Gangdong, Seoul hagfish BBQ & spicy chicken feet: Ppalgan Kkomjangeo

Chewy, springy red hagfish

The hagfish I used to eat in Busan, right in my own neighborhood? Honestly, I never really know where to go for kkomjangeo (hagfish, a chewy grilled delicacy), so I don't often seek it out. But I heard there was a great hagfish place in Seongnae-dong near Dunchondong Station, so I headed straight there! Who knew there was a spot like this nearby, haha.

How to get to Ppalgan Kkomjangeo near Dunchondong Station

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo (빨간꼼장어) Dunchondong Station Main Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Dunchondong Station, so it's super easy to reach! It's just the right distance to stroll over after getting off at the station.

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo's atmosphere: an old-school Seongnae-dong local

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo is a small, long-standing spot in an alley near Dunchon Market. The moment I walked in, I thought, is this Busan?

Maybe because it's in an alley near Dunchon Market, the old neighborhood-joint feel is strong!!

The place isn't big, but the tables are packed in snugly, and it totally felt like a local favorite where all the neighbors gather.

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo hours, parking and what to know

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo Dunchondong Station Main Branch is open Monday to Saturday from 16:30 to 23:00, with last order at 22:30, and closed every Sunday. There's no parking lot of its own, but they reportedly cover the parking fee if you use the Dunchondong Station Traditional Market public lot or the paid lot at the Oscar shopping complex, so it's best to ask before you go.

• Location: 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Dunchondong Station (Seongnae-dong)
• Address: 8 Pungseong-ro 56-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sat 16:30–23:00 / last order 22:30 / closed every Sunday
• Parking: no parking lot of its own; parking fee covered at the Dunchondong Station Traditional Market public lot or the Oscar shopping complex paid lot (ask before visiting)

According to the restaurant's introduction, it's Korea's first specialty shop for aged hagfish and a neighborhood fixture since 2011. Its specialties are the chewy texture of aged giant hagfish and direct charcoal grilling, and it also offers corkage, takeout, delivery and group seating.

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo menu and prices

The menu is split into giant hagfish, signature hagfish, and sides/drinking snacks. Giant hagfish is in the ₩20,000s, and regular hagfish is in the mid-₩10,000s.

• WANG giant hagfish: red giant hagfish ₩22,000 / garlic giant hagfish ₩21,000
• SIGNATURE hagfish: red hagfish ₩16,000 / garlic hagfish ₩15,000
• SIDE sides and drinking snacks: pork rinds ₩10,000 / kimchi-mal-guksu (cold kimchi noodles) ₩9,000 / volcano steamed egg (large) ₩6,000

What does aged garlic giant hagfish taste like?

We ordered the garlic giant hagfish for 2 people (listed as ₩15,000 in the original post). It's the signature dish: aged hagfish with garlic aroma added, which reportedly takes away any fishy smell while keeping the springy texture and clean, mild flavor.

Maybe because it's aged giant hagfish, every single piece is really plump and big!

From the first bite it's chewy and springy, and the bite is just so good. It's not the mushy texture you often get; maybe thanks to the aging, it's firm and bouncy, and I kept reaching for more.

The garlic aroma is subtle, there's no fishy taste at all, and it goes down clean. Never gets boring, just a mild, nutty flavor!!

If you love hagfish, you have to try this giant hagfish at least once!

Side dishes served with the grilled hagfish

Vegetables with seasoned lettuce, a super cool and refreshing cucumber soup~~, and perilla leaf tofu-kimchi, all delicious. Perfect to eat alongside!

It's great as a drinking snack too!! A different feel from pork, beef or regular eel!

Kimchi-mari-guksu (cold kimchi noodles, 9,000 won) at Ppalgan Kkomjangeo

The kimchi-mal-guksu is ₩9,000, and reportedly uses fresh noodles with a chewy bite, topped with crunchy kimchi and shredded radish in a cold broth. It comes tangy, with ice floating in it.

It comes tangy with slushy ice floating on top, and the noodles are springy, with cool crunchy cucumber and kimchi, plus nutty seaweed!!

When your mouth is tingling from spicy food, one sip of this cold broth calms it right down! I slurped up every last drop of the broth, haha.

Spicy boneless chicken feet (13,000 won): how hot are they?

The spicy boneless chicken feet are ₩13,000. They're charcoal-grilled, easy to eat with no bones, and pleasantly sharp and spicy.

Being boneless, the chicken feet are easy to eat, and they have a sharp, spicy kick!

One bite and your mouth goes hot and numb, and that spiciness melts away all the built-up stress, haha. I hadn't had chicken feet in ages, too!

Alternating the mild hagfish with the spicy chicken feet made a great balance!! If you like spicy food, definitely add the chicken feet!

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo in Seongnae-dong: an old-school hagfish spot worth revisiting

Thanks to Ppalgan Kkomjangeo Dunchondong Station Main Branch, I enjoyed hagfish with a Busan local vibe right in my neighborhood. I used to think you had to make up your mind and travel far to eat hagfish, so being able to enjoy it this close to home was so nice!!

It's also great as a drinking snack on days when you're craving charcoal-grilled things like chicken feet, hagfish or pork rinds~~ Next time I'm definitely trying the pork rinds and the volcano steamed egg!-!