Seocho chicken spot for clear dakhanmari with friends: Seocho Jeonggye

Now that it's getting chilly, I keep craving hot soup.. and then I suddenly wanted dakhanmari (a whole chicken simmered in broth at the table). But when you think dakhanmari, it's usually just Dongdaemun, right? On the day I was meeting friends, I went looking for a good place in Seocho and found Seocho Jeonggye (서초정계).

Where is Seocho Jeonggye? Hours and parking

Seocho Jeonggye is at 20 Beobwon-ro 1-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the first floor of Mido Building (lot address Seocho-dong 1709-10), and it's open daily 11:00–22:00. Break time is 15:00–17:00, and last order is at 21:00.

It's a 3-minute walk from Seocho Station..! It took 7–8 minutes on foot from Gyodae Station too. A perfect meeting spot if you're coming from Gangnam.

It's on the Beobwon-ro side, so I'd guess lots of office workers from nearby come here. 🚗 Parking is pretty cramped, with room for only 1–2 cars in front. If you're driving, I'd look up a nearby paid lot before you go.

⚠️ There's a break time from 3 to 5 pm, so if you're thinking of a late lunch, check the hours first! I heard there's a wait when you arrive late in the lunch rush, so it's best to go with time to spare.

Is Seocho Jeonggye good for a dinner with friends?

When we visited at dinner time, the tables filled up quickly. We were lucky to get there early and got seats toward the back!

The lighting is soft and the interior isn't over the top. I'd expected a noisy, boisterous vibe the way dakhanmari places usually are, but Seocho Jeonggye feels neat and tidy. I also liked that the kitchen is open, so you can see how the food is made.

For groups, they say they'll push tables together, and the waiting area has a roof, so it's fine even when it rains 👍 It should work fine for a lunch gathering or company dinner in Seocho-dong too.

Seocho Jeonggye menu and prices

The menu at Seocho Jeonggye runs from dakhanmari kalguksu to dakbokkeumtang (braised chicken stew) and potato pancakes. The main dakhanmari, medium (2–3 people), is ₩30,000, and the dakbokkeumtang, medium (2–3 people), is ₩32,000.

• 🍲 Mains: dakhanmari medium (2–3 people) ₩30,000, dakbokkeumtang medium (2–3 people) ₩32,000
• 🍗 Solo menu: solo boneless dakbokkeumtang (thigh meat) ₩13,000 → set ₩17,000, chicken kalguksu ₩11,000 → set ₩15,000
• 🥘 Sides: chicken tteokgalbi (grilled patty) ₩9,000, Jeonggye fritters ₩20,000, Jeonggye potato pancake ₩17,000, chicken gristle fried rice (for 2) ₩8,500, porridge add-on ₩4,000

On top of that, the drink selection is wide too. Isn't this just perfect drinking food...

Can you eat solo at Seocho Jeonggye?

I liked that Seocho Jeonggye has a separate solo menu. Dakhanmari usually takes two or more people, but here you can come alone and just have the chicken kalguksu or boneless dakbokkeumtang, so it seems fine for a solo lunch.

The side dishes were especially good too ㅜ I got a kimchi refill.

How does the medium dakhanmari (₩30,000) broth taste?

What we ordered at Seocho Jeonggye was the medium dakhanmari for ₩30,000. It arrives in a big pot with the chicken in whole.

Once it starts boiling, the broth turns milky, and the waiting is half the fun. The broth at Seocho Jeonggye was seriously good. When you think chicken broth, you tend to picture something milky and thick, but this is the opposite: clear and refreshing. No floating grease, nothing heavy or muddy settling at the bottom. Since it's not heavy, you just keep spooning it up.

How to make the mustard-vinegar dakhanmari dipping sauce

The dakhanmari sauce at Seocho Jeonggye is soy-sauce based, and you mix in mustard and vinegar to your own taste. Making the sauce is part of the fun with dakhanmari.

Lots of mustard gives you that nose-tingling kick, and more vinegar makes it tangier, so I'd suggest trying the basic version first and adjusting later. The clear broth isn't salty, so dipping the chicken in the sauce balances it just right.

The chicken comes out thoroughly cooked. Give it a light tug with your chopsticks and the meat slides right off the bone. Even the breast wasn't dry, and the leg meat was nicely chewy.

You know that feeling when you take a spoonful, it's hot, but it goes down your throat so refreshingly? On a cold day, this broth just loosens everything up inside.

When should you add kalguksu noodles to dakhanmari?

At Seocho Jeonggye, add the kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) portion after you've fished out the chicken and the broth has deepened. Dakhanmari isn't complete until you get to the kalguksu, right? This is the real finale.

When the noodles go in, the broth gets slightly thicker, and this combo of clear broth plus the starch from the noodles is insane. It's a totally different taste from noodles boiled in the broth from the start. The noodles go down soft but keep their chew. Because the broth isn't heavy, the noodles just keep going in even when you're full ㅠ.ㅠ My friends and I kept gasping in delight. I also recommend saving a few pieces of chicken to eat together with the noodles 👍

The best order for eating dakhanmari at Seocho Jeonggye

• 1️⃣ Make your sauce while it boils
• 2️⃣ Fish out the chicken and dip it in the sauce
• 3️⃣ Drop in the kalguksu noodles once the broth has deepened

Eating in this order makes one pot feel like a full course meal.

Who is Seocho Jeonggye's clear-broth dakhanmari right for?

Seocho Jeonggye's dakhanmari suits people who like a clean, refreshing broth far more than those who like it thick and rich. If you're after something hot as the weather turns cold, or you're stuck on where to eat Korean food near Seocho Station or for lunch in Seocho-dong, give Seocho Jeonggye a look!

• ✔️ Clear, refreshing broth that isn't heavy
• ✔️ Chicken cooked so tender the meat slides off the bone
• ✔️ Not complete until the kalguksu noodles
• ✔️ Separate solo menu, so eating alone works
• ✔️ Calm lighting and interior, good for a get-together
• ✔️ Close to Seocho Station

⚠️ There's a break time from 3 to 5 pm, so be sure to check the hours before you go! Next time I'm definitely getting the Jeonggye potato pancake.