After-work chicken near Mullae Station: corn nurungji, Jangjakgun

Today I'm introducing a great spot near Mullae Station to hit after work. This time I visited Jangjakgun Mullae, a wood-fired whole chicken restaurant near Mullae Station. Apparently it's always packed after work hours, so we went in the evening too. Reservations are possible, so if you're planning an evening visit, I'd recommend booking ahead.

Where is Jangjakgun Mullae, and what are its hours?

• Location: 81 Seonyu-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 16:30–23:30
• Closed: 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month
• Parking: Available

Inside and outside Jangjakgun Mullae

It's close to Mullae Station so it's easy to get to, and a good place to stop by when you're craving chicken or whole roasted chicken after work. We visited in the evening and it was, sure enough, pretty busy with customers. Reserving ahead would make for a more comfortable meal.

The menu: whole chicken plus a long list of sides

Besides the signature wood-fired whole chicken, there was a good variety of side menu items too. Ordering just the whole chicken alone might feel a little sparse, but with other options available it was nice to order a few things together. A spot that works well whether you're here for round one or round two.

The standard side dishes that come out. The yeolmu kimchi (young radish greens kimchi) that came with it paired really well with the wood-fired whole chicken. The combination was genuinely great — it cut through the richness and kept your palate refreshed as you ate.

Herbal nurungji corn chicken, 23,000 won: corn piled over the whole bird

The han-bang nurungji corn chicken (₩23,000) comes piled with so much corn it's generous enough to cover the entire chicken. The portion for the price was really solid too. Their pa-dak (green onion chicken) is also good here, and you can enjoy the corn chicken together with shredded green onion for extra flavor.

You can see how much corn is stacked up here, right? The corn kernels were plump with a satisfying pop when you bit into them. Eating it alongside the wood-fired whole chicken, the lean chicken meat paired nicely with the sweetness of the corn. Since it's wood-fired rather than deep-fried, the overall dish felt fairly lean, which made it feel like something I could eat without too much guilt even while dieting.

And the chicken meat was really, really tender. The meat fell off easily with just a light touch, which made it easy to eat too.

Scraping up the chapssal nurungji under the chicken

There's also delicious chapssal (glutinous rice) sitting underneath the chicken. After eating a good amount of the chicken, I scraped up the crispy bits stuck to the bottom, and the nurungji (scorched rice crust) was chewy and nutty — also really good. Since you get to eat not just the chicken but the glutinous rice and nurungji underneath too, one whole chicken ends up more filling than you'd expect.

Why even chicken breast haters finish this bird

I really dislike chicken breast, but the breast meat here was genuinely tender. Chicken breast tends to dry out over time, so I'd recommend eating it first while it's still hot, right when it comes out.

The corn is so generous that eating the chicken and corn together is really delicious. The corn itself tastes great and there's plenty of it, so it was nice to pair it with every bite of chicken. I'm personally a fan of the corn-and-cheese combo too, so next time I'm getting the corn cheese nurungji chicken!

Rice ball, 4,000 won: loaded with flying fish roe

The rice ball (₩4,000) — this place is also a rice ball spot, honestly. It's packed generously with flying fish roe, plus pickled radish and mayonnaise, and it was delicious. The flying fish roe had a nice popping texture, and the pickled radish kept it from feeling too rich. It's a flavor kids would enjoy too, so families visiting together should order this one as well.

Terra Zero beer for nights you're driving

One more thing I liked — they sell Terra Zero beer. You crave a beer with chicken, but some people can't drink because they're driving. That's when ordering a Terra Zero comes in handy. For someone like me who loves the chicken-and-beer combo but can't actually drink, it was perfect.

Is Jangjakgun Mullae worth an after-work dinner?

This visit to Jangjakgun Mullae was satisfying across the board, from the whole chicken to the side menu. In particular, the han-bang nurungji corn chicken looked great from the moment it arrived with corn piled so generously on top, and considering the ₩23,000 price, the portion felt like good value. Above all — I usually really dislike chicken breast, but the breast meat here was so tender I actually enjoyed eating it!

If you're looking for a place to eat near Mullae Station after work, or craving wood-fired whole chicken in Mullae, I'd recommend Jangjakgun Mullae. Next time, once my diet is over, I'm planning to come back for the corn cheese nurungji chicken :)