Gapyeong dakgalbi restaurant with cheese sari and mak-guksu: Jayeon

After going glamping with a friend in Gapyeong, we stopped by Nami Island on the way home.

Since we'd come all the way to Gapyeong, we figured we should have some dakgalbi (stir-fried chicken) before heading back — which is how we ended up at Jayeon Dakgalbi.

Where is Jayeon Dakgalbi, and is parking easy?

Jayeon Dakgalbi is located at 1007-10 Bukhangang-byeonno, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, and there's a large parking lot in front of the restaurant, so it was easy to get to by car. Hours are 09:00–20:00, with last order at 19:05.

• Name: Jayeon Dakgalbi
• Location: 1007-10 Bukhangang-byeonno, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, 1st-2nd floor
• Hours: 09:00 - 20:00
• Last order: 19:05
• Parking: Large lot in front of the restaurant

It's a convenient spot for a meal while traveling around Gapyeong or after stopping by Nami Island.

What Jayeon Dakgalbi looks like inside and out

From outside, the big sign reading 'Jayeon Dakgalbi Mak-guksu' on the building catches your eye right away.

Even from the photos, the place looks fairly large, and the surrounding scenery is relaxed enough to really feel like a Gapyeong getaway. From the window seats you could see mountains and nature outside, which made for a nice view while eating.

Inside, it was much bigger than I expected, with a lot of tables. When we arrived, several tables were taken up by group visitors. The tables were spaced comfortably apart too, so it seemed like a good place for a family visit or a group meal.

There's a self-serve corner on one side where you can grab extra side dishes if you need them.

What we ordered at Jayeon Dakgalbi and what it cost

We ordered hot-plate dakgalbi for two (₩16,000 per person), one bowl of mak-guksu (₩10,000), and one order of cheese sari (₩5,000).

The basic side dishes were lettuce, bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled onion, garlic, and peppers. And thankfully, the owner even threw in a bottle of Sprite as a free extra, which was a nice way to start the meal.

Hot-plate dakgalbi loaded with chicken

The hot-plate dakgalbi at Jayeon Dakgalbi comes out on a large hot plate, and even at first glance the portion looked generous. Cabbage, rice cakes, sweet potato, and perilla leaves came piled together with plenty of seasoned chicken on top.

With dakgalbi, you often end up mostly eating vegetables and having to hunt for the chicken. But at Jayeon Dakgalbi, the chicken kept coming out the whole time we were eating, so the portion was really generous. Both my friend and I liked that about it, and it made the meal feel more filling.

As the staff member stir-fried it on the hot plate for us, it turned red as the seasoning soaked in, and a delicious smell started rising up. The chicken was well seasoned — spicy but savory — and eating it together with the rice cake and cabbage made for an even better texture.

Is the 5,000 won cheese sari worth adding?

Once things were cooked through a bit, they added the cheese sari (added cheese) too. Seeing a generous amount of cheese piled in the middle of the red dakgalbi already looked amazing.

As the cheese melted, it softened the spicy dakgalbi seasoning nicely, and the combination worked really well. It was tasty topping the chicken with cheese, and even better eaten together with the chewy rice cake.

Cold mak-guksu to cool down the meal

We also ordered a bowl of mak-guksu (cold buckwheat noodles) to eat alongside the dakgalbi. The broth had a light layer of ice, topped with vegetables, seaweed flakes, sauce, and a boiled egg — it looked refreshing just by itself.

Taking a bite of mak-guksu in between the spicy dakgalbi felt like it cleaned the palate right up, and the pairing worked well. The cool, tangy-sweet flavor paired nicely with the rich dakgalbi seasoning in between bites.

Is Jayeon Dakgalbi a good meal after Nami Island?

We ended up here almost by accident after glamping in Gapyeong and touring Nami Island, but it turned out more satisfying than expected.

Above all, parking was easy and the spacious dining room seemed like it would work well even for a group.

The hot-plate dakgalbi had plenty of chicken as well as vegetables, so it was satisfying the whole way through. Adding the cheese sari brought in a savory, smooth flavor that matched well. With the cool mak-guksu on the side, the two of us really finished the meal completely full.

If you're planning a trip to Nami Island and looking for a filling meal, hot-plate dakgalbi with mak-guksu on the side is worth trying.