8pm dinner at a Hongdae jjimdak restaurant in Seoul: Ongdarae Jjimdak

Today I came to Hongdae for my husband's laser hair removal appointment and stopped by Ongdarae Jjimdak, a well-known spot near Hongik University Station. There are actually quite a few good restaurants around Hongdae, but most of them are tucked into back alleys or far from the station, so it's hard to find one that's actually convenient to get to. While looking for a good restaurant near the station, I came across Ongdarae Jjimdak, which isn't far from Hongik University Station at all. Maybe because it had been a while since I'd had jjimdak, but it tasted even better than I remembered — this is Ongdarae Jjimdak.

Where is Ongdarae Jjimdak, and where do you park?

Ongdarae Jjimdak is about a 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9. It's on the main road rather than tucked into an alley, so it was easy to find. It's right in front of the Seogyo-dong bus stop, so it's also convenient if you're arriving by bus.

Parking is available for a fee: ₩3,000 for the first 30 minutes, then ₩1,000 per additional 10 minutes, up to a maximum of ₩30,000. If you use the parking lot right in front of the restaurant, they'll give you a 5% discount on your bill instead of charging for parking. Just note that this doesn't apply if you use a nearby alternative lot.

Hours, Naver reservations and the 10% wedding-gathering discount

Ongdarae Jjimdak is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00. Since it stays open late into the evening, you can visit without feeling rushed. We came for a late dinner at 8pm and were able to eat at a relaxed pace, which was nice.

You can also reserve through Naver Reservations. Booking through Naver gets you a 10% discount coupon for wedding-invitation gatherings. If you're looking for a spot near Hongdae Station to host a pre-wedding get-together, Ongdarae Jjimdak with 10% off might be worth considering.

Inside Ongdarae Jjimdak: private rooms for groups

Stepping inside, the restaurant was spacious and cleanly decorated. The wood interior gave it a warm feel too.

Toward the back, there's a room for group gatherings. If you book for a group, you can dine in that private room.

The interior seemed well-suited for anything — company dinners, gatherings with friends, or wedding-invitation get-togethers.

The menu: Jeongtong Bomb Cheese Jjimdak, L size, spicy

Each table has a tablet, so you check the menu and order right there. The signature dish is the soy-sauce-based Ongdarae Jjimdak, available in S, L, or XL sizes.

Beyond that, there's a wide range of jjimdak (braised chicken) options — Jeongtong Bomb Cheese Jjimdak, gochujang jjimdak, seafood jjimdak, nurungji (scorched rice) jjimdak — so you can pick whichever suits your taste. Besides the jjimdak menu, they also serve dak-dori-tang (spicy braised chicken stew) and samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). As a side dish, there's ongbap — rice made with nurungji, stir-fried kimchi, perilla leaves, and gim (seaweed flakes), perfect for mixing into the leftover jjimdak sauce at the end.

Make sure to join the review event, since you can get ongbap for free! After some deliberation, we ordered the Jeongtong Bomb Cheese Jjimdak. We chose the L size, meant for 2–3 people, and since you can adjust the spice level and we'd read reviews saying even the spicy version isn't very spicy, we went with spicy.

A cheese-covered jjimdak with glass noodles hiding underneath

Salad and side dishes came out first, and a little while later, the jjimdak finally arrived.

True to its name, it really was a jjimdak completely covered in cheese. It passed the visual test right away. There were plenty of large chicken pieces, plus a fair amount of vegetables like potato.

I couldn't see any glass noodles, so I lifted things up to look underneath, and sure enough, there was a generous amount of glass noodles soaked in sauce beneath the jjimdak. We'd ordered the 2–3 person portion, and the amount really was huge.

I took a bite, and the soy-sauce-based sauce was incredibly savory and went really well with the cheese. The glass noodles had soaked up all that sauce too, so they were chewy and salty in a way that made me keep reaching for more.

The potatoes were cooked just right — soft and fluffy — and tasted great with the sauce, and the other vegetables were nice to eat alongside everything too.

Finishing with ongbap: which size and spice level to pick

Toward the end, we mixed in the ongbap too, and it was a whole new flavor and a perfect way to wrap up the meal. With the L size, my husband and I ate together and still had a little left over, so I'd recommend S for two women or L for two men.

For a cheese jjimdak, the spicy version wasn't spicy at all, so if you want just a bit of heat, I'd recommend ordering it spicy. I used to order jjimdak delivery pretty often since I like it, but eating it fresh at the restaurant made it taste even better. It also seemed like a spot that draws a lot of foreign visitors in Hongdae. Next time I'm craving jjimdak, I think Ongdarae Jjimdak near Hongik University Station will come to mind. It's a great pick for a Hongdae company dinner or lunch, so I'd recommend it.

The free dessert zone after your meal

Unlike most restaurants, they even have dessert set up for you to enjoy after your meal.

You can enjoy homemade scones, barley crackers, and a variety of teas and coffee for free, so be sure to stop by the dessert zone too.