Seomyeon chicken restaurant, alcohol-free stew set and chips: Yetnal

I finally made it back to Seomyeon in a while! Haha. Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch (옛날통닭앤탕 서면점) has a total old-school vibe, and it was even tastier than I expected, plus the owner was so kind that I left in a great mood.

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch hours and parking

The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 17:30 until 5:30 in the morning, and closed every Monday. That's seriously long, right? Being open until dawn makes it perfect for a second round in Seomyeon. There's no parking lot, so keep that in mind.

This is what the exterior looks like, so it's easy to find.

The tang set: what's in it and the price

We ordered the Tang set (앤탕)! It comes with one whole dakdoritang (braised chicken stew) plus half a tongdak (whole fried chicken), and it was ₩32,000. And I ordered one Zero Cola, haha.

The atmosphere when we arrived at opening time

We got there right at opening, and it was totally pleasant and clean. But it's a popular spot, so the seats filled up soon enough, haha.

They let you stick Post-its or write little notes all over the walls, which made it a really charming chicken place.

They even leave markers next to the tissues so you can write on the walls. It felt like a retro thing and was so fun, hehe.

Free potato chips come with the side dishes

They brought out the side dishes first: simple pickled radish, a Kewpie-mayo salad, and potato chips!!

It was my first time at a chicken place that serves potato chips, and I love them, so I was super happy, hehe. They were a perfect appetizer! And I got a refill later too. Nice >.<

Dakdoritang and half a fried chicken with Zero Cola instead of alcohol

Ta-da! The dakdoritang came out about 10 minutes after we ordered, I think. It was really fast. We just had to simmer it down a little more.

Right after, the half fried chicken arrived too. It was crispy outside and juicy inside, and they gave us salt and chili sauce for dipping. We don't really drink alcohol, so we had it with a soda, and it cut the greasiness so well. Really good.

Fried chicken that tastes like clean oil

Yetnal Tongdak, the Seomyeon chicken hotspot!! This fried chicken was the real highlight. Just looking at it, it seemed freshly fried in fresh oil, and when I ate it, it really tasted like clean oil, you know what I mean!! Now I get why everyone goes to Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch for chicken in Seomyeon, haha. My sister said it's the kind of food you keep reaching for and that this place is a winner, haha.

Refreshing dakdoritang broth, with rice cakes and quail eggs

You scoop the dakdoritang onto your plate like this, and the broth is really refreshing, the kind you keep going back for. It has rice cakes and quail eggs inside too, so picking out your favorites was fun.

Soaked through with the sauce, it was so, so good, haha. I put pickled radish on top for one bite, and it's been a while since I had a proper dakdoritang. Hehe.

There were loads of green onions and quail eggs in it like this, so I happily alternated between the stew and the fried chicken. The mood is great for chatting too, so Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch works well as a Seomyeon pub as well.

Dip the fried chicken in chili sauce or salt

Personally, I loved the fried chicken dipped in chili sauce. Even with no sauce at all, the seasoning is just right. Dipping it in salt was a nice treat too.

I tried a chicken wing too, and there's a reason this place is so busy. The batter has exactly that skin flavor you imagine when you think of old-school fried chicken. It was full of savory depth, so I kept eating.

Who should go to Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch?

I got to feel that Seomyeon vibe again and enjoy its lively buzz at Yetnal Tongdak & Tang! Haha. If you're hunting for a good restaurant in Seomyeon, can't decide on a second-round pub, or just want a casual chicken-and-beer night or some dakdoritang, I recommend Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch!! Hehe.