Gapyeong restaurant with salt-grilled dakgalbi and mak guksu: Anbanji

Namiseom Anbanji Dakgalbi

Why we chose Anbanji Dakgalbi, a chicken restaurant near Nami Island

I dropped by Namiseom Anbanji Dakgalbi after a day at Nami Island, craving something hearty~ There are so many dakgalbi (grilled marinated chicken) places around Nami Island that I had a hard time choosing, but I wanted something a bit different from the usual seasoned dakgalbi, so I ordered the original salt-grilled version!

Pets are allowed here too, so it's a great spot for a family trip near Seoul haha

Inside Anbanji Dakgalbi: charcoal brazier tables and ventilation

Walking in, the interior was spacious with plenty of room between tables~ Every table had its own charcoal brazier for grilling the dakgalbi, and there was a ventilation system installed above that caught the smoke, which is usually the one downside of grilled-meat restaurants!!

Anbanji Dakgalbi menu and prices

Looking at the menu, besides charcoal-grilled dakgalbi there was a good variety — original salt-grilled ₩17,000, handmade seasoned grilled ₩17,000, cheese fondue ₩5,000, mak guksu ₩11,000, potato pancake ₩16,000, and more~ Rather than just dakgalbi alone, adding a side dish or two made for a proper full meal haha

Side dishes and the self-serve vegetable corner

We wanted to enjoy the pure flavor of the chicken, so we ordered two servings of the original salt-grilled dakgalbi~ The side dishes were mostly cool, refreshing ones — seasoned bean sprouts, pickled radish wraps, and dongchimi (watery radish kimchi)

Vegetables and side dishes could be taken unlimited from the self-serve corner~ You can also enter a prize draw event if you leave a review, so definitely give it a try haha

Grilling two servings of salt-grilled chicken over charcoal

Here comes our hefty portion of dakgalbi!! haha Unlike the heavily seasoned version, the salt-grilled chicken kept its natural color and texture visible, so it was easy to check the quality of the meat with your own eyes~

As the dakgalbi hit the charcoal one piece at a time, it started sizzling. The pinkish chicken slowly turned golden brown as it met the charcoal, and a savory smell spread around the table!

The chicken skin was still attached, so the sizzling was doubled haha The charcoal aroma was soaking into the meat as it grilled, and having it grilled for us directly made it even easier to enjoy!

How does Anbanji's salt-grilled chicken taste?

Picking up a well-grilled piece, the outside was browned and crisp while the inside stayed moist~ Being salt-grilled, what came through first wasn't a strong sauce flavor but the clean taste of the chicken itself along with the charcoal aroma!!

Cheese fondue for 5,000 won with the salt-grilled chicken

We also ordered cheese fondue to dip the dakgalbi in~ The melted cheese had a warm yellow color that looked savory just to look at!! Dipping in a well-grilled piece, the rich cheese and cream cheese flavor came through nicely, and it was such a great combination — I really recommend ordering the cheese fondue

Eating the salt-grilled dakgalbi plain from start to finish is nice, but adding cheese partway through lets you switch up the flavor, so I was glad we ordered it together! haha

Buckwheat bibim mak guksu with the grilled chicken

The buckwheat mak guksu (spicy mixed cold noodles) we ordered with the dakgalbi turned out to be a better match than expected!! A big bowl was piled generously with buckwheat noodles, vegetables, seaweed flakes, and sesame seeds, with the seasoning sauce sitting underneath the noodles~~ We loosened the noodles well with chopsticks, mixing the sauce and vegetables evenly!!

Once mixed, the spicy sauce coated the buckwheat noodles nicely. The nutty aroma unique to buckwheat, combined with the sweet-spicy sauce and crunchy vegetables, went perfectly with the dakgalbi~

Putting a piece of grilled dakgalbi on top of the mak guksu and eating them together was an amazing combination~ The warm, savory chicken against the cold, tangy-spicy noodles made everything taste so much fresher haha

Is Anbanji Dakgalbi worth a stop in Gapyeong?

If you're looking for dakgalbi near Nami Island, Namiseom Anbanji Dakgalbi is a great fit for anyone who enjoys grilling chicken themselves over charcoal!! It's a good spot near Seoul in Gapyeong for a hearty meal before or after a Nami Island trip, or for a day you want to grill charcoal dakgalbi with family or friends

If you prefer clean charcoal-grilled chicken over the usual seasoned dakgalbi, I'd especially recommend the original salt-grilled option~