Jungnang fried chicken: Gimssi Chicken’s next-day dakgangjeong

Don’t you sometimes crave market-style dakgangjeong (sweet, sauced fried chicken bites) and old-school fried chicken instead of franchise chicken?! Haha. I heard there was a famous dakgangjeong and chicken spot in Dongwon Market in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu, so I rushed right over! It was Gimssi Chicken (김씨치킨), known as one of Seoul’s top three dakgangjeong spots with 15 years of history!

Gimssi Chicken

Gimssi Chicken in Myeonmok Dongwon Market: location and parking

For Gimssi Chicken, a popular dakgangjeong spot in Jungnang, come out of Exit 1 of Myeonmok Station and enter Dongwon Traditional General Market. Walk straight into the market for about a minute and it is on the right, so even someone with zero sense of direction can find it easily haha. You’ll be there before you know it while looking around the market!!

Parking was a little difficult that day thoughㅠㅠ I wanted to use Dongwon Market Public Parking Lot, but it was already full when I visited, so I reluctantly used another nearby lot instead… haha. If you are visiting by car on a weekend, I think it is best to allow extra time for parking.

Dongwon Market dakgangjeong with a wait from Saturday lunchtime

We visited at around noon on Saturday!! As you would expect from a place popular with everyone, young and old, there were already lots of customers ordering—and even a wait haha.

I could really see why it has been steadily loved for 15 years. There was also an eat-in area to one side of the store where you could eat the chicken and dakgangjeong right away!

When I visited, the older regulars were right in the middle of a cheerful daytime-drinks session haha.

Everyone was having chicken with a beer or a shot of soju, and isn’t that warm, familiar atmosphere another charm of a traditional market? It was lively yet relaxed, so it looked like a nice place to stop for a quick bite while exploring the market!!

The dakgangjeong and drumsticks I ordered at Gimssi Chicken

• Mild dakgangjeong, large ₩13,000
• 6 chicken drumsticks ₩9,000

Since I had come all the way to Dongwon Market, it would have been a shame to leave with only dakgangjeong, so I ordered drumsticks too!!

I especially loved that I could order six drumsticks on their own haha.

I would recommend this combination because you get to enjoy both sauced dakgangjeong and fried chicken styles at once.

Dakgangjeong and chicken fried to order

I had heard so many people say Gimssi Chicken, a popular dakgangjeong spot in Jungnang, tastes good even when cold, so I was curious whether that was really true. First of all, the making process caught my eye!!

Rather than making a huge batch of dakgangjeong in advance and stacking it up, they fried it fresh whenever an order came in, then coated it evenly in sauce right in front of you!!

Watching them quickly toss the freshly fried dakgangjeong in sauce made the wait surprisingly fun haha. The drumsticks were also fried to order and packed while hot. A savory smell drifted out of the bag, making the trip home feel even longer haha.

Drumsticks with a wonderfully thin crust

As soon as I got home, I tried the drumsticks first while they were still warm. My first impression was how thin the coating was!!

It was not a thick, heavy style; the light coating let the chicken flavor come through more clearly.

The drumstick meat inside was moist too, cooked tenderly without any tough bits!! Personally, I thought it went best simply dipped in a little salt, without any extra sauce!!

And best of all, with six drumsticks, there was no fighting over who got a drumstick hahaha. If you love drumsticks, I think you will be very happy with this order!

Sweet-and-salty mild dakgangjeong

And then, the dakgangjeong I had been looking forward to most!!

I ordered the mild flavor, and the seasoning was not spicy—just nicely sweet and salty. Because the coating was not thick, it did not feel heavy even with sauce on it, and there were quite chunky pieces of chicken inside. The bite-size pieces were easy to eat, perfect for picking up one by one like a snack haha.

If you usually enjoy sweet market-style dakgangjeong, I think this will safely suit your taste!

Dakgangjeong that was delicious the next day

And the point I was most curious about at Gimssi Chicken!! Gimssi Chicken is so well known for dakgangjeong that tastes good even when cold, so I wanted to know whether it was true. I personally tried the leftover dakgangjeong the next day haha.

Usually, chicken or dakgangjeong gets soggy on the outside or dry in the meat as time passes. But Gimssi Chicken’s coating was not overly soggy the next day, and the meat had not turned tough, so it was still perfectly good eaten cold!! If anything, the sweet-and-salty seasoning seemed to have soaked in a little more over time, giving it a different charm from the first day haha.

After trying it myself, I understood why so many people say it tastes good even when cold!! It would be great to pack a generous amount and divide it between the day you buy it and the next day.

A recommended dakgangjeong and drumstick combination

If you go to Gimssi Chicken, a chicken spot in Myeonmok-dong, I totally recommend the dakgangjeong + drumstick combination!! If you are looking for good dakgangjeong in Jungnang, want to take home chicken from Myeonmok-dong, or are craving sweet market-style dakgangjeong, stop by Gimssi Chicken in Dongwon Market!

There really seems to be a reason it has been loved steadily for 15 years!! I am going to pack some up again next time I visit Dongwon Market!