Rooftop pocha in Gasan, Seoul for fried chicken and beer: Beotkkot 38

Today I went to Beotkkot 38 Open-Air Pocha (벚꽃38 야장포차), famous as a go-to open-air spot in Gasan Digital Complex! Anyone who works in the Gasan area has probably heard of it at least once. I went before open-air season was over, and what do you know, the food here is amazing!? Seriously, the chicken is crazy good!!!! I'd already eaten somewhere else for round one and came here for round two, and the chicken was so, so good that I was practically crying while eating. Let's get right into my review of Beotkkot 38, the Gasan Digital Complex pocha famous for its open-air meat dinners~!

Beotkkot 38 hours and location

Beotkkot 38 is open from 16:00 to 24:00 and closed every Sunday. It opens at a perfect time for dropping by right after work.

You can get to Beotkkot 38 in 5 minutes on foot from Gasan Digital Complex Station, Exit 2! The building has a 1st and 2nd floor, and the 2nd floor is the rooftop, which is where the real open-air pocha charm is! It seems to be a spot office workers often visit after work when they want that open-air feel!

What are the 1st floor and 2nd-floor rooftop like at Beotkkot 38?

Just like its name (beotkkot means cherry blossom), Beotkkot 38 has a cherry blossom theme and pink lighting that give it a spring mood. The moment you walk in, you see the cherry blossom decor that matches the name! Even the lighting is softly pink, so the spring vibe is totally nailed.

The 1st floor feels like a classic pocha (Korean-style tent bar), and when you go up to the 2nd floor, it's outdoors but the lights are arranged so well that it feels like a campsite!! Personally, I liked that the lighting is warm and romantic rather than harsh.

Meat is the main thing here, so every table has a grill, and I bet grilling naengsam (unseasoned, thinly sliced chilled pork belly) here would be an incredible vibe.

There's a self bar too, so the campsite mood is in full swing!

You know restrooms matter too, right?? The restroom is clean.

Beotkkot 38 menu and how to order

You order with the QR code on the table, so you can order right away without calling a staff member, which was convenient! As a pocha, the menu is very varied: not just meat but also soups, fried dishes, okonomiyaki and more. We ordered the fried chicken and french fries!!

How does the fried chicken at Beotkkot 38 taste?

The fried chicken at Beotkkot 38 isn't frozen karaage-style stuff; it's proper fried chicken. Can you see how good it looks?? It's just plain delicious fried chicken. It comes with pickled radish cubes and two dipping sauces, so it looks as good as a chicken specialty shop.

The chicken had a crispy coating and you could taste the well-brined meat. It wasn't greasy, and it was crispy and really good even without dipping it in salt!!

It's freshly fried, so it's crispy outside and juicy inside, and the coating isn't thick, which makes it even better! You could really taste the chicken itself, and the crunch stayed alive with every bite, so it was an amazing match with beer!!

If you dip it in the sauce now and then, you never get tired of it, but honestly it's just good even without dipping, haha.

How are the french fries at Beotkkot 38 as a beer snack?

The french fries here are kind of McDonald's style: crispy outside and fluffy inside. They're nicely salty, so they work well as a beer snack and I kept reaching for more.

Alternating between the chicken and the fries meant I never got tired of either and enjoyed it to the very end.

Do I recommend Beotkkot 38 as an open-air pocha in Gasan Digital Complex?

If you want to really feel that open-air atmosphere around Gasan Digital Complex Station, I highly recommend Beotkkot 38. Sitting in the cool breeze with chicken and a beer made all my tiredness melt away. Above all, the snacks were all delicious and the owner was kind, so I'll be going back!