Gangnam chicken barbecue restaurant for family dinner: Yanggyegok

Yanggyegok, three generations of chicken dishes

Yanggyegok is a restaurant specializing in dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), gomtang (beef soup), kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), and other dishes, with a story spanning three generations. It is said to have begun with a grandmother who ran a gukbap restaurant at Pungyang Traditional Market in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1970.

Honesty is the ironclad rule of the food business.

That was the philosophy the grandmother always emphasized. Hearing that this commitment to food had carried on over so many years into today's Yanggyegok, I was impressed by the brand's story even before eating. I could see why it is so popular near Yangjae Station.

A varied menu, from charcoal dakgalbi to whole chicken

Along with charcoal-grilled dakgalbi, Yanggyegok offers dakhanmari (whole chicken cooked at the table), dakdoritang (braised spicy chicken), and meal dishes including gomtang and kalguksu.

• Salt dakgalbi
• Soy sauce dakgalbi
• Grilled deodeok
• Chicken kalguksu

Since we were with the kids, we chose the salt and soy sauce options instead of the spicy dishes.

Trying salt dakgalbi and soy sauce dakgalbi together

The salt dakgalbi was lightly seasoned and clean-tasting, while the soy sauce dakgalbi had a sweet-savory marinade, so ordering both made it nice to alternate between them. Watching the chicken turn golden over the charcoal naturally made me want a beer, so I ordered one more. The charcoal aroma that rose as the meat cooked made it even tastier.

Both the salt and soy sauce dakgalbi had a slightly spicy base. So when I gave some to my second child, I removed the skin first. Keep that in mind when visiting with kids around age six!

What sauce combinations work with charcoal dakgalbi?

Four sauces came with the dakgalbi. The charcoal-grilled chicken was delicious on its own, but I loved having so many sauces to choose from according to my taste.

Charcoal dakgalbi with flying fish roe on a perilla leaf was so delicious. Put a piece of golden grilled chicken and some popping flying fish roe on one perilla leaf, then eat it in one bite—it is such a good combination. The fragrance of the perilla leaf met the charcoal aroma, with the texture of the roe making it even better. If you visit Yanggyegok, you have to try this combination at least once.

How was the grilled deodeok on the side?

Dakgalbi alone felt like it was not quite enough, so we added grilled deodeok (Korean bellflower root). We ate the grilled deodeok between bites of chicken. The charcoal-grilled deodeok, with its added aroma, also paired beautifully with the dakgalbi.

Especially when I put grilled deodeok right on the dakgalbi, a glass of beer tasted even better. Its crisp texture made it a better drinking snack too. If you visit Yanggyegok, try ordering it alongside the dakgalbi!

Chicken kalguksu for the finishing meal

Because we had the kids with us, I tried to order bowls of rice, but there was no separate rice option. So we chose chicken kalguksu instead. The noodles in the warm broth were a lovely finishing meal after the charcoal dakgalbi.

A Yangjae Station family meal with kids

Yanggyegok is a great meat restaurant for a drink, but it is also a nice place to visit with kids. The dakgalbi is plump and tender, making it really easy for children to eat. I think my older child ate two and a half portions out of the three we ordered. You know that feeling when your child eats well and you feel full even without eating, right?

Yanggyegok is such a good restaurant near Yangjae Station for a day when you want charcoal dakgalbi and a beer after work!