Hongdae jjimdak restaurant with private group rooms: Ongdarae Jjimdak

So I finally made it out to Hongdae after a while, and I ate at a jjimdak (braised chicken) spot that genuinely blew me away. Hongdae has so many restaurants and chains crammed together that it's always a struggle figuring out where you can't go wrong, right?

But this time I visited Ongdarae Jjimdak in Hongdae, and I was so satisfied that I'd 200% go back and pay full price out of my own pocket. From why both foreign visitors and Korean regulars keep coming back, to the best-value way to order for two people, I'm laying it all out here!

Where is Ongdarae Jjimdak, and how close is it to Hongdae Station?

Ongdarae Jjimdak sits on the 1st floor at 122 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, which is extremely close to Hongdae Station. The access is great, making it easy to grab a meal before or after wandering the Hongdae streets.

Since it's on the ground floor, the window-side seating feels incredibly open. There's an airy, spacious feeling that makes eating there totally comfortable.

Parking tip 💡 There is a paid lot right in front of the restaurant, but it's on the pricier side! If you're driving, I'd strongly recommend using a nearby public parking lot instead.

Are Ongdarae Jjimdak's private group rooms good for a Hongdae work dinner?

The restaurant itself is spacious and clean, with tables for two, tables for four, and two dedicated group-seating rooms for larger parties. We visited a bit past the dinner peak and I was surprised customers kept streaming in nonstop!

If you're looking for a lunch gathering spot or a Hongdae dinner venue with friends or coworkers, booking one of the group rooms here would be a great choice.

What's also interesting is that the customers in the restaurant were almost split evenly between Koreans and foreigners! Because the spicy-sweet-salty soy sauce seasoning that wins over Korean palates seemed to go down just as well with foreign friends. It made me think, 'a place that's perfectly delicious to Koreans works for foreigners too!' I'm definitely bringing a foreign friend here next time they visit Hongdae.

What two people ordered at Ongdarae Jjimdak, and what it cost

We wanted to eat a proper meal for two, so we went all in. We ordered the boneless L size jjimdak plus two different kinds of rice.

• Ongdarae Jjimdak boneless L size: ₩37,000
• Spice level: Regular (a nicely pleasant sweet-spicy balance!)
• Plain white rice bowl: ₩1,000
• Ongbap (crispy rice bowl): ₩2,000

Side dishes with a twist: yuzu dressing salad and pickles

After ordering at Ongdarae Jjimdak, a refreshing salad and pickles get set on the table first. My first thought was, "Huh, that's unusual" — a jjimdak place serving pickles instead of napa cabbage kimchi? But wow... the pairing of pickles with jjimdak is actually insane.

The tangy, crunchy pickles cut through the rich soy sauce seasoning perfectly. And the salad with yuzu dressing was so refreshing! Taking a bite between mouthfuls of jjimdak completely reset my palate. Big respect to the owner for the side dish sense 👍

How the boneless L size at regular spice tastes, with a huge pile of glass noodles

Finally, the main dish arrives! Even though we didn't add extra glass noodles, the amount that came standard with the boneless L size at Ongdarae Jjimdak was seriously massive 💥 Adding more would have been a disaster. Extremely filling!

The glass noodles were soaked through with the moist, salty-sweet soy sauce seasoning, so we slurped them right up. The boneless meat had zero gamey smell and was so tender, pairing perfectly with the regular spice level.

Ongbap vs plain white rice: the honest rice pairing tip

We ordered the ongbap (crispy rice bowl) that's popular on Instagram and blogs out of curiosity! Ongbap is a specialty dish where the rice has a hard, nutty crust like nurungji (scorched rice), topped with seaweed flakes, kimchi, and sesame oil.

Honestly though! For our taste, mixing the jjimdak sauce into plain white rice and topping it with a piece of meat was much tastier 🍚 The crispy texture of the ongbap has its own charm, but plain white rice was the ultimate combo for fully tasting the umami of Ongdarae Jjimdak's signature sauce.

Soak the white rice in the sauce, pile on some meat and glass noodles, top it off with a pickle... and it's over, I'm done for real

Which jjimdak size to order for two people

Best value pick — if two of you are visiting, order the S size plus two bowls of rice, and it'll be just the right amount!

Meat-lover pick — if you want to eat heartily, order the L size like we did, and just take home any leftovers, which is also a great option!

The self-serve dessert corner beside the counter

After finishing our meal, we headed to the counter and found a cute little dessert corner. There was coffee mix and tea bags you could make freely, rice crackers, Kopiko candy, and even what looked like handmade scones!

We were so stuffed from the jjimdak that we couldn't try the scones, and I still regret it. The handmade scones looked so good — dessert lovers, definitely try them!

Final verdict on Ongdarae Jjimdak

• Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (rich flavor I'd happily pay for weekly!)
• Restaurant: spacious and clean, with full group rooms (recommended for Hongdae dinners / Hongdae lunch spots)
• Recommended combo: boneless jjimdak at regular spice + plain white rice
• Would I return: 200%! Definitely bringing a foreign friend here next time they visit!

If you're looking for a proper lunch near Hongdae Station, or a hearty spot for a dinner get-together, definitely check out Ongdarae Jjimdak in Hongdae! It'll be a meal you can't go wrong with.