Late-dinner chicken galbi in Cheonho's Jjukkumi Alley: Ondogye

When you think of chicken galbi, most people picture a hot plate, right? I always ate the hot-plate version too, but after visiting Ondogye, a Cheonho favorite, my thinking completely changed. Real, delicious chicken galbi is grilled over charcoal.

This place has held its spot in Cheonho's Jjukkumi Alley for a long time, so I'd been curious for a while. Visiting late in the evening, I was able to walk right in with no wait.

What would the chicken galbi place that survived in Jjukkumi Alley taste like...

A note from the owner that you can really feel the heart behind 🫢

What to order at Ondogye: three chicken galbi flavors, one serving each

Ondogye's menu has three types of chicken galbi plus grilled chicken thigh with salt. We ordered garlic salt chicken galbi, soy sauce chicken galbi, and spicy chicken galbi, one serving of each, plus rice balls. I originally wanted to try the grilled chicken thigh with salt, but it was already sold out, ugh... Being able to order one serving at a time was great for trying several flavors 💟

The drink menu here is varied too, with three kinds of makgeolli and even dongdongju... a combo that pairs so well with chicken galbi 🤍 I can hear the drinkers cheering from here

Inside Ondogye: interior and seating

Ondogye's interior has round tables, and even at max capacity it seems to fit about 4-5 people. It seems like a good spot for a date or a small gathering.

Staff grill the charcoal chicken galbi for you at Ondogye

Usually charcoal chicken galbi sticks and burns if left too long, but whether it was intentional on the owner's part or not, a staff member grilled the chicken galbi for us the whole way through. It was nice being able to eat comfortably from start to finish. They grilled the garlic salt and soy sauce chicken galbi first, and the spicy sauce chicken galbi last.

The subtle charcoal aroma soaked in, golden and crisp outside while truly juicy inside. The garlic salt version was savory with the juices still alive, and the soy sauce version wasn't salty but sweetish — a flavor anyone would like. This is definitely a place for a drink, but I couldn't drink since it was the night before a trip, ugh.

Free fried chicken gizzard and rice balls at Ondogye

Another strength of Ondogye — complimentary fried gizzard 😎 This place gives out fried gizzard as a free side, and it's genuinely excellent. Crispy outside, chewy inside — I kept picking at it the whole time the chicken galbi was grilling. One more drinking snack to add 😅

We also ordered rice balls, and whatever they put in them, they were way too delicious for rice balls 🤨

The real star: spicy chicken galbi with Ondogye's white sauce

Honestly, the garlic salt and soy sauce versions were plenty good on their own, but my top pick? The spicy sauce chicken galbi was overwhelmingly the best! There's a note on the table titled 'How to enjoy Ondogye,' saying to dip the spicy chicken galbi into the owner's homemade white sauce.

The pickled radish and wasabi combo was really good too

Ah, ugh 🥹 this combo is love 🤍 The spicy marinade paired with the savory, mild white sauce isn't harsh at all, and the umami really pops. I found myself thinking, "was chicken always this delicious?"

I really want to eat this again ..... 🥹

The owner's sense of detail, even adding lemon to the drink...

Is Ondogye worth a return visit?

I'm not usually a huge fan of chicken dishes, but looking at blog reviews, most of them were return-visit posts. Now I understand why. Ondogye is one of the few chicken galbi places I actually want to revisit. If you're looking for something new to try in Cheonho's Jjukkumi Alley, I confidently recommend Ondogye.

Hours, parking and how to visit Ondogye

• Name: Ondogye
• Address: 15 Cheonho-daero 158-gil, 1F, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 16:00 - 23:00
• Corkage allowed, no parking