Fried chicken vs spicy dakgangjeong takeout, Gimssi Chicken in

Dakgangjeong (sweet-spicy fried chicken bites) my mom often brings home on her way back from grocery shopping at Dongwon Market !! She can't even handle spicy food but she keeps buying the spiciest option for us anyway >.< I mean, how old are we now — she could just buy the regular flavor and we could all enjoy it together, but she keeps getting the spicy one and then complaining it's too hot lol. I guess even as I get older, I'm still the daughter who wants to take care of Mom?! haha

Crispy even after it cools — what's different?

Every time Mom brought home dakgangjeong from Gimssi Chicken, it had already cooled down from carrying groceries around, but the outside stayed crispy and the inside stayed juicy — totally different from other dakgangjeong I've had lately!

Lately dakgangjeong just tastes like regular seasoned fried chicken, you know? The outside gets soggy once the sauce soaks in~ But Mom said this new spot in Dongwon Market had people lining up even on the hottest days of summer, and sure enough, it stayed crispy even after time passed — totally my type ^^

I finally stopped by Dongwon Market myself and visited Gimssi Chicken, Mom's favorite spot in Myeongmok-dong lol. Usually she just buys one large dakgangjeong and I only eat the spicy kind, but today my sister was joining us too, so I decided to order one fried and one spicy — one for Mom lol

How to find Gimssi Chicken near Myeongmok Station

By subway, it's Myeongmok Station on Line 7! Head down Dongwon Market street from Exit 1, and it's about halfway through the market — duck into the alley between Hyeonbang 500 Soul Galbisal and the famous Sundaeguk-wang Jokbal place, and it's right there at the end of the alley on the right.

This used to be a rice cake shop, but now it's the hot dakgangjeong spot in Jungnang ^^ Turns out it's carrying on the recipe and philosophy of Pyeongjeong Dakgangjeong, a 15-year institution in Sagajeong Myeongmok Market, now reborn as the first Gimssi Chicken location near Myeongmok Station! Wouldn't be surprised if more branches pop up soon?!! haha

The storefront — you can watch the whole cooking process from the market street

Since it's right on the market street, you can see the whole dakgangjeong-making process happening~ And it's not just visual — the smell hits you too haha. That's why every time I pass by, I end up stopping like a bird that can't resist a mill lol.

I thought it was takeout-only, but there's seating inside

Since the cooking happens right by the entrance, I assumed it was takeout-only, but there's actually seating inside so you can eat there too! I didn't expect that from a place that usually specializes in takeout dakgangjeong >.< It would definitely taste even better fresh ^^

Gimssi Chicken's menu lineup

It's not just dakgangjeong — they also have fried chicken, yangnyeom (seasoned) whole chicken, vegetable whole chicken, and old-style whole chicken, plus wings, drumettes, and drumsticks sold separately by cut. They even have gizzards, which I love, haha.

Since it's easy to eat and you don't have to deal with bones, I used to prefer dakgangjeong over regular fried chicken, but so many places just taste like boneless yangnyeom chicken, which was disappointing. At Gimssi Chicken, though, it's genuinely crispy — dakgangjeong and fried chicken really are different here!!!

Fried (boneless) medium ₩8,000 + spicy special ₩13,000

So when you come to Gimssi Chicken, ordering the dakgangjeong is a no-brainer haha. Fried (boneless): medium ₩8,000 / spicy special ₩13,000. Today I ordered a non-spicy one too, for Mom!

I wanted good dakgangjeong, but so often the sauce soaks in and turns soggy and you start wondering — is this even dakgangjeong, or just boneless yangnyeom chicken? Makes you question the basics, right?!! When that happens, I definitely recommend Gimssi Chicken!!

Crispy no matter how much time passes~ This is what dakgangjeong should be ^^ So it's great for taking on outings too — stays crispy and delicious even after transporting it ^^

How spicy is the spicy flavor?

If you love spicy food especially, I'd recommend trying the different spice levels. The heat doesn't linger too long in your mouth, so it's easy to enjoy the spicy version without regretting it.

Staying crispy and delicious even hours later — now I get why Mom always picks up Gimssi Chicken dakgangjeong whenever she's grocery shopping at Dongwon Market, haha.

Gimssi Chicken — location and hours

• Address: 32 Sangbong-ro 11-gil, 1st floor, Jungnang-gu, Seoul (Myeongmok-dong 100-64, 1st floor)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00