# Garlic whole chicken at Obang Tongdak, a Dongmyo chicken restaurant - By Jaeun (https://superchart.com/en/@cafe-afternoon/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This is a review written after visiting with a complimentary meal provided by the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@cafe-afternoon/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@cafe-afternoon/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/index.md) ## In short Obang Tongdak is a garlic whole-chicken restaurant in front of the Yeongmi Arcade near Dongmyo Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, with outdoor tables on the first floor and a window-lined dining room on the second. The order was the Obang Tongdak whole chicken (22,000 won), golbaengi-muchim (spicy whelk salad, 14,000 won) and a 500ml draft beer (5,000 won), eaten with whole garlic cloves and garlic slices piled on top; even the lean breast meat of the roasted chicken stayed tender. A Sunday visit meant no wait, while Fridays and Saturdays looked like long lines. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1st-2nd floor, 19 Majang-ro 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul — 548m from Dongmyo Station Exit 3 - **Hours**: Daily 17:00 - 23:30 - **Obang Tongdak (garlic whole chicken)**: 22,000 won - **Golbaengi-muchim (spicy whelk salad)**: 14,000 won - **Sets**: Obong Set 48,000 won / Obang Dakjeon Set 50,000 won / Obang Two-Chicken Set 60,000 won - **Single whole chickens**: Golden Chicken 22,000 won / Fire Chicken 23,000 won / Pepper Chicken 23,000 won / Dakjeon (chicken pancake) 15,000 won - **Draft beer**: 330ml 3,500 won, 500ml 5,000 won, 2-hour unlimited 9,900 won - **Event**: One free beer for a Naver photo review - **Seating**: 1st floor outdoor tables (yajang), 2nd floor dining room with full-height windows *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* ## What is Obang Tongdak, the Dongmyo outdoor-table chicken restaurant? Obang Tongdak is a garlic whole-chicken place 548m from Dongmyo Station Exit 3, right in front of Yeongmi Market. It's outdoor-dining season, and I feel like this short window of it will pass so fast. I went to the Dongmyo outdoor tables (yajang) that are so popular with the MZ generation right now, last weekend. With vintage secondhand clothing shops near Dongmyo Station and the Dongdaemun toy street close by, Dongmyo's outdoor dining scene is really having a moment. ![Outdoor table scene at Obang Tongdak in Dongmyo](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-01-163qu-1200.webp) Just look at this outdoor table shot — instant mouthwatering. Obang Tongdak is genuinely famous, and once I ate there, I got why. Unlike regular fried chicken, this roast chicken comes with garlic and roasted rice crust plus garlic flakes on top — a garlic whole chicken combo unlike anything I'd tried before. Most of the dishes run 10,000-20,000 won and portions are generous for the price, so I get why young people line up for this. ![Obang Tongdak garlic whole chicken topped with garlic](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-02-ck7nu-900.webp) See the garlic? As a garlic lover, I was completely won over, haha. I'm definitely coming back next time I meet a friend. The vibe inside is so hip — both the ground-floor outdoor tables and the upstairs dining room feel great. And importantly, the draft beer was genuinely delicious. My husband and I took a sip and both went, whoa, this is amazing. ![Vertical shot of the Dongmyo street outside Obang Tongdak](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-03-u09nj-900.webp) Us old folks can't drink much, so we just went for one beer and the atmosphere — Obang Tongdak sits right in front of Yeongmi Market, and the walk from Dongmyo Station passes the flea market selling all kinds of secondhand goods, which is fun to browse too. ## Obang Tongdak location and opening hours - Location: 1st-2nd floor, 19 Majang-ro 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 548m from Dongmyo Station Exit 3 - Hours: Daily 17:00 - 23:30 ![The remodeled retro-style Obang Tongdak building](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-04-v8mg8-900.webp) The space is a well-remodeled old building with real retro character. But the fact is, most customers were in their 20s and 30s, haha — I looked like the oldest one there, lol. The interior has that retro feel that young people these days seem to love. ![Obang Tongdak's ground floor styled like outdoor seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-05-1mf0l-m-900.webp) The inside is styled to feel like the outdoor tables too, and since the ground floor is open, even the inner seats carry that outdoor vibe. I grabbed an inner seat to dodge the mosquitoes. ## Free beer for a Naver photo review ![Poster announcing free beer for a Naver photo review](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-06-uwcry-m-900.webp) Leave a Naver photo review and you get a free beer, so make sure to grab that. Turns out connections through beer beat connections through people, ha. The posters with phrases about fortune, wealth luck and cure-all remedies were so fun — the kind of phrases older folks would love, styled in a way that reads as retro-cool to today's 20s and 30s crowd. ![Second-floor seating at Obang Tongdak with the windows open](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-07-11ekn-900.webp) The second floor has full window walls open, giving it an airy feel. It seemed better for groups sharing one table. The bright red chairs and tables really pop. ![Obang Tongdak menu board with prices](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-08-pgcyc-m-900.webp) ## Obang Tongdak menu and prices - Obong Set 48,000 won - Obang Dakjeon Set 50,000 won - Obang Two-Chicken Set 60,000 won - Golden Chicken 22,000 won - Fire Chicken 23,000 won - Pepper Chicken 23,000 won - Dakjeon (chicken pancake) 15,000 won - Golbaengi-muchim (spicy whelk salad) 14,000 won - Draft beer 330ml 3,500 won - Draft beer 500ml 5,000 won ![A glass of draft beer at Obang Tongdak](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-09-1tdn2-900.webp) The draft beer is 5,000 won and seriously refreshing. There's a 300ml option too if you want something lighter. The 2-hour unlimited beer deal comes to 9,900 won. Since the chicken itself is so good, having more than two beers feels like a lot, but even if you order the unlimited deal, drinking just two isn't a loss. ## Garlic whole chicken, 22,000 won: the garlic slices are the kick ![A single order of Obang Tongdak whole chicken](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-10-43aqo-900.webp) Instead of a set, I ordered the most famous single-item menu. There's also Fire Chicken and Pepper Chicken, but I wanted the most basic version, Obang Tongdak. It was genuinely delicious — since I love garlic, the combo of sliced garlic and steamed whole garlic was just so good. ![Roast chicken topped with whole garlic cloves and garlic slices](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-11-o6cpx-900.webp) Big whole garlic cloves come with it too. I prefer this kind of moist roast chicken over fried, so this was a total hit for me. Lots of people also order the Obong Set that comes with dakjeon (chicken pancake) — total Instagram material. Whole garlic cloves come in it, and the kick is the garlic slices. Piling these crunchy garlic slices on the moist chicken is genuinely a work of art. ![A piece of chicken topped with garlic slices](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-12-rc6cq-900.webp) I get why people line up here every weekend now. Luckily I went on a Sunday so there was no wait. Fridays and Saturdays seem really packed. Dongmyo is definitely having a moment right now, haha. ![Close-up of Obang Tongdak's chicken meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-13-123eo-900.webp) Here's a close-up of the chicken meat. It's roasted, not fried, but it wasn't dry at all — even the breast meat was so tender. It's hard to describe dry meat that isn't dry at all, but that's exactly what this was. ## Golbaengi-muchim, 14,000 won: Euljiro-style spicy whelk salad ![Golbaengi-muchim served with thin wheat noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-14-1yhm9-900.webp) The combo of thin wheat noodles and whelk is so good too. This golbaengi (whelk) dish is really tasty, with whelk, cabbage, and shredded seasoned squid jerky. If you've had Euljiro-style golbaengi, you know it comes with squid jerky. This Euljiro-style version was delicious and reasonably priced at 14,000 won. ![Golbaengi-muchim plated in a bamboo basket](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-15-tb4dq-900.webp) Serving it in a bamboo basket was a nice touch too. The whole retro vibe of the place and the plating felt really thoughtfully done. Since the chicken is a bit greasy, I ordered golbaengi for a spicy contrast — if you're headed to Obang Tongdak, try pairing chicken with golbaengi like I did. ![A spread of whole chicken, golbaengi-muchim, and draft beer](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-16-1v8vl-900.webp) The portions were so big I couldn't even finish one beer, haha. But that beer had such a crisp, cold bite — the kind that tastes freshly tapped. The weather's been great for outdoor dining lately, though I doubt it'll last much longer. ![Vertical shot of the outdoor dining atmosphere at Obang Tongdak](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-17-c2zjz-900.webp) ![Wrapping up the visit to Obang Tongdak in Dongmyo](https://img.superchart.com/images/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang-18-1irsg-900.webp) That was my visit to Obang Tongdak, the hot outdoor-dining spot near Dongmyo Station these days. Next time I want to go with a friend. The beer was cold and the chicken was moist with the grease drained off, so personally, I really enjoyed it. ## Where it is - Obang Tongdak (오방통닭) - 19 Majang-ro 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd floor, main entrance) - 서울특별시 중구 마장로9길 19 2층 오방통닭 매장 (정문) - 37.5692637, 127.019481 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%98%A4%EB%B0%A9%ED%86%B5%EB%8B%AD/@37.5692637,127.019481,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@cafe-afternoon/dongmyo-yajang-garlic-roast-chicken-obang/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt