Dalseo, Daegu chicken pub for after-work drinks: Jangjakkun

After-work chicken and beer with a friend at Jangjakkun near Daegok Station

Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch (장작꾼 대구직영점) is a newly opened wood-fired nurungji chicken restaurant near Daegok Station in Jincheon-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu. The weather's been cool lately, which makes it a season where going straight home after work just feels like a waste, right? haha I had dinner plans with a friend a few days ago, and while I was wondering where to go, I heard about a hot new place that just opened near Daegok Station, so off I dashed!!

It's already got a big reputation among chicken lovers as a wood-fired nurungji specialist, and it totally hit that crispy-outside, juicy-inside legend level, so I wanted to introduce it to you all!! It's Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch! ^0^

Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch: location, hours and parking

• Address: 33 Sanghwa-ro, Building B, 1st floor, Dalseo-gu, Daegu
• 10-minute walk from Exit 3 of Daegok Station on Daegu Metro Line 1 (from Yucheon Intersection toward Daegu Arboretum)
• Tuesday–Friday 16:30–23:00 (last order 22:00)
• Saturday–Sunday 16:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Closed every Monday
• Parking: drive past the restaurant, turn right at Crown Hof, then turn right once more to reach the Daegyeong Building parking lot (up to 2 hours of free parking; empty spots in nearby alleys also work)

First impressions: the exterior and the smell won me over

Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch sits right on the main road of Sanghwa-ro near Daegok Station, so even though it was my first time there, it jumped right out at me. It's a stylish two-story standalone building that's easy to spot from far away!!

The moment you walk up to the entrance, there's a pile of real oak firewood, and you can see whole chickens roasting in the outdoor wood-fired oven. The subtle oak smoke and savory aroma of chicken fat drift all the way outside, and my mouth was watering before I even went in, haha

1st-floor street-stall vibes or cozy 2nd floor: where to sit?

The interior is split into the 1st and 2nd floors, and the place was way bigger and more comfortable than I expected. The tables are spaced widely, so it never felt cramped.

The 1st floor has a wide-open outdoor street-stall (pocha) feel, a perfect mood for chicken and beer or a drink after work.

The 2nd floor is a tidy indoor space that's a bit cozier and calmer for chatting over a meal, so it's ideal for gatherings or dates. It also has an open kitchen, so you can catch a glimpse of the cooking, which made me trust the hygiene, and even though it's a chicken place, the ventilation is really strong, so I loved that I didn't need to worry about my clothes smelling like food! haha Ordering is super easy too, just tap away on the tablet at each table. ^-^

Jangjakkun menu and what we ordered

You order from the table-order tablet at your seat. Starting with the basic herbal nurungji chicken, there are also unusual options like corn cheese chicken, corn chicken, and cheongyang pepper cream nurungji chicken. The side dishes that go well with drinks are packed too, like spicy whelk salad with somyeon (thin wheat noodles), charcoal-grilled boneless chicken feet, and a rice ball full of flying fish roe!

So many choices that I almost couldn't decide, but half-and-half is always the way to go, right? I went with the spicy-and-seasoned half-and-half nurungji chicken, which lets you enjoy the seasoned sauce and the cheese in one go. And for the cheese lovers who can't resist, I added extra cheese too!! haha

Free side dishes, including yeolmu kimchi, with self-serve refills

Once you order, a sweet-and-sour crunchy cabbage salad, pickled radish, and salt and sauces are set out by default. And as Jangjakkun's special kick, yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) that cuts through the greasy taste comes free too. I never knew chicken and yeolmu kimchi would be such a great combo, it's seriously amazing. It's so clean-tasting that you can keep eating it forever. If you run short on sides or sauces, you can help yourself freely at the self-serve bar without feeling awkward, which is convenient.

How does the spicy-seasoned half-and-half nurungji chicken taste?

The spicy half-and-half nurungji chicken arrives sizzling on a hot stone plate. Finally, the star of the day appears! All I can say is the looks are insane. It's the kind of dish where you have to grab your camera first.

I heard Jangjakkun's chicken is made from fresh, 100% domestic chicken delivered daily, stuffed with nourishing ingredients like glutinous rice, black rice, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ginseng, jujube, ginkgo nuts, and garlic, then slowly roasted over an oak fire for a full 90 minutes. Maybe that's why the grease is all drained away, so it's very clean-tasting, with a subtle charcoal aroma soaked into every bit of juice.

Tip: eat the breast meat first

According to the tip written on the table, freshly roasted chicken should be eaten starting with the breast, where the juices stay the juiciest. Just as the owner says, I tore off some breast and took a bite, and wow, it wasn't dry at all, and it melted tender in my mouth like baeksuk (boiled chicken soup) meat!! ^0^

When the cheese starts to harden a little, you can ask the staff and they'll reheat the stone plate for you, and I was touched by that kind of service!! haha

Spicy seasoning and corn cheese: a sweet, savory, spicy balance

The spicy seasoning on the other side isn't just sharply hot, but a tasty, spicy-sweet sauce that anyone would like! The seasoning soaks deep into the chewy, fire-flavored chicken skin, so the savory depth just explodes. Take a bite of the spicy chicken, then wrap it with savory corn cheese for another bite, and the spicy-sweet-savory balance is fantastic! It calls out for beer so irresistibly that I thought nothing makes a better drinking snack.

The glutinous rice nurungji at the bottom is a star in its own right

After eating a fair amount of chicken, the perfectly scorched glutinous rice nurungji at the bottom appears, and it's honestly a treat on the level of a main dish. From the heat of the stone plate, the bottom is crispy like a snack and the top is moist, and the savory chicken juices and herbal flavor soak into the nurungji, so even though I was full, I scraped up every last grain with my spoon. The black rice and nuts give it a great chew too!

Verdict: is Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch worth it?

Fried chicken often leaves your stomach heavy and greasy, right? But Jangjakkun's herbal nurungji chicken is carefully roasted over a wood fire with the grease drained away, so afterward my stomach felt really comfortable, like I'd had a hearty health meal. The herbal scent is also subtle, not too strong, so it's a taste anyone of any age can enjoy without any hit-or-miss!! haha

From the looks of the food to the amazing flavor, the pocha-style atmosphere, and the super-friendly owner and staff, nothing was lacking. I heard the takeout service is also great, wrapping the chicken carefully in several layers of foil to keep it warm, so it'd be perfect delivered or taken out for a housewarming meal or a late-night home party.

If you're looking for a genuinely good crispy-outside, juicy-inside chicken place around Jincheon-dong in Dalseo-gu, Daegu, or near Daegu Arboretum, I really recommend Jangjakkun Daegu Direct Branch! Jochungi (the writer's blog nickname) plans to visit often too, haha