Cheonho chicken galbi with free doenjang stew and ice cream: Ondogye

When you think of Cheonho, you think of jjukkumi (webfoot octopus)! But in the middle of that jjukkumi alley, there's a charcoal chicken galbi spot that's even more popular than the octopus itself — one of Seoul's top 3 chicken galbi restaurants, praised by Hong Seok-cheon and chef Lee Won-il. Let me introduce Ondogye.

Where is Ondogye, and what are its hours and parking?

Ondogye is on the 1st floor of 15 Cheonho-daero158-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul. It's open Mon–Sun 16:00–23:00, last order at 22:00, and never closes.

There's no parking in front of the restaurant, so if you use the underground public parking lot at Cheonho Station, check the rates below.

Walk straight along the jjukkumi alley in Cheonho's Rodeo Street and you'll find the main building of charcoal chicken galbi restaurant Ondogye, a well-known Cheonho Rodeo spot.

About 15m further into the jjukkumi alley from the main building, there's an annex right next to Jjukkumi Dosa. We had a reservation, so we were shown to the annex.

Stepping inside, the space wasn't huge, but it was clean and pleasant. True to its status as one of Seoul's top 3 chicken galbi spots, both the main building and annex were nearly full.

The note about preparing food humbly but wholeheartedly really touched me — and it only raised my expectations for Ondogye, the Seoul top-3 chicken galbi spot that famous foodies Hong Seok-cheon and chef Lee Won-il have raved about.

Ondogye's menu and prices, and what we ordered

Soy sauce chicken galbi ₩17,000 Spicy sauce chicken galbi ₩17,000 Garlic salt chicken galbi ₩17,000 Salt-grilled chicken thigh meat ₩17,000 Bomb steamed egg ₩5,000 Assorted charcoal vegetable skewers ₩8,000 Crispy chewy fried chicken gizzards ₩8,000

That's Ondogye's Cheonho chicken galbi menu. A clean, no-frills lineup — perfect!

We ordered garlic salt chicken galbi (270g) ₩17,000, soy sauce chicken galbi (270g) ₩17,000, salt-grilled chicken thigh meat (230g) ₩17,000, bomb steamed egg ₩5,000, a rice ball ₩3,000, and drinks. It was great that we could order one serving of each chicken galbi flavor.

Before the charcoal even arrived, the side dishes were set up quickly — shredded scallions, scallion kimchi, pickled radish, wasabi, spicy sauce, and honey.

Free fried chicken gizzards and table-side grilling by the staff

The scale of it — free fried chicken gizzards as a service item! We already love chicken gizzards and had thought about ordering them separately if the galbi wasn't enough, so getting them for free was such a generous touch from the owner. Dipped in salt, they were chewy with incredible depth of flavor — so good.

Once the charcoal arrived, two kinds of chicken galbi came out first. And here's Ondogye's real point of pride — skilled staff grill everything for you. Grilling over charcoal is no easy task, so having someone else do it for you is absolutely the best..!♥

The chicken galbi turning golden-brown, properly grilled over the charcoal. The staff flip it at just the right time and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Meat needs rice, right? We ordered a rice ball too, and they rolled it together for us right there. Since the staff handle the grilling, you have the leisure to make rice balls too.

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) ladled into every bowl

At Ondogye, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes as a free service item. I've been to countless restaurants, but this is the first time I've seen one ladle the stew straight into your bowl for you. A true service where all you have to do is pick up your spoon and chopsticks — I love this so much..!!♥

Chicken galbi that would've definitely burned if we'd grilled it ourselves is cooking beautifully over the charcoal.

Garlic-salt vs soy-sauce chicken galbi: how they compare

Once cooked, the staff arrange the chicken neatly, split into a garlic galbi section and a soy sauce galbi section, ready to eat.

The first bite was the garlic salt chicken galbi — the true flavor of the chicken galbi itself, wrapped in real charcoal aroma. Really clean and tender, so good to eat even with a kid. Chicken that's just grilled and tastes like this..? Genuinely a eureka moment.

Sweet and savory with incredible depth — soy sauce chicken galbi sounds delicious just hearing the name!! A flavor anyone, of any age, would love. Highly recommend.

Bomb steamed egg and a slice of lemon in the drink glass

Just as we were losing ourselves in the chicken galbi, the steamed egg arrived. Another round of cheering at the sight of the bomb steamed egg's visuals! Loaded with cheese, it was pure savory goodness — so delicious.

After the bowl-served doenjang jjigae, here's another one of Ondogye's touching moments — a slice of lemon in your drink glass..♥ Out of all the restaurants I've visited, this is the first one that serves lemon in your drink glass. Even just drinking a glass of soda, that one lemon slice makes you feel so good.

Garae-tteok rice cake with Ondogye's spicy sauce

The garae-tteok (cylindrical rice cake) grilled alongside the chicken galbi is meant to be dipped in honey — rice cake plus honey equals unbeatable.

Since we love spicy food, we'd considered ordering the spicy sauce chicken galbi too, but since the spicy sauce comes as a standard side, dipping into it means you basically get to try spicy chicken galbi anyway — two birds with one stone! Spicy and absolutely delicious.

Dipping into the spicy sauce, wrapping in scallion kimchi or shredded scallions — never a dull, greasy moment. Wrapping it in pickled radish is delicious too, you know.

The meat closest to the bone is always the best — we picked it up and ate it right off the bone.

Finishing with salt-grilled chicken neck and dessert ice cream

Right as we were finishing the chicken galbi, the salt-grilled chicken thigh meat arrived with perfect timing. Since the thigh meat comes pre-seared, all you have to do is flip it once quickly and eat.

The crunchy texture of the salt-grilled thigh meat was really appealing. Enjoy the tender chicken galbi, but definitely try the chewy grilled thigh meat too.

After eating our fill, they even brought out ice cream as one final complimentary dessert, sending us off fully satisfied.

Would we return to Ondogye in Cheonho?

In a fiercely competitive jjukkumi alley, Ondogye has firmly staked its claim as a charcoal chicken galbi spot you have to wait in line for. Having eaten there myself, I understand why it's earned such a reputation. With friendly service, great taste, and a great atmosphere all in perfect balance, we promised each other we'd come back next time for the sauced chicken galbi. If you're looking for a place to eat out or go on a date in Cheonho, experience Ondogye's endlessly touching service and top-tier flavor for yourself.