Late-night Jongno bar open to 2am: ginseng chicken hot pot, Ari Gyegok

Hi, I'm a resident of Deogyang-gu :)

This time my partner and I were on a date in Jonggak and stopped by a Korean pub with a genuinely unique vibe — Ari Gyegok Jonggak. It's close to Jonggak Station too, so it's an easy pick if you're looking for a bar or restaurant near Jonggak Station.

Ari Gyegok Jonggak hours, reservations and parking

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is open Mon–Thu 16:30–02:00 (last order 01:30), Fri–Sat 16:30–03:00 (last order 02:30), and Sunday 16:30–02:00 (last order 01:30). Reservations are available, corkage is allowed, and there's no parking.

Since it's open so late, it's great for a solid first meal or for dropping in for a second or third round of drinks :)

Ari Gyegok stood out from a distance! The sign alone didn't feel like your average bar, so I was curious what was inside even before walking in. It's a quick walk from Jonggak Station, so it also seemed like an easy meeting spot for a group in Jonggak.

What is the waterfall-and-valley interior at Ari Gyegok Jonggak like?

The atmosphere at Ari Gyegok Jonggak changes completely right from the entrance. It has a traditional feel while the lighting and props give it a hip touch too — it really nails that trendy modern-Korean-pub feeling. It seemed like a great pick for dates, friend gatherings, or even a wedding-invitation party in Jonggak.

I didn't expect to find this kind of atmosphere in the middle of Jongno haha. Overall it felt cozy yet stylish — more of a Jongno bar for lingering over drinks and conversation than just a quick meal spot.

The complimentary pickled radish came out first. It was perfect to nibble on while waiting for the main dishes. Ari Gyegok has everything from soju and beer to traditional liquors, so it seemed easy to pair drinks to your taste.

When the nurungji (crispy rice) monkfish liver hoe (raw fish) and the original chicken hot pot both landed on the table together, the visual was insane haha. The hoe covered the whole plate while the chicken hot pot bubbled away right next to it... honestly, how could you not order a drink with this in front of you?

Original chicken hot pot: chicken tenderloin and ginseng on a crescent-moon plate

Next up, Ari Gyegok Jonggak's original chicken hot pot! When you think of Ari Gyegok, you can't skip the baeksuk (whole chicken soup) or chicken dishes — this place is actually known for its patented crescent-moon baeksuk, so a lot of people come specifically looking for baeksuk near Jonggak.

Baeksuk usually brings to mind a whole chicken and a fairly heavy dish, right? What sets Ari Gyegok apart is that they use boneless meat and a deep broth to make it work as a drinking snack or a date-night dish.

The chicken pieces were generously sized. As it started bubbling, the broth's aroma hit hard — even though I'd been eating the hoe, my hand went straight for this haha. Loaded with jujube and other medicinal herbs too! Total health-boosting Korean tonic vibes.

On top of the crescent-moon plate sits the chicken tenderloin — and on top of that, ginseng?! The tenderloin gets cooked right in the baeksuk too.

Inside, there were plenty of vegetables along with the chicken, and the broth got tastier the longer it simmered. Having a hot broth like this while drinking at a Korean pub is such a solid feeling. It seemed great for a first-round meal-plus-drinks, or as a second- or third-round hot pot to go with drinks.

I fished out a piece of chicken — the meat was cooked soft and tender. It's mostly boneless, so eating chicken or baeksuk on a date didn't feel as heavy or awkward as I'd expected.

Try dipping it in the sauce too~ It's mild on its own, but the sauce adds more seasoning for a different feel. A bite of hot chicken followed by a sip of a drink is such a perfect combo haha.

Nurungji monkfish liver hoe: raw beef with monkfish liver and crispy rice

The dish we ordered first was the nurungji monkfish liver hoe! The name alone was unusual enough to make me curious, and it turned out to be even more elaborate-looking than expected. It's not just plain hoe (raw fish) — it comes with monkfish liver and nurungji (crispy scorched rice) too, so the moment I saw it I knew it was a drinking dish haha.

I tried it together with the nurungji too. It's not all soft and chewy — every so often there's a crunchy bite mixed in, and the combination worked better than I expected. You get to mix and match flavors and textures on a single plate without ordering a bunch of dishes!

Eating the rich, savory monkfish liver together with the hoe made the flavor so much deeper and softer. Add the crunchy nurungji on top of that for extra texture, and I kept reaching back for more. If you like monkfish liver, you'll probably love this one.

The taste is completely different from eating hoe on its own versus topping it with monkfish liver. The chewy texture of the raw fish plus the rich, silky flavor of the monkfish liver... it's the kind of taste that makes you want a drink haha.

The color of the hoe is so pretty too, right? A generous layer of hoe on one side, with monkfish liver and nurungji piled in the middle — you can eat each part on its own or mix them together. Definitely a different feel from ordinary raw fish.

Ari Gyegok's menu overall leans toward dishes with a twist rather than typical bar snacks. Starting with the unusual name, the nurungji monkfish liver hoe was also plated beautifully, which made it a great order for a date :)

Chicken hot pot and hoe for two: which occasions suit Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

That day we went with the nurungji monkfish liver hoe plus the original chicken hot pot, and starting with the cold, rich hoe before moving on to the hot chicken broth made for a really good pairing! More than anything, the space designed around a waterfall-and-valley concept — unlike a typical Korean pub — is what stuck with me.

It's close to Jonggak Station, so it's worth checking out whether you're looking for a bar or restaurant near Jonggak Station, planning a date, meeting friends in Jonggak, or need a spot for a bigger wedding-invitation gathering in Jonggak :) If you're after a different kind of Jongno bar with hearty snacks like baeksuk or hot pot, give Ari Gyegok Jonggak a try~