Chuncheon dakgalbi restaurant lunch set with deodeok: Hwagye Dakgalbi

It had been a while since my partner and I went on a lunch date. We often head toward Sinbuk for dakgalbi, but this was our first time at Hwagye Dakgalbi! I’d heard it is also a place that Chuncheon locals seek out for dakgalbi, so I went in with high expectations. ☺️

Hwagye Dakgalbi parking and hours

The restaurant was huge. The area around it was so green that it would be nice to come for a drive too, and above all, the parking lot was really spacious, so there was absolutely no need to worry about parking!

• 721 Shinsaembat-ro, Sinbuk-eup, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon State, South Korea (강원 춘천시 신북읍 신샘밭로 721 화계닭갈비)
• Daily 10:30–21:30
• Last order 20:30

You can eat charcoal-grilled dakgalbi outdoors too! The restaurant is spacious, so it also looked great for a family meal or a group gathering.

The griddle dakgalbi area is on the left, while the charcoal-grilled dakgalbi area is on the right. The space in the photo is where you eat the griddle dakgalbi ⌯ᵔ⤙ᵔ⌯ಣ

The inside was spacious too, with generously spaced tables, so it was comfortable for a meal. They had the doors wide open, letting in a cool breeze and a view of the lush green scenery—it really had such a lovely atmosphere.

A set for two with salt-grilled and marinated dakgalbi

We ordered the set for two (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

• Salt dakgalbi
• Marinated dakgalbi
• Grilled deodeok (Korean mountain root)
• Makguksu (buckwheat noodles)
• ₩54,000 → ₩50,000 discount when ordering the set

I’m not sure whether they make the side dishes themselves, but every one was neatly prepared, and the selection went so well with the dakgalbi that I kept reaching for them. It was nice that we could easily get more side dishes from the self-service bar too.

While the charcoal was being prepared, they first brought over the salt dakgalbi, marinated dakgalbi, and grilled deodeok. Deodeok is delicious raw too, but you know it is even better lightly grilled, right? Haha

As we placed each piece over the charcoal, a gentle breeze came through and the green scenery was in view, so it truly felt like we were on a trip. 🌱🌿 In weather like this, eating in an atmosphere like this is the best... ♥ ✨

Since it was charcoal-grilled, everything cooked quickly, but we had to turn it often! We grilled the deodeok alongside it until nicely golden too.

We cut it into easy-to-eat pieces and grilled it deliciously >ᴗ< The salt-grilled version had a light yet savory flavor, so it was tasty on its own and went wonderfully wrapped in ssam (leaf wraps), too. Maybe because it was grilled over charcoal, the fat rendered away nicely and a subtle smoky aroma made it taste even better, haha.

Grilled deodeok I kept reaching for

Personally, I thought the grilled deodeok was really delicious too. Its sweet seasoning had soaked in well, making it perfect alongside the dakgalbi. It was a special little dish that I kept reaching for.

Finishing with makguksu, marinated dakgalbi, and doenjang jjigae

While we were eating the meat, the makguksu came out quickly too. I mixed it up and was all ready to eat! ˘◡˘

Of course, you have to put a piece of dakgalbi on top of makguksu! The sweet-and-tangy makguksu and charcoal-grilled dakgalbi were such a perfect combination 🖤

After finishing the salt dakgalbi, we moved on to the marinated dakgalbi ෆ ͙ Personally, the marinated one was a little more my style!

The marinated version burns quickly, so turning it often is important! The subtle charcoal aroma made the seasoning taste even better. Dakgalbi just would not be complete without the marinated kind either. •‿•

You have to have doenjang jjigae (soybean-paste stew) to finish, right? But the doenjang jjigae here was seriously delicious!!!! It seemed to have a seafood base, with a refreshing savory depth that felt so soothing, and it had plenty of tofu and vegetables, which naturally made me want rice.

So we ended up ordering a bowl of rice too! As we mixed rice into the doenjang jjigae, before we knew it, we had cleared two bowls 💪 I guess Koreans really do feel full only after finishing with rice. ᐢ ᵕ ᐢ

It was lovely to go on a lunch date again after so long, and we came away really full after charcoal-grilled dakgalbi, grilled deodeok, and makguksu. I was especially satisfied with the set that let us try both the salt-grilled and marinated dakgalbi at once, and we thoroughly enjoyed the final doenjang jjigae too. Haha