Seongnam chicken restaurant: oak-fired corn cheese at Jangjakkun

While looking for somewhere to have dinner in Yatap, I suddenly craved nurungji whole chicken again after such a long time, so I went to Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch. It was one of those days when I wanted a lighter whole chicken instead of fried chicken, and seeing chickens turning over oak logs from the front of the restaurant made this place impossible to walk past, haha. One thing to keep in mind: chicken starts coming out from 16:30! I visited around 5 p.m., so I was able to eat freshly roasted chicken right away, which was great.

Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch: essentials

It is tucked into the Yatap Station dining alley, not far from the station, and the large Jangjakkun sign makes it easy enough to find once you head into the alley. If you are driving, it is more convenient to park at Matgoueul Public Parking Lot and walk over rather than look for a spot in front of the restaurant.

An exterior where you can watch oak-wood-roasted chicken

When you arrive, the huge Jangjakkun sign is the first thing you see. On the right is a wood-roasting machine with whole chickens rotating round and round, and the moment I saw it, I thought, yep, this is a proper nurungji whole chicken place, haha.

There was also a big stack of actual oak logs beside it, while chickens were browning away inside. Since they are roasted over wood rather than fried, this is generally a lighter style of chicken.

A comfortable restaurant atmosphere for families, too

Inside, the atmosphere was nice and easy for a meal. The lighting was warm and the overall feel was relaxed, so it looked like a good place for drinks with friends or a Yatap team dinner. It also had a nice atmosphere for a family meal. There were actually lots of people dining with children, haha.

And something I personally loved was how genuinely kind both the owner and staff were! From taking our order to bringing side dishes and complimentary items, they were warm and attentive, so even though it was my first visit, I could enjoy the meal in a great mood.

Corn cheese nurungji whole chicken: menu and price

There was also quite a variety of drinking snacks on the side-menu list, including seasoned whelks, chicken feet, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), dried pollack, corn cheese, and rice balls. We ordered the corn cheese nurungji whole chicken. Considering the current price of a whole fried chicken, ₩26,000 for corn cheese nurungji whole chicken felt quite affordable. With the chicken, nurungji scorched rice, and corn cheese all served on one platter—not to mention the complimentary items—the value felt even better.

From complimentary chicken porridge to corn cheese chicken

You cannot have chicken without alcohol and cola, right? We also ordered Chamisul Original and Pepsi Zero Sugar. The Chamisul was ₩5,000.

The basic spread included pickled radish, cabbage, and yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), and any side dishes we ran out of could be refilled at the self-service bar. The cabbage was so delicious that I kept going back for more, haha.

The self-service bar had various sauces, cabbage, pickled radish, kimchi, and more. It looked very clean and well maintained, too.

Ahh!! While we were waiting, the owner brought us complimentary chicken porridge!

It even had ginseng in it. It was seriously, seriously delicious..

Corn cheese nurungji whole chicken ₩26,000

Isn't that an incredible amount of corn cheese?? The wood-roasted chicken itself was not greasy and had a clean taste, so the cheese on top felt like it was adding moisture instead. The chicken skin was browned and nutty, while the meat inside was tender and moist. The gentle sweetness of corn and the salty, savory cheese made it far more substantial than plain roasted whole chicken.

Look at all that cheese...! How is this only ₩26,000?

And of course, the nurungji scorched rice underneath is the point of nurungji whole chicken!!! At first, it was slightly moist and chewy from the heat of the stone plate, but as time passed, the bottom kept crisping up until it became wonderfully crunchy. Just scrape it up and eat it, haha.

The meat inside was very tender, too.

While we were eating, they even brought us complimentary fried eggs!! The owner and staff took such kind care of us that the whole experience, including the service, left a really good impression. Please note that complimentary items may vary depending on when you visit and restaurant conditions.

Chicken serving times and whether I would return

<Chicken serving times> Chicken comes out at 16:30 on weekdays and at 16:00 on weekends and public holidays.

Jangjakkun Yatap Direct Branch is somewhere I would happily visit again. Roasted over oak wood, it was lighter than fried chicken, with browned skin and soft meat inside, which I really liked. The corn cheese nurungji whole chicken we had this time was satisfying, too. More than anything, I will remember how good I felt throughout the meal because the owner and staff were all so kind. If you are looking for dinner or drinks in Yatap and craving something a little different from fried chicken, this is a nurungji whole chicken spot worth trying. Next time, I would love to try the original herbal nurungji whole chicken or the Cheongyang chili cream nurungji whole chicken with some sides!