Dine-in mild dakgangjeong ₩13,000 at a Jayang Market shop: Mr. Kim's

There's a dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken bites) spot I've been going to constantly lately. The batter is crispy but not too thick, and the chicken inside stays juicy — genuinely delicious.

What kind of place is Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch?

Today I'm introducing a place I really love: Mr. Kim's Chicken. The main branch is in Jungnang-gu, and they've since spread to various markets around Seoul. This time I visited the Jayang Market branch, which is also famous as one of the best dakgangjeong spots in Jayang Market.

Mr. Kim's Chicken in Jayang Market offers dine-in seating, not just takeout. Market restaurants are usually small and takeout-only, but this branch has a pretty spacious inner area, which makes things convenient in a lot of ways.

There's no dedicated parking lot, so I'd recommend finding a nearby public parking lot or coming by public transit.

How long is the wait at 4pm on a weekday?

I visited around 4pm on a weekday. Since it's such a well-known dakgangjeong spot in Jayang Market, there was a bit of a wait even at this in-between hour.

Even with the staff working hard in the kitchen, there were enough customers that a short wait was needed... haha.

I waited about 10 minutes after ordering. *As of 4pm on a weekday (see the photo above for the number of people waiting)*

Menu and prices at Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch

Let's take a look at the menu board. The signature dakgangjeong can be ordered seasoned or plain fried boneless, in three spice levels: mild, medium-spicy, or spicy. You can also order it half seasoned, half fried! Prices are ₩9,000 for medium, ₩13,000 for large, and ₩17,000 for X-large — the large size is enough for 2–3 adults.

Besides dakgangjeong, there's also old-style whole fried chicken, drumsticks, and wings. This is the full menu as posted on Naver. Please refer to the menu board above for the full lineup and prices!

Pickled radish and various sauces are ₩500, and drinks are ₩2,000–3,000, which seemed pretty reasonable.

Dakgangjeong mild flavor (large) ₩13,000 / Gizzard fry ₩8,000

There were menu items I'd never tried before, like yurinchi (crispy chicken with tangy sauce) and vegetable chicken, so I had a hard time deciding — but concluded the signature dish would still be the best. So I went with my usual order, dakgangjeong mild flavor, plus the gizzard fry I'd always wondered about but never ordered before.

How does the mild dakgangjeong (large, 13,000 won) taste?

A solid, no-frills dakgangjeong package. They even gave toothpicks so you can eat it on the go.

I'm pretty picky about dakgangjeong. I especially hate it when the batter isn't crispy or gets soggy, or when the chicken is dry. That's exactly why I keep coming back to Mr. Kim's Chicken — the batter! It's genuinely crispy, but not thick, so you can eat it without it feeling greasy.

I also love that the pieces are bite-sized.

Fried food without any spice in the sauce can end up feeling greasy, but even the mild sauce here wasn't greasy at all. Juicy meat + crispy batter + well-balanced sauce — all three elements work together perfectly. I've become a huge fan of Mr. Kim's Chicken and often treat friends to it when they visit, and everyone who eats it walks away satisfied.

Is the 8,000 won gizzard fry worth ordering?

Next up is the gizzard fry — the tempting menu item I always debate ordering whenever I come for dakgangjeong.

This was genuinely delicious, and especially great as a drinking snack.

It has that izakaya karaage vibe, so dipping it in sauce makes it even better. I dipped mine in chipotle sauce I had at home, and it felt a lot more elevated. It's also good with the basic salt they provide, and I think it'd pair well with mayonnaise sauce too.

As you can see, it's not just batter with no meat inside. The gizzards themselves are large, and they're fried a second time around the edges, so you can really enjoy them. If you have an air fryer at home, reheating leftovers the next day works great too — they get crispy again and taste amazing.

Final verdict on Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch

These days I'm all about eating something properly delicious rather than just eating for the sake of it. This is the place I finally settled on after trying dakgangjeong all over town, so I really want to recommend it. If you visit Mr. Kim's Chicken, don't forget to try the seasoned dakgangjeong, and if you get the chance, go for the gizzard fry too.