Chicken hot pot with makgeolli near Gyodae Station: Seocho Jeonggye

Whenever I want dak han mari (whole chicken hot pot) near Gyodae Station in Seoul, Seocho Jeonggye is always the first place that comes to mind, and this time I dropped by on a weekday right after work. They specialize in dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken) and dak han mari, and honestly whatever you order here is satisfying. This time I ordered dak han mari again and paired it with a glass of makgeolli in the evening, so let me quickly write up the review.

Where is Seocho Jeonggye, and what are its hours and parking?

Seocho Jeonggye, which I visited that day, is a Korean restaurant specializing in chicken dishes close to Exits 7 and 8 of Seocho Station. Since it's open every day from 11am to 10pm, it's a great place to go for lunch or dinner whenever you like.

For parking, there's space for about 2 cars along the yellow line in front of the store. As you can see, the parking space is quite tight, so it's best to call ahead, and if it's full I'd recommend using a nearby public parking lot.

Inside Seocho Jeonggye: waiting area and seating

Walking into the store, the first thing that catches your eye is the Tabling waiting system. If it's full and you need to wait, you simply enter your phone number and wait comfortably until your turn comes up.

The waiting area is set up on the left side of the store and has a roof, so you can wait comfortably even on rainy or snowy days. There's also tea provided for waiting guests, so you can sip on that while you wait.

Stepping inside, this Gyodae Station favorite immediately shows off soft lighting and a calm interior. I visited around 7:30pm on a weekday, which felt a bit late, but even then the tables were nearly all full — a sign of how popular the place is.

The tables are mostly for 2 or 4, so it's good whether you're eating alone, coming as a couple, or with a family group of up to 4. And if a larger group comes, they'll push tables together, so as long as you reserve ahead, it's a fine spot for group gatherings too.

The kitchen is open, so customers can see inside, and the chef keeps it spotless — which was reassuring in terms of eating hygienically.

There's also a liquor fridge in the store stocked with all kinds of drinks, which was worth a look — so many great bottles that it made me want to order one right away.

Seocho Jeonggye menu and prices: what two people ordered

The signature dishes, good for 2–3 people, are dakbokkeumtang (₩32,000) and dak han mari (₩32,000). There are also solo-friendly options like boneless dakbokkeumtang for one (₩13,000) and chicken kalguksu (₩11,000), plus drinking food like grilled chicken cartilage with salt (₩17,000) and Jeonggye potato pancake (₩17,000).

I filmed the whole menu on video, so check that above for details. For our table of two that day, we decided on the following order.

• Dak han mari, 2–3 servings (₩32,000)
• Grilled chicken cartilage with salt (₩17,000)
• Jangsu makgeolli (₩5,000)

How did the medium dak han mari (for 2–3) taste?

The store provides disposable hygiene aprons, so you can wear one to keep the broth off your clothes. There's also pepper and salt on the table so you can adjust the seasoning if it's too mild for your taste.

Instead of plain water, they served a fragrant tea, which was refreshing to sip before the meal.

The basic side dishes were fresh kimchi and yuja (citron)-scented mu ssam (radish wrap). If you run out, just ask a staff member and they'll bring more.

To go with the dak han mari, they brought chives and cabbage with a house sauce, plus a spicy chili paste for those who want it hotter.

For the two of us worn out from a long day at work, we ordered a glass of makgeolli and started with a light cheers.

After munching on some cabbage while we waited, the medium dak han mari arrived — a whole chicken in clear broth, standing out at first glance. It came in a cauldron on a gas burner, already fully cooked, and the staff kindly told us we could dig in right away.

I heard the chicken is cooked sous-vide for a long time, and sure enough, just looking at it you could tell the meat looked tender.

Worried plain chicken might get boring, this Gyodae Station favorite generously throws in rice cake sticks, potatoes, and other bite-sized extras too!

Because it's cooked sous-vide, the biggest advantage is the very tender texture — it was well-seasoned enough to eat on its own, but wrapped up with the cabbage and chive salad, the flavor really came through even more.

Grilled chicken cartilage with salt, ordered with the makgeolli

Next, to taste the essence of Seocho-style Korean food, we ordered the grilled chicken cartilage with salt as drinking food. Seasoned with just salt and pepper, the lack of a salty sauce was totally my kind of thing, and with plenty of stir-fried green onion and onion, it paired perfectly with alcohol.

From the whole garlic cloves to the chewy cartilage, this was a dish that made the drinks go down easily, and one I could see myself craving again.

After finishing the meal, there's a sikhye (sweet rice drink) machine near the entrance, so you can cleanse your palate nicely.

Is Seocho Jeonggye worth it? Final verdict

With its consistently reliable flavor every time and chicken cooked sous-vide, this is a place that's hard to dislike if you enjoy tender textures. Since it's open every single day with no days off, it's a great Gyodae Station spot even for churchgoers heading to Sarang Community Church on weekends — that's my review.