Korean bar in Gangnam, Seoul for chicken hot pot and soju: Arigyegok

Hello! It's Jangchaekim, resident big eater!!

Our drinking crew had properly demolished round one, and naturally the craving for a hot soup and shot after shot of soju hit hard!! So we headed to a place I'd had my eye on — Arigyegok Gangnam!!

Where is Arigyegok Gangnam, and what are its hours?

Arigyegok Gangnam is a Korean cooking bar on the ground floor at 28-14 Teheran-ro 1-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Hours are Mon–Thu 17:00 to 1:00 the next day and Fri–Sun 16:30 to 1:00 the next day, so there's plenty of time to swing by for round two after round one.

• Signature menu: mud duck jeonbyeong, chicken hot pot, and other Korean dishes
• Reservations & groups: Naver Reservation available (2–8 people), call ahead for 9 or more
• Highlights: fresh chicken and duck dishes, refreshing hot pot menu, and a spacious, comfortable dining room — great for Gangnam Station gatherings, company dinners, or dates

Arigyegok Gangnam from the outside: a tonic-food sign near Gangnam Station

The sign alone has so much presence haha. A traditional tonic bar, no less!! Isn't chicken or duck samgyetang eaten with your feet in a valley stream the ultimate summer tonic dish haha? But this is smack in the middle of Gangnam Station, calling itself a tonic 'valley'!!

You know you need to stay healthy if you want to keep drinking happily for years to come, right? With the weather starting to turn chilly, let's go get a hot chicken hot pot and a shot of yakju (herbal liquor) haha.

Even the menu gives off a kind of 'you're getting healthier just by reading this' feeling haha.

A dim valley-themed interior, full even on a weeknight

Walking in felt like stepping into a valley where mountain hermits live!!! The interior is decorated dim and dark — you know dim lighting makes the soju go down smoother, right? The blue-tinted valley and stone interior are very much a mood haha.

Even though it was a weeknight, the big dining room was packed full of people, and I thought, huh, I've clearly found a good spot haha. Perfect for Gangnam Station get-togethers with friends or company dinners, and just as good for a cozy, chatty Gangnam Station date over drinks!

Reading the Arigyegok menu, then ordering on your phone

Reading the menu closely!! This old soul loves a paper menu haha.

But ordering, of course, is still done on mobile haha. Adapt to civilization, human!

We went back and forth between the tonic set and the mud duck jeonbyeong set, but since Drinker No. 1 wanted duck, we picked the duck jeonbyeong!!! And for the hot pot, something refreshing!!! Original chicken hot pot, pick!!

Original chicken hot pot: the broth that calls for soju

First up, the original chicken hot pot arrives, simmered fully!! You know a bowl of this alone can take down a whole bottle of soju, right? Haha. The visuals alone are wild, and the second you taste the broth, you go 'wow, this broth is calling for soju!' out loud haha. It's not that artificial MSG flavor — it's a deep, richly steeped, clean, refreshing broth that clears your insides right out!!

Bright red, tender chicken meat comes on the side, and once the hot pot broth starts bubbling you quickly cook it shabu-shabu style and pop it in your mouth haha. The lean chicken meat is genuinely so tender it melts in your mouth! Definitely tonic-worthy.

Mud duck jeonbyeong: how to wrap it in dumpling skin

The mud duck jeonbyeong that came with the set — this thing is genuinely a gem, gosh. Drinker No. 1 wanted duck the second they saw it dangling there so gorgeously!! Anyway haha, a whole fried duck arrives, already coated in a special mustard sauce, and the appetite hits the moment you see it!!

It comes with crispy fried dumpling skins along with lettuce and cabbage salad, and that's the whole trick haha. You cut the duck meat into bite-sized pieces, then, taco-style, stack the duck and salad onto the dumpling skin and pop it in your mouth in one go — oh my gosh!!!! An unbeatable combo haha.

Paired with the hot broth from the chicken hot pot, the combination is just insane... one bite after another.

Finishing with aged-kimchi fried rice

Even full after the hot pot, you know it's a crime not to finish with fried rice, right? Haha (I'm reporting myself haha). We ordered the aged-kimchi fried rice to finish!! There's really nothing fancy in it, and yet this savory flavor is so different from the usual red kimchi fried rice — how, exactly, haha. Ending with fried rice really is the way to go!!

Is Arigyegok Gangnam worth it? Jangchaekim's verdict

From the taste to the atmosphere to the pairing of side dishes, Arigyegok Gangnam was flawless in every way! The rich, refreshing chicken hot pot broth, the savory mud duck jeonbyeong, and finishing with the aged-kimchi fried rice made for such a solid course — I was so satisfied! A tonic boost with yakju on the side!! Absolutely recommended for fellow drinkers haha. Let's keep enjoying good food and good drinks together, healthily, for a long time 👍👍👍👍