Gangdong charcoal chicken restaurant, three flavors: Ondogye

I was craving chicken galbi, so while looking around near Cheonho Station, I visited Ondogye in Cheonho Rodeo. I tried the garlic salt, soy sauce, and spicy chicken galbi one by one, and the staff grilled them themselves, so I could eat comfortably. Let me introduce the three chicken galbi flavors and the side dishes I had with them.

Finding Ondogye from Cheonho Station

Ondogye is 247 m from Exit 6 of Cheonho Station, so it is not difficult to reach on foot from the station. Walk a little into the alley by KB Kookmin Bank, and it is on the left.

That day, one flavor did not seem like enough, so I ordered all of the garlic salt, soy sauce, and spicy chicken galbi. The chicken galbi came par-grilled from the kitchen, then the staff kept grilling it on the table grill, so I could relax and eat without worrying about doing the grilling myself.

Parking is difficult, so you will need to use a nearby public parking lot. That day, I ordered garlic salt chicken galbi, soy sauce chicken galbi, spicy chicken galbi, fried chicken gizzards, rice balls, and a yuzu highball.

Menu guide

At Ondogye, you can choose charcoal-grilled chicken galbi in garlic salt, soy sauce, or spicy seasoning. I ordered all three flavors and added rice balls and fried chicken gizzards as well. I also had a yuzu highball, and on the day I visited, they even served strawberry soft cream after the meal.

Charcoal-grilled chicken galbi cooked by the staff

The chicken galbi arrived at the table already par-grilled once in the kitchen.

Once it went onto the grill, a staff member checked on it and turned it regularly.

They set the fully cooked meat aside so it was ready to eat right away, which meant I could talk with my companions instead of focusing on grilling.

Charcoal-grilled chicken galbi needs to be watched constantly so it does not burn, so it was definitely convenient that the staff took care of it until the end. I also liked being able to eat it right when it was nicely cooked. The shredded scallions and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) served alongside it suited my taste too.

I tried the chicken galbi with wasabi, and dipped little bits into spicy seasoning sauce, mayonnaise sauce, and honey too.

The flavor changed depending on the sauce, so I could enjoy it in more ways than eating it just one way.

The order I ate the garlic salt, soy sauce, and spicy flavors

I started with the garlic salt and soy sauce chicken galbi. After eating a fair amount of those two, I moved on to the spicy flavor last; eating garlic salt and soy sauce first made the differences among all three flavors stand out more clearly.

Starting with the milder flavors and moving to stronger seasoning meant I could eat until the end without getting tired of it. The staff kept an eye on the grill for all three kinds and set the well-cooked chicken galbi to the side so I could eat it right away.

Ordering all three seasonings at once showed how different each one tasted, and it was fun being able to choose among them rather than having only one.

How to enjoy chicken galbi at Ondogye

Fried chicken gizzards, rice balls, and a yuzu highball

The dish that stayed with me the most was the fried chicken gizzards.

At first, they let me taste a small amount as a service item, but it suited my taste so well that I ended up ordering a whole plate separately.

The outside was fried crisp, making them great to pick up one at a time between bites of chicken galbi. I liked the service sample enough to order it again, so it was especially memorable among the side dishes that day. I ordered rice balls too.

They had plenty of gim (roasted seaweed), which gave them a nutty flavor, and eating them with the chicken galbi made the meal much more filling.

The combination of having rice balls in the middle of the chicken galbi was a good match too. The yuzu highball was another item I liked that day.

It was refreshing to drink, with a noticeable yuzu aroma, and went nicely with the charcoal-grilled chicken galbi.

After the meal, strawberry soft cream came out too. After a filling meal of chicken galbi and rice balls, finishing with sweet ice cream was a lovely way to end it.

Trying all three flavors—garlic salt, soy sauce, and spicy—kept things interesting until the end because each tasted different, and I had a hearty meal with the side dishes too.

Ondogye charcoal-grilled chicken galbi Q&A

Do you have to grill the chicken galbi yourself?

When I visited, the staff kept turning the par-grilled chicken galbi on the table grill as it cooked. They even set out the fully cooked meat so it was easy to eat, so I did not need to grill it myself.

In what order should you eat the three flavors?

I ate the garlic salt and soy sauce flavors first, then had the spicy flavor last. Moving from mild to spicy suited my taste well.

Which side dishes did you have?

I had rice balls and fried chicken gizzards. I especially liked the fried chicken gizzards after tasting the service portion first, so I ordered a full plate.

One-line takeaway after my visit

This is a charcoal-grilled chicken galbi restaurant near Cheonho Rodeo that you can walk to from Cheonho Station. I had all three flavors—garlic salt, soy sauce, and spicy—and it was convenient because the staff grilled them themselves. With fried chicken gizzards, rice balls, a yuzu highball, and strawberry soft cream after the meal, it was a satisfyingly filling experience.

What I remember most was that the staff watched over and grilled the par-grilled chicken galbi themselves until the end. I could eat comfortably without grilling it myself, and not only the chicken galbi but also the fried chicken gizzards and rice balls suited my taste well.