Jonggak Korean pub: hook-hung duck, chicken neck yurinki, Ari Gyegok

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is a spot in the middle of Jongno with a special atmosphere and food, and it has been getting hot lately. I was meeting friends after a long time and looking for a Jonggak Station bar with a good mood and tasty drinking food, and Ari Gyegok Jonggak caught my eye, so I went.

What are the exterior and atmosphere of Ari Gyegok Jonggak like?

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is decorated with warm lighting and wood-tone interiors, so it looks like a traditional tavern or a lodge deep in the mountains. The first thing that grabbed me when I arrived was this unique exterior, traditional yet stylish and cozy. In front of the entrance there are cute little wooden benches and an adorable toad figure, and it felt like I had left the crowded city and come to a quiet valley.

Outside the shop, next to the standing sign, there was a monitor looping scenes from famous mukbang YouTubers and TV programs. Watching the people on screen eat so happily made my mouth water and got my expectations up before I even went in. It made me sure this is a genuinely great Jonggak Station restaurant, one even TV vouches for.

What are the opening hours of Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

According to the hours written on the shop window, Ari Gyegok Jonggak opens at 4:30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and on Friday and Saturday too. I thought these were great hours for relaxing over a drink from early evening, or for having a hearty dinner with some drinks.

What is on the menu at Ari Gyegok Jonggak?

The menu at Ari Gyegok Jonggak lists set menus, such as a set for two, along with single Korean drinking dishes like jeon (savory pancakes), hot pots and stir-fries, all with photos. I sat down and went through it properly, and I was surprised by how varied and solid the lineup was. What caught my eye most were the good-value sets. With so many kinds of sets, it would be easy to order for people like us who can't decide, or for a big Jonggak group. The single dishes also came with photos and descriptions, so picking was half the fun. As a proper Jonggak baeksuk (whole chicken soup) place, it also had hearty dishes good for restoring your strength, and everything looked perfect as drinking food.

While choosing tasty dishes, we couldn't go without drinks, so we ordered the cold drinks first. Our picks were, of course, clean Chamisul soju and fizzy Coca-Cola. The staff thoughtfully brought a cup full of ice too, which I really liked. Pouring cola into the icy cup and sipping a cold shot of soju made the day's tiredness disappear. Clinking glasses with my friends in the cozy, atmospheric interior, I immediately understood why Ari Gyegok Jonggak is such a hot Jonggak Station bar these days.

How does the duck hung on a stand hook taste?

The duck we ordered as the main at Ari Gyegok Jonggak comes with big, thick pieces of duck hanging whole from a dedicated stand hook. The moment it landed on the table, the record-breaking presentation overwhelmed us and everyone gasped! The surface was glossy and grilled dark brown, with a generous drizzle of appetizing yellow house sauce flowing over it, a sight that makes you reach for your camera right away.

I cut the duck into bite-size pieces and put it on a plate with the fresh vegetables piled generously under the stand. The thick meat was salty with a subtle smoky grill flavor, and it burst with juice as I chewed, while the rich, nutty sauce on top blended wonderfully in my mouth. The crunchy cabbage salad and fresh lettuce cleanly cut the richness that the meat alone could have, so I never got tired of it. The crispy fried items served alongside added texture and made eating even more fun.

Taking a mouthful of juicy meat piled with fresh vegetables, then knocking back a shot of the cold soju I had ready, was pure heaven. Beyond the flashy, performance-like plating, it was a great dish that nailed the balance between rich meat and fresh vegetables. It satisfies both the eyes and the palate, so if you come to Ari Gyegok Jonggak for a Jonggak get-together or a date, I strongly recommend trying it. It was a magical drinking dish that made the drinks go down so easily!

How is the beef intestine soft tofu hot pot as soju food?

The beef intestine soft tofu hot pot (sogopchang sundubu jeongol) at Ari Gyegok Jonggak is a hot pot packed with soft tofu and beef intestines in a spicy broth. After the meat, I craved something hot and spicy with broth, so we added it. The look of it in a jet-black hot pot grabbed my attention right away. In the middle of the deep red, spicy broth sat a mountain of soft, milky-white tofu, topped with red chili peppers as a garnish, and the color contrast looked delicious.

When it started bubbling on the burner, I took a spoonful of the broth, and it was a taste that made me exclaim out loud! The deep, nutty richness from the beef intestines blended perfectly with the spicy, sharp seasoning, and the broth was really rich and full.

When I scooped plenty onto my own small plate and looked at the contents, there were chewy, plump beef intestines, generously packed in. The combination of the mild soft tofu melting gently in my mouth and the chewy intestines bursting with nutty richness as I chewed was simply top-notch. Even with fatty intestines in it, the broth wasn't greasy at all, just pleasantly sharp, so there was no chance to get tired of it.

With just this one beef intestine soft tofu hot pot, I felt we could easily empty several bottles of soju. It was a "perfect soju dish." If you want something that fills your stomach and also works great as drinking food, I definitely recommend the beef intestine soft tofu hot pot at Ari Gyegok, a Jonggak Station favorite!

The finishing dish: chicken neck yurinki

The dish that finished off our meal at Ari Gyegok Jonggak was the chicken neck yurinki (dakmoksal yurinki, Korean-style fried chicken with sauce), crispy fried chicken neck topped with shredded onion and yellow house sauce. It stole the show from the moment it arrived, a heaping mountain of crispy fried pieces with thinly shredded onion and yellow-tinted house sauce poured over them. Red seasoning and crunchy flakes were sprinkled on top too, so it looked impossible not to be delicious.

I picked up a big piece with chopsticks and took a bite with plenty of the topping sauce and crunchy onion. The tender, chewy texture unique to chicken neck met the crisply fried coating for a fantastic "crispy outside, juicy inside" (geotbasokchok)! The rich sauce, nutty and sweet with deep savoriness, paired perfectly with the crispy fry, and the crunchy, sharp raw onion cleanly cut the greasiness you might feel from fried food alone, so even though I was full I couldn't put my chopsticks down. It was a perfect closing dish, great with soju and just as good with cold beer.

💡 Verdict: Is Ari Gyegok Jonggak a good place for a Jonggak get-together?

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is a place where, in the middle of Jongno, you get an unusual, cozy valley-lodge atmosphere and higher-quality drinking food than I expected. From the meat dish whose unique plating delighted both eyes and mouth, to the spicy beef intestine soft tofu hot pot that got richer the longer it boiled, to the nutty chicken neck yurinki that showed the textbook "crispy outside, juicy inside"! Every dish we ordered was perfect, without a single miss, for a meal and a drinking session in one. The shop was pleasant and the staff were friendly, so I had a good time the whole way through.

If you're looking for a real Jonggak Station restaurant with truly delicious drinking food, a Jonggak Station bar where you can raise a glass with friends in a nice mood, or a good Jonggak spot for everyone to gather after work, I strongly recommend Ari Gyegok Jonggak without hesitation! It will be a great choice with no regrets.