Yeonsan-dong chicken spot: crispy tongdak on a third visit, Yetnal

This was my third visit to Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch (옛날통닭앤탕 연산본점). After my first trip I kept craving it, so I went back, and this time I finally ordered the old-fashioned whole fried chicken too. And honestly, why did I wait this long?! It was so crispy and so good. Adding fried chicken to the dakdoritang made the table so much more generous. I think I'm actually becoming a regular.

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch: location, hours and parking

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch is at 41 Gobun-ro 31beon-gil, Yeonje-gu, Busan, about 474m from Exit 12 of Yeonsan Station. It is open from 17:30 to 06:00 the next day, and on Sundays from 17:30 to 05:00 the next day.

You can get there on foot from the station, so it works for a dinner meetup in Yeonsan-dong or a casual drink after eating. We parked in a public parking lot. If you're bringing a car, it's a good idea to ask the restaurant about parking before you visit. Since it's open so late, it's the place I think of on days when dinner ends up being late.

How does the Catch Table waitlist work?

There is a Catch Table waiting kiosk at the entrance. In my photo it showed 1 team waiting, with an estimated 20 minutes. Depending on when you go, you may have to wait, so check the queue at the entrance first.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The moment you walk in, your eyes go to the walls covered with notes and drawings left by customers. It's fun to read them one by one while you wait for your food, and the feel is cozy, a different vibe from a neatly designed space.

Wooden tables and chairs with warm lighting give it the homey feel of an old neighborhood pub. Other tables were full of diners when I visited, and the place suited the scene of people chatting around a steaming pot.

I also noticed a neon sign reading "Let's see each other often, so we grow close." On my third visit it felt oddly like it was talking about me, haha. The more tasty dishes I try, the more I look forward to the next visit.

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang menu and prices

The menu at Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch centers on whole fried chicken, dakdoritang and jjimdak (braised chicken). According to the menu board, old-fashioned whole fried chicken is ₩20,000, half-and-half fried chicken is ₩21,000, and dakdoritang and Andong jjimdak are ₩24,000 each.

There is also a recommended menu for eating fried chicken and stew together. The "N-Tang" (앤탕), which comes with one chicken dakdoritang and one whole fried chicken, is ₩32,000. There are also boneless and gizzard versions, so you can pick to suit your group's tastes. Switching the dakdoritang to boneless costs an extra ₩2,000.

You can also order glass noodle, ramyeon, rice cake and quail egg add-ons, plus fried rice. If you can't decide between just chicken or chicken with hot broth, take a look at the combinations on the menu first.

How is the dakdoritang served?

The basic table setting was cabbage salad, pickled radish and white crackers. They're nice for nibbling before the main dish arrives, and there are side dishes to eat between bites of chicken.

The dakdoritang comes in a wide pot and you boil it at the table. In the red broth you can see chicken, glass noodles, long rice cakes, quail eggs and green onions. With the pot bubbling in the middle, chopsticks naturally get busy.

I scooped up the glass noodles together with the broth and picked good pieces of chicken to put on my small plate. Within one pot you can alternate between chicken, noodles and rice cake, which makes it fun to eat. The long rice cake especially has real presence when you lift it with chopsticks.

With the hot dakdoritang in front of us, we clinked glasses, cheers! Add that kind of time to good food and I guess that's why I keep coming back. It's only my third visit, but I'm really going to become a regular at this rate.

How crispy is the whole fried chicken, first ordered on a third visit?

The best discovery of this visit to Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch was the old-fashioned whole fried chicken. It was my first time ordering it here, and from the first bite the crunch hit me. I loved chewing the golden fried outside, and I kept reaching for it even before dipping it in any sauce.

Even the bumpy parts of the coating were crispy, so if you like whole fried chicken, you'll like this place. I fell for the chicken! Picking up a piece in the middle of eating the dakdoritang changes the texture, so the combination is fun too.

The whole fried chicken comes with salt and a red sauce on the side, so you can season it to your taste. I ate it plain to enjoy the crunch and also dipped it lightly in the sauce. You can even enjoy the chicken with the dakdoritang broth, so I'm glad I ordered both dishes together.

What to order at Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan next time

What I remember most from my third visit to Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Yeonsan Main Branch is discovering the crispy whole fried chicken. Alternating between the dakdoritang and the chicken was great too. I'll definitely order the chicken next time as well. I'm really going to become a regular at this rate!