Sokcho market chicken shop: TV-famous garlic dakgangjeong, Seomin

How long is the wait at Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip?

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip (서민갑부 시장닭집) is at store 4 on the first floor of Sokcho Jungang Market and is open daily 09:00–21:00. It has been on TV several times, so the line was crazy. It stretched all the way to the stairs, so I'd definitely plan for some waiting!!

Once you step into the market, the smell of squid sundae (squid stuffed with sticky rice and vegetables) honestly hits you right away. The signature items are nurungji (scorched rice) squid sundae and egg-batter squid sundae, crispy outside and juicy inside, and they looked really delicious.

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip menu and prices

At Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, the garlic and deodeok (bellflower root) dakgangjeong are ₩24,000, and the basic boneless dakgangjeong is ₩21,000. Here are the menu board prices.

• Boneless dakgangjeong / fried / half-and-half ₩21,000
• Giant shrimp fry ₩10,000
• Naked shrimp fry ₩10,000
• Red crab fry ₩10,000
• Fried squid ₩5,000–10,000
• Baby crab ₩10,000
• Boneless soy-honey dakgangjeong (sweet/chili) ₩21,000
• Garlic dakgangjeong ₩24,000
• Deodeok dakgangjeong ₩24,000
• Dakgangjeong + shrimp gangjeong half-and-half ₩21,000
• Shrimp gangjeong, large ₩21,000
• Shrimp gangjeong, small ₩11,000
• Half-size dakgangjeong ₩11,000

The dakgangjeong looked seriously generous and tasty.

Besides dakgangjeong, are there potato pancakes, squid sundae and tteokbokki?

At Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip I also saw gamjajeon (potato pancake), squid sundae, all kinds of jeon (pan-fried pancakes) and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). The potato pancake is fried to order, so the golden look was really appetizing, and I could imagine the strong potato aroma.

The squid sundae is also sold uncooked for takeaway, which is perfect for taking home or to your accommodation. Pack some at the end of your trip and you can enjoy the taste of Sokcho at home, so it's a good gift or snack too. They also have memil-jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe rolls), kimchi jeon and buckwheat cabbage jeon, which look great to share.

The fried items come in a lot of varieties too. Giant shrimp, naked shrimp, red crab, fried squid and more make choosing fun, and there are set menus, so it looked like good value.

The tteokbokki has a thick sauce, which was totally my taste. Made with rice cakes, so it should be nice and chewy, haha. The sauce is rich and it looked really good. Lots of people were taking tteokbokki to go, so it seems to be a popular item.

There's also a review event, and you can get perks like a free sikhye (sweet rice drink), so I recommend joining in when you visit.

They also have cup gangjeong, perfect for eating while you browse the market, and they sell tteokbokki and cheonhyehyang (Korean citrus) juice too. A snack paradise!

How does the garlic dakgangjeong at Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip taste?

What I ate this time was the garlic dakgangjeong (₩24,000) from Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, and it was so good. The chicken pieces are big and piled high with fried garlic.

Look at the size!!! Bigger than other dakgangjeong, I think.

The fried garlic is piled on without holding back, so the crunch is great, and the sweet-salty sauce goes so well with the chicken. The garlic flavor isn't strong but nutty, so you keep reaching for more.

The chicken is crispy outside and moist inside with great texture, and it goes well with the fried garlic. It cuts the greasiness.

I get why it's famous as the market chicken shop. Orders kept coming in and so many people came to pick up. If you go to Sokcho Jungang Market, definitely try the garlic dakgangjeong.

Is the garlic dakgangjeong good as a beer snack or takeout for your lodging?

The garlic dakgangjeong at Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip goes really well with beer, so it was perfect as an evening snack, and the portion is generous, great for sharing with family. The squid sundae and potato pancake are famous too and looked so tempting. Take them out together with the dakgangjeong and enjoy them at your accommodation, haha. Totally recommended.

Not tough and tasty, crispy outside, juicy inside!! I love dakgangjeong with a crispy coating and this was exactly that style. Totally my taste.

Crispy outside, moist inside, great texture, and the sauce is subtly spicy, so it's addictive, I couldn't stop (T_T). The chicken is big and tender with no gamey smell at all, which made it even better. I was really satisfied. For dakgangjeong at Jungang Market, I recommend the market chicken shop!