Danyang Gugyeong Market chicken shop with free parking: 30-min pickup

Where is Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, and where do you park?

Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong is located inside Danyang Gugyeong Market (단양구경시장). If you're driving, you can use the public parking lot set up near the market.

Parking was free, and on a Friday afternoon there was plenty of space, so parking was easy. We left the car at the public lot and walked in slowly, taking in the scenery around the Namhan River along the way.

My husband and I took a trip to Danyang in the cool early-autumn weather, and we stopped by Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, known as a must-eat spot at Danyang Gugyeong Market. Here's a detailed review of our visit.

What the shopfront looks like inside Gugyeong Market

The shop's sign stood out even from a distance — a clean white background with the name in big letters. Out front, an electronic display flashed the phrase "dakgangjeong of a lifetime," which made it easy to find.

The savory smell of frying spread through the alley in front of the shop, enough to stop us in our tracks.

Menu and prices at Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong

Looking at the menu, dakgangjeong came in two flavors: black garlic original nurungji (rice crust) and black garlic double flavor.

Original black garlic nurungji dakgangjeong, 20,000 won

This was the original dakgangjeong topped with black garlic made in-house.

The sweet sauce of the dakgangjeong, the savory nurungji chips, and the black garlic topping combined into a combination you can only really get in Danyang.

Double black garlic dakgangjeong, 20,000 won

Black garlic was ground right into the sauce itself, giving it a much deeper black garlic flavor. There was a tasting corner in front of the counter so customers could compare the two flavors, with both laid out to sample and pick according to taste.

Black garlic makgeolli, two bottles for 10,000 won

On the counter beside it, black garlic makgeolli was also on display, sold in sets of two bottles for ₩10,000. It's brewed directly at a Danyang brewery, with 2% black garlic content and 6% ABV, according to the label.

How long is the wait after ordering?

After some deliberation, we picked one box of the original and one set of black garlic makgeolli. It would've been nice if there was a half-and-half option to try both flavors together.

After paying, the staff handed us an order slip with our number and items listed, kindly letting us know it would take about 25 minutes to make the dakgangjeong. They were cooking orders in sequence by the numbers printed at the top.

We took the slip and wandered around the market, checking out the various food stalls. It actually took about 30 minutes before we got our packaged dakgangjeong. The system was: pay on the spot, browse the market while it cooks, then pick up your order when it's ready.

How the takeout box is packed

One box of the original and one set of black garlic makgeolli.

The box we got when it was our turn was a sturdy paper box with a handle, easy to carry all the way to our lodging. There were air holes on the sides of the box, so there was little worry of the dakgangjeong turning soggy.

The black garlic makgeolli in particular came in its own black carrier, reminiscent of the black garlic itself. The packaging design was thoughtful — it would make a nice travel gift for friends too.

They even carefully included wooden chopsticks so we could eat right away at our lodging — really appreciated that.

How the original dakgangjeong and black garlic makgeolli tasted back at the room

What we ordered: black garlic original dakgangjeong and black garlic makgeolli. We spread everything out on the table at our lodging and got ready to eat with my husband.

One box of black garlic nurungji dakgangjeong, original flavor. Opening the paper box, we found the sweet sauce-covered chicken generously topped with crispy nurungji chips and sliced garlic. The bite-sized fried chicken pieces had juicy insides and chewy skin.

Every crunchy bite of the nurungji chips released a savory flavor into the mouth — the texture was really fun.

Off to one side of the box was crunchy pickled chicken radish, too. The sweet-and-sour radish cut through the grease nicely as a side.

Black garlic makgeolli is best served chilled, so we kept it in the fridge at our lodging and paired it with the dakgangjeong.

Poured into a glass, it had a subtle, distinctive black garlic aroma that felt like something different.

The sweetness of the dakgangjeong, the savoriness of the nurungji, and the flavor of the makgeolli all came together naturally, wrapping up the day with a delicious meal on our trip!

If you're visiting Danyang and looking for something distinctive to eat, enjoy a good evening at Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, a well-known dakgangjeong shop at Danyang Gugyeong Market.