Mapo, Seoul chicken feet bar, bone-in set on a cool night: Cheongnyeon

Why Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 in Yeonnam-dong on a cool evening

Now that the evening air has turned cool, I suddenly crave something spicy! So this time I went with a friend to Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 (청년닭발1987) in Yeonnam-dong, near Hongdae, for chicken feet.

It has been on TV shows like Wednesday Foodie Talk (episode 123) and Live Today (episode 243), so I'd had it saved for ages without going, and I finally made it!!

Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 Hongdae Branch: location and opening hours

Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 Hongdae Branch is at 218-1 Donggyo-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it takes under 10 minutes on foot from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. It's in the Yeonnam-dong alleys, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

• Sun–Thu 16:00–00:30
• Fri, Sat 16:00–01:30
• No parking, so I recommend public transport!

Terrace seats at Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987: what's the outdoor vibe like?

There are separate terrace seats in front of the restaurant, so you can eat outside with a street-side drinking vibe. In the evening, the outside seats fill up first.

A beer with chicken feet outside on a nice day? I just can't resist that~~

Indoor atmosphere and how to order at Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987

The inside is full of retro charm, and there are more seats than I expected. You order on the kiosk at each table, which was convenient.

Tissues and disposable gloves hang on the wall at each table, so you can grab them whenever you need.

Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 menu: okay for friends who don't eat chicken feet?

The chicken feet menu alone has a lot of variety, and there are other drinking snacks too, so I think it would be fine even with a friend who can't eat chicken feet.

• Cheongnyeon Dakbal Hansang (the set)
• Daechang soup chicken feet (with beef intestine)
• Chicken feet with fish cake soup
• Mala soup chicken feet
• Soup chicken feet, single portion (bone-in / boneless / tulip)
• Charcoal-grilled chicken feet (boneless)
• Other drinking snacks: premium Korean beef tartare, stir-fried pork with tofu and kimchi, old-style sweet and sour pork, kettle fish cake soup, corn cheese
• Add-ons: quail eggs, Vienna sausage, cheese rice cakes, flat glass noodles

Complimentary side dishes

The basic setting is the most standard one: bean sprout soup and pickled radish.

What's in the ₩45,000 Cheongnyeon Dakbal Hansang?

The Cheongnyeon Dakbal Hansang is the signature set here: for ₩45,000 you get soup chicken feet for 2, kalguksu, muksabal, tuna mayo rice balls and fried chicken skin. Everyone apparently orders it, so we got it too, with bone-in soup chicken feet for 2 at spice level 1.

This lineup for ₩45,000 is seriously great value~~

Bone-in soup chicken feet at spice level 1: how spicy is it?

Spice level 1 here is Shin Ramyun level, which I think is just right for people who can't handle spice. The broth isn't very spicy, but the chicken feet themselves have a decent kick.

You can choose bone-in, boneless or tulip feet, and we said chicken feet taste best gnawed off the bone, so we went bone-in!! You all know the fun of picking them up and sucking off each bit, right~ I also thought the bean sprout soup that came as a side would be good added to the chicken feet.

Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)

The set's kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) has a broth that's spicy yet refreshing, like a hangover cure. It's perfect for a bite here and there while eating chicken feet.

Fried chicken skin, my favorite part of the set

Personally, the fried chicken skin was my favorite part of the set!! It's crispy and salty on its own, and even dipped in the chicken feet broth the outside stays crispy, so I kept reaching for it.

Tuna mayo rice balls

The tuna mayo rice balls arrive piled with tuna and mayonnaise, and you mix them yourself and roll them into balls. Dipped in the spicy chicken feet broth, they're a seriously great combo.

There was quite a lot, so my arm got tired from mixing.

Muksabal (chilled acorn jelly soup)

After spicy chicken feet, one sip of the cool muksabal (acorn jelly in chilled broth) calms your whole mouth!! It's tangy and refreshing and gives you the strength to go back to the chicken feet.

Is the Cheongnyeon Dakbal Hansang enough for two?

The Hansang brings bone-in soup chicken feet plus four sides all at once, so there was more than enough food for two people to stuff themselves. You can adjust the spice level and pick the bone type, so I think friends with different chicken feet tastes can all be happy here.

Rice balls when it's spicy, fried chicken skin when you need crunch, muksabal to finish!

If you're looking for a spicy drinking snack in Hongdae's Yeonnam-dong, do try the Cheongnyeon Dakbal 1987 set. I think it would be even better on the terrace on a nice day!