There is so much to see and eat in Gugyeong Market that one lap around the market made the time fly by.

It was also nice that they had samples of two dakgangjeong flavors outside, so you could taste them before ordering.

We chose the Original flavor so we could eat it with our child.

Fresh-made nurungji

What impressed me most here was the nurungji (crispy scorched rice). I thought they simply added ready-made nurungji, but I could see them making it fresh on one side of the shop. It was fascinating to see the round, thin-pressed pieces lined up across the machine.

Adding that freshly made nurungji to the dakgangjeong gave it a completely different texture from chicken alone. Every now and then, there was that crisp crackle of nurungji, and I just kept reaching for more.

Original nurungji dakgangjeong: taste and texture

When I opened the takeaway box, it looked generous right from the start.

The glossy dakgangjeong was piled high with nurungji and garlic flakes! The chicken was crisp outside and moist inside, while the sauce was sweet enough that it went down easily without feeling heavy.

But the real highlight was definitely the garlic flakes and nurungji.

If you only ate the dakgangjeong, the flavor might start to feel a little one-note, but picking up crunchy nurungji and garlic flakes along the way added a real nutty, savory boost.

A bite of dakgangjeong → a crunch of nurungji → garlic flakes, too! With the texture constantly changing, it was less filling than I expected and I kept reaching for it. 😋

The chicken radish pickles included in the box also cleared the palate now and then, so they were a great match.

I tried the black garlic makgeolli too

And then there was the black garlic makgeolli (Korean rice wine), which I simply could not pass by!

It was a 750 ml bottle, and the label said it was made with 100% Korean black garlic.

I had it with the dakgangjeong, and the garlic aroma really came alive the moment I took a sip.

It definitely felt different from the makgeolli I usually drink! It tasted like the kind of thing that somehow makes you feel healthier and full of energy afterward, haha.

It was even more memorable as a distinctly local pairing to try in Danyang.

Why I recommend it as a Danyang travel snack

Danyang Gugyeong Market has so much food, but if you are looking for dakgangjeong that is a little different, I thought this was a good choice. What stayed with me most was the fresh-made nurungji added to the chicken. The sweet, crisp-outside-and-moist-inside chicken with crunchy nurungji and garlic flakes was not just tasty—the texture was fun too.

Add the black garlic makgeolli, and it really feels like a Danyang-only travel snack pairing! 🍗🍶 There was a line even on a weekday, so if you visit, it may be a good idea to order first like I did, browse Gugyeong Market, and then come back for pickup. If you are looking for something to take away on a Danyang trip, give it a look. ❤️