Family dining in Siheung with acorn jelly: Jeongjeong-a Sikdang

Why it worked so well for a family meal of six in Jeongwang-dong

While looking for somewhere to have lunch as a family in Jeongwang-dong, we visited Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch this time. Jeongjeong-a Sikdang has lots of branches and is generally a reliable restaurant, so we went with confidence!

There were six of us in total—five adults and one middle schooler—and when you eat out with a group this size these days, you expect to spend at least ₩100,000, right? But we were really full and the price was more reasonable than expected, so I was especially happy with the value.

Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch was a nice option when we wanted Korean food as a family, since alongside dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken stew), it also has dishes such as cockles and acorn jelly. Parking was easy from the start, which made it great for a family meal with several people.

We came by car, and there was parking in the building itself as well as plenty of places to park nearby, so it was more convenient than expected. When several family members are getting around in Jeongwang-dong, you can end up bringing more than one car, and I liked not having to stress too much about parking. The restaurant 안내 says you can use both the basement and ground-level parking at the shopping building where it is located.

Once we went inside, the restaurant was quite spacious too.

There were lots of tables, so it looked suitable not only for family meals but also group gatherings or company dinners. We had no real inconvenience even as a group of six, and the staff were kind, so we could begin our meal comfortably from the start.

Large dakbokkeumtang for ₩34,000, with a choice of spice level

The biggest reason we chose Jeongjeong-a Sikdang for lunch in Jeongwang-dong was, of course, the dakbokkeumtang.

The menu offered small, medium, and large dakbokkeumtang, and even the large was ₩34,000. Considering eating-out prices these days, a large dakbokkeumtang for ₩34,000 felt pretty good right away.

With five adults and one middle schooler, we initially wondered whether one large would be enough, but with the other dishes we ordered, we ate plenty without feeling short on food. At ₩34,000 for a large dakbokkeumtang, it really felt like good value given current prices.

I especially liked that you can choose the spice level. When eating out with children, a spicy dish like dakbokkeumtang can make you hesitate, but being able to choose according to your tastes made it much easier for a family visit.

But the catch is that our middle schooler eats Yeopgi Tteokbokki and mala tang way too well, so they are actually the best at spicy food in our family, haha. We are not a household that needs to worry about ordering something mild because of the kid.

The restaurant also indicates that dakbokkeumtang is available in selectable spice levels, so it seemed like a good choice even when people who cannot handle spicy food and people who love it visit together.

Also, alcohol and drinks were not something you ordered from the staff to have brought over; it was a self-service system where you picked them up yourself. It was actually convenient because you could get what you needed when you wanted it, and that system worked well for a group meal too.

Chicken steeped in sauce and big chunks of potato

Once the dakbokkeumtang came out and we really dug in, it was delicious because the sauce did not just seem to coat the outside—it had soaked well into the chicken too.

There were big pieces of chicken, and the broth was the kind that goes well with rice, so I kept reaching for it. I especially liked the really large chunks of potato. If you love soft, well-cooked potatoes in dakbokkeumtang, I think you will like these too.

Mashing the well-seasoned potatoes and eating them with the broth was so good. With the chicken thoroughly flavored on the inside and those big potatoes, it was the kind of taste that kept making me want rice.

The acorn jelly I loved even more than the dakbokkeumtang

Honestly, we went there intending to eat only dakbokkeumtang from the beginning. But while looking at the menu, I saw a combination where you could have cockles and acorn jelly together.

I like both cockles and jelly, and with the two together, there was no way I could not order it. We ended up setting out a proper spread with dakbokkeumtang, cockles, and jelly, and I was really glad we added them.

Jeongjeong-a Sikdang is the kind of place where dakbokkeumtang comes to mind first, but personally, the jelly was my favorite that day. It felt like a completely unexpected menu item had hit my tastes perfectly. The combination of sauce and jelly was so delicious that I kept eating it.

I went for dakbokkeumtang and came out smitten with the jelly. Personally, the jelly was number one that day ㅠㅠ

Next time, I am going to order a large jelly dish all on its own. The cockles were also good alongside it, so the menu combination worked well. Having other dishes in between bites of hot, spicy dakbokkeumtang made it much better for sharing among a group too.

Besides dakbokkeumtang, Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch has a range of dishes including cockles, acorn jelly, seafood pajeon (scallion pancake), and grilled cod, so the more people you have, the better it seems for ordering several things to share.

Finishing with fried rice in the remaining sauce

And once you have eaten dakbokkeumtang, you cannot just skip the final fried rice, can you? We were already quite full, but somehow there was still room for fried rice.

Frying rice in the remaining sauce was so delicious too. Since the dakbokkeumtang sauce itself was tasty, it was only natural that the finishing fried rice would be good. Coming as a group, eating dakbokkeumtang and various sides, then ending with fried rice made it feel like we had truly had a full meal.

These days, when five adults and one child go to a restaurant and eat until full, it often easily goes well over ₩100,000. But with the large main dakbokkeumtang at ₩34,000, it definitely felt less burdensome.

It was not inexpensive because the portions were small, either—it was enough for six people with other dishes, which made me even more satisfied. So if you are looking for a good lunch spot in Jeongwang-dong and value matters too, I would like to recommend giving it a try.

The restaurant was spacious, parking was easy, and the menu was varied, so it would be nice with parents as well as for a family meal with children.

Above all, the staff were kind and the food was tasty overall, so I plan to visit again. Next time, I will of course order the dakbokkeumtang, but I am also planning to order a large jelly dish right from the start after properly falling for it this time.