Jonggak pub worth a 30-min wait: ₩41,800 duck set for two, Ari Gyegok

Address: 41 Ujeongguk-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (1st floor) / Hours: Mon–Thu and Sun 16:30–02:00, Fri–Sat 16:30–03:00 (last order 30 minutes before closing) / Other: Naver reservations, groups, restrooms, corkage (paid)

If you're looking for a good place for a drink in Jonggak, this is the Jonggak Station pub I can recommend with confidence: Ari Gyegok Jonggak (아리계곡 종각점)!

The food is legendary and the atmosphere is great too, so it's perfect for a Jonggak date, a Jonggak wedding-invitation get-together, or a Jonggak company dinner. I went this time and I'm 100% coming back.

Where is Ari Gyegok Jonggak, and how long is the wait?

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is about 2–3 minutes on foot from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station, on a hot street full of popular spots. I went around 7:30 pm on a Wednesday and there were still 3 teams waiting. I got in after about 30 minutes. You register for the wait on the Catchtable machine at the entrance, so keep that in mind.

Parking near Ari Gyegok Jonggak

The shop has no parking of its own, so you'll need a nearby lot. The closest one costs ₩4,000 per hour!

Ari Gyegok Jonggak's 1st- and 2nd-floor seating and atmosphere

1st floor

2nd floor

Ari Gyegok Jonggak runs on two floors and holds up to 64 people. The tables are big, so I think it works well for a group get-together near Jonggak Station. The wood-toned interior with a valley concept felt both traditional and hip, and the soft lighting made the mood top-notch.

Menu, drinks and corkage at Ari Gyegok Jonggak

The menu is really varied: baeksuk (whole chicken boiled in broth), hot pots, fried dishes and sides, so it works for a first round, and a second or third round too. There are set menus as well, which are good value if you come with several people. Besides soju and beer there are plenty of highballs and traditional liquors, so you can order to your taste. Corkage is allowed but paid; ask the shop for the fee.

Before the anju (drinking snacks) arrived, pickled radish came out first. It tastes like the sweet-and-sour radish that tops naengmyeon (cold noodles) and wakes up your appetite, perfect for a first sip of alcohol.

What comes in the ₩41,800 duck set for two?

The duck set for two at Ari Gyegok Jonggak comes with the mud duck pancake and the spicy hangover chicken hot pot (₩1,000 extra). How is this combo only ₩41,800..? The portions are generous for the price and you get the signature dishes in one go, so I'd recommend it most to first-time visitors.

Mud duck pancake (jinheul ori jeonbyeong)

As the signature dish of Ari Gyegok Jonggak, the mud duck pancake grabs your eye from the looks alone. A whole fried duck is brushed with a special mustard sauce, and you wrap it up with crispy dumpling wrappers, lettuce and cabbage. It's a really novel combination.

They cut it into bite-size pieces, and the moment they cut it the juices came gushing out. It made my mouth water.

The crispy wrapper gives it great texture, and eaten with the moist duck meat you get crunch and tenderness together. Wrap it up with lettuce and the shredded cabbage tossed in the special sauce, and it cuts the richness and adds a fresh crunch, so it tastes even better.

Adding lettuce and cabbage to the mud duck pancake

The wraps were so good that we ordered extra lettuce and extra cabbage, each sold specifically for the mud duck pancake. You'll regret it if you don't add them.

Spicy hangover chicken hot pot (eolkeun haejang dak jeongol)

The spicy hangover chicken hot pot is a total temptress.. The broth is sharp and deep, so it's the best drinking snack, and it felt like I was getting over my hangover in real time while drinking..

The boneless chicken thigh in the hot pot is so tender I was like, what is this?! T_T

The chicken tenderloin on top is dipped briefly in the broth like shabu-shabu and then eaten. It wasn't dry at all and had no gamey smell.

The broth is like yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), loaded with bracken, glass noodles and green onion, and it's spicy, rich and intensely savory. They refill the broth for free too!

It's been a really long time since I found a Jonggak pub with such great anju, and I was so satisfied.

Where are the restrooms at Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

The restrooms at Ari Gyegok Jonggak are split by floor: women's on the 1st floor and men's on the 2nd floor, so keep that in mind when you visit.

Atmosphere, food and service were all satisfying at this Jonggak Station pub, Ari Gyegok Jonggak! After trying it myself, I totally get why there's a wait. It's a 100% will-return spot, so do pay a visit!