Jeongwang-dong chicken stew for four with 3 drumsticks: Jeongjeong-a

I went to Jeongjeong-a Sikdang, a dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken stew) restaurant in Jeongwang-dong. I actually went for the chicken stew, but everything from the cockles to the seafood pancake was so good I kept thinking "wait, this is good too?" haha The main dish was great, but honestly none of the side dishes were skippable either. Let me introduce Jeongjeong-a in Jeongwang-dong, a place perfect for a hearty, generous spread :)

Where Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch is, its hours and signature dish

• 🍲 Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch
• 📍 Address: 20 Seochon Sangga 4-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (units 106, 107, 108)
• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30–22:00 / Closed Sundays (※ hours vary by listing, check before visiting)
• 🚗 Parking: Available, building's basement/ground lot
• 🍴 Signature menu: Dakbokkeumtang ₩24,000 / Cockles ₩18,000 / Seafood pancake ₩14,500 / Grilled kodari ₩19,000 / Acorn jelly ₩14,000
• ✔️ Takeout/delivery available
• ✔️ Reservations possible
• ✔️ Open for lunch and dinner
• ✔️ A Korean restaurant good for group meals and dinners

Check out the menu^^

Spice level 2 chicken stew: the broth color alone looks fiery

Jeongjeong-a's dakbokkeumtang lets you adjust the spice level, so I ordered level 2. Level 2 was appropriately spicy but the kind you keep reaching for — perfect for my taste. Even at the hottest level, I think it wouldn't just be spicy for spicy's sake, but a genuinely tasty heat haha

The moment the stew arrived, the broth color caught my eye first! A deep, bright red broth bubbling away — just looking at it got my appetite going. 🌶️ With a stew like this, you've got to try a spoonful of broth first haha

Cockles at 18,000 won, plump and meaty

Can you see the glossy sheen on these cockles??ㅎㅎ I mean haha — took a bite and the meat was plump with a great chew, and the sauce was sweet and salty enough that I kept going back for more. Best of all, the cockles themselves were substantial — each bite felt full. I came for the chicken stew but ended up falling for the cockles too haha

A thick Dongnae-style seafood and scallion pancake

I was surprised by the size of the seafood pancake as soon as it arrived haha It was big and thick — more like a hearty Dongnae-style pancake than a thin one. The outside was crisped up nicely while the inside was packed with seafood, so I could taste it in every bite. The soy dipping sauce that came with it was especially good — dipping the pancake in it was a perfect pairing.

Spicy chicken stew, sweet cockles, and crispy seafood pancake — the combination of these three dishes we ordered was really great. Alternating between them meant there was never a dull bite haha

Here's the full spread shot haha With the chicken stew, cockles, and seafood pancake all laid out, it looks so generous just visually, right? I'm looking at the photo again and my mouth is watering already... haha We ordered a good mix of spicy, sweet, and crispy dishes and the combination worked really well. I'd call that a very successful menu selection 👍

Is three dishes enough food for four adults?

The side dishes were just two: kimchi and mul kimchi (water kimchi). At first I thought "only two side dishes?" but after eating the main dishes I understood immediately haha From the chicken stew to the cockles to the seafood pancake, every dish was generous in portion and confident in flavor, so there was no room left to reach for other side dishes.

We visited as four adults and ordering three dishes turned out to be a lot of food. Even though we eat generously, we never once felt like it wasn't enough. It felt like a restaurant that kept the side dishes simple but poured everything into the main dishes.

The chicken stew comes already fully cooked, so it's fine to eat right away. But you know how dakbokkeumtang always tastes best once the broth has bubbled a bit more and the sauce has reduced down haha So I held back my drooling and waited a little longer, figuring the broth would get richer and the seasoning would soak deeper into the chicken. 😋

Can you see how packed with seafood the pancake is haha No matter where you cut into it, seafood comes along with it — that's how generously it was filled. And you can even feel the crispiness of the surface just from the photo! Look at that golden, crisped edge — you can tell how crunchy it is, right? Crispy outside, thick and hearty inside, loaded with seafood — even though it's a thick pancake, it never got soggy, which I loved.

Adding ramen noodles and the free broth refill

We added ramen noodles too, and here even that simple add-on wasn't just tossed in as-is. They steam the noodles first, so once you drop them into the stew you don't have to wait long — they start bubbling right away.

What I really liked was that just as the broth was starting to run low, a staff member came by first and asked, "Would you like more broth?" They kept an eye on us and refilled without us even having to ask, which made the meal so much more comfortable. With the deeply reduced dakbokkeumtang broth plus the ramen noodles, this was a combination I couldn't just leave unfinished haha

Three drumsticks in one medium chicken stew

We ordered the medium (中) size dakbokkeumtang. As we stirred through it, we found a whopping 3 drumsticks inside haha No need for an awkward standoff over a single drumstick — everyone could share happily. The overall amount of chicken was generous too, more than enough for four adults alongside the other dishes.

With the ramen noodles added, the stew looked even more appetizing. The noodles soaked up the red broth as it bubbled away, and just watching it made my mouth water haha The chewy noodles absorbed the rich stew broth perfectly, so adding ramen noodles wasn't optional — it was essential. 😋

The chicken meat was so tender it fell apart with barely any pressure haha You can see how just touching it lightly with chopsticks makes it moist and shreds along the grain, right? Cooked thoroughly, the seasoning soaked all the way to the center, so the chicken alone was perfectly seasoned. With such tender meat soaked in that rich broth, it immediately made me want a spoonful of rice.

What really surprised me was how tender even the chicken breast was! Usually chicken breast in dakbokkeumtang can be a bit dry or firm, but here it just fell apart with barely any pressure from the chopsticks. I think this might be the first time I've had chicken breast this soft in a chicken stew haha Cooked through so thoroughly, the seasoning soaked all the way in, leaving it moist and flavorful with no dryness at all.

Finishing the pot with fried rice

If you've enjoyed the chicken stew, the finish has to be fried rice haha They fry the rice in the deeply reduced stew sauce, and even though I was already full, I couldn't put my spoon down. After thoroughly finishing off the ramen noodles, scraping the fried rice clean too is really the only way to fully enjoy Jeongjeong-a haha The perfect ending to the chicken stew — you have to try the fried rice! 😋

Every drink 3,900 won, plus self-serve heotgae berry tea

They sell all alcoholic drinks at a flat ₩3,900, regardless of type. These days even a single bottle of alcohol at a restaurant can feel like a burden, so ₩3,900 is pretty reasonable haha

And I spotted a thoughtful touch in the fridge — chilled heotgae (Hovenia dulcis / raisin tree fruit) tea! They didn't just set out plain water — having heotgae tea chilled and ready shows real consideration for customers having a drink. "Water, alcohol, and drinks are self-serve!" so just help yourself to as much as you need :)

The verdict on Jeongjeong-a Sikdang

Not to mention the food, even the staff were kind, making the whole meal feel pleasant from start to finish. The chicken stew was cooked so thoroughly that even the chicken breast fell apart tenderly, and neither the cockles nor the seafood pancake fell short. The portions were generous and the service was great too, with staff proactively refilling the broth — a place I'd want to come back to next time I'm craving dakbokkeumtang! If you're looking for a hearty, delicious chicken stew in Jeongwang-dong, I highly recommend Jeongjeong-a Sikdang Jeongwang Branch :)