Jayang-dong chicken shop with tteok fritters and chibap: Mr. Kim's

Why the writer chose Mr. Kim's Chicken for dakgangjeong at Jayang Market

As a genuine local who's lived right by Jayang Market, I like to think I've tried every dakgangjeong (Korean sweet-spicy fried chicken bites) shop in the neighborhood. These days, ordering one chicken through a delivery app easily hits ₩30,000 once you add delivery fees — a brutal price that makes you think twice before ordering a late-night snack. I miss the days of eating chicken once a day, and I've gone hungry more than once hunting for discounts or coupons instead.

That said, as the neighborhood's resident glutton, I absolutely refuse to waste my hard-earned money on skimpy, soggy dakgangjeong. Just when I was desperate for the real deal — crispy batter, plump meat, clean oil — I heard that Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch, famous as one of Seoul's three great family-run dakgangjeong shops with 15 years of history, had landed nearby, so I rushed over immediately.

Where Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch is and when it opens

Name: Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch Location: 44 Ttukseom-ro 49-gil, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea (between gates 4 and 5 of Jayang Traditional Market) Hours: Daily 11:00 - 22:00 Notes: 15-year-old family-run dakgangjeong shop, one of Seoul's top three, clean oil, immediate second frying, unrivaled crunch that lasts even when cold

It's also a very easy 7-8 minute walk from Guui Station, so access is excellent. It's open generously every day from 11:00 in the morning until 22:00 at night, making it perfect for grabbing takeout while running market errands during the day or picking up a chicken-and-beer snack on the way home from work.

The first thing I checked when I walked in was the state of the oil, and the frying oil visible past the open kitchen was so clear and clean that it earned an immediate first-impression pass.

What's on the menu at Mr. Kim's Chicken

Here's the full menu board hanging in the shop, laid out for easy viewing.

Taking home extra-size seasoned dakgangjeong and fried gizzards

That day I neatly packed up a sweet-and-spicy medium-heat dakgangjeong in extra size along with the absolute king of beer snacks, crispy fried chicken gizzards, and rushed home. The savory smell filled the air the whole way, making my mouth water, and when I opened the box, my jaw dropped at the mountain of food piled inside. Speaking honestly as a local who's eaten more dakgangjeong around Jayang Market than I can count, the level of crunch here is on a completely different plane. It's fried a second time right after ordering, so the crispy crunchy surface shatters beautifully, and because the oil is so clean, there's zero greasiness or off odor.

How the fried chicken gizzards taste

The first thing I grabbed, the fried gizzards, were an absolute texture powerhouse. A thin, crispy batter coats the outside while the inside keeps that signature slightly chewy, springy bite perfectly intact. There wasn't a trace of the fishy or gamey smell gizzards can have, so I couldn't stop reaching for more.

The base seasoning is nicely salty, so dipping it lightly into the seasoned salt they provide sends savory juices and crunch exploding together, and the beer just keeps flowing. The gizzards were big and generously portioned too, nothing like the overpriced skimpy snacks you get at a regular pub, which made every bite satisfying.

How spicy is the medium spicy sauce?

Next up was the glossy medium-spicy soy-garlic dakgangjeong, coated in a special sauce about as spicy-sweet as Shin Ramyun — even someone who can't handle spice can happily nibble through it with a satisfying kick. It's not the kind of capsaicin seasoning that just slaps your tongue; it's a deep sauce that clings to your mouth in a way that never gets old, so you keep reaching for more.

Tteok fritters, chibap, and crunch that lasts to the next day

There's a fun element of picking out chewy tteok (rice cake) fritters mixed in among the tender meat, and it's also a perfect match spooned over freshly cooked white rice as chibap (chicken-topped rice). Most importantly, the sign outside claiming it's delicious even cold was no exaggeration. Even after sitting a while post-takeout, the crunch held up completely — eating it cold the next day still made me let out an involuntary gasp of delight.

Who should order from Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch

With overwhelming crunch fried in clean oil, generous portions, and fried gizzards to round it out, this was a genuinely excellent dakgangjeong spot in Jayang Market.

If you're looking for a light beer snack to grab on the way home from work, a late-night treat for the whole family on the weekend, or something to pack for a picnic at Ttukseom Hangang Park, I strongly recommend heading straight to Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch.