Quiet group dinner restaurant in Seocho: Dakgalbijeon Gangnam

I heard there was a great place near Sinnonhyeon Station where you wrap dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) in a Korean pancake, so I went to check it out. Parking is available too, making it a place I’d recommend for gatherings! Let me introduce it.

Dakgalbijeon Gangnam Branch information

• 2F, Gangnam Dioville, 54 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 서초구 서초대로73길 54 강남디오빌 2층)
• Daily 11:00–22:00
• Featured for dakgalbi and potato pancake on SBS Live Today, episode 3388 (October 11, 2023)
• Reservations, group dining, takeout, Wi-Fi, separate restrooms, delivery, easy payment, parking, and pets allowed

It’s close by—about 300 m from Sinnonhyeon Station—so it’s very accessible. It’s also a little away from the main alley, and this alley itself was quieter than other places, with a peaceful neighborhood feel, which I liked.

Even though I visited a little early on a weekend evening, the place was almost full. If you reserve through Naver, you get a buy-one-get-one topping coupon, so I definitely recommend making a Naver reservation before a weekend visit!

A retro pocha-style interior

The interior has a retro feel, a bit like a pocha (casual Korean drinking tent). There are large-group tables, so it seemed perfect if you’re deciding where to gather around Sinnonhyeon.

Dakgalbijeon menu

Dakgalbijeon Gangnam Branch is exactly what its name suggests: dakgalbi that you wrap in pancakes. There are three kinds of pancake—potato, kimchi, and scallion—and sides include fish cake soup, steamed egg, and makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles)! There’s even nurungju, a rice wine with the nutty flavor of scorched rice, which goes perfectly with it. Just looking at the combinations, every item felt like it was made to be eaten together 😝

Dakgalbijeon also runs events: turn on notifications or leave a receipt review and you get toppings, while tables of women receive wheat rice cakes on the house. It’s already known as a good-value restaurant near Gangnam Station, and there are generous events too!

Two-person Gamsadak with perilla-leaf potato pancake

I ordered the two-person Gamsadak, and if you don’t choose a pancake separately, it seems to come as a set with the perilla-leaf potato pancake! I heard this is the most popular combination. The pancake was huge and looked so appetizing.

To be honest, the dakgalbi itself was a little disappointing. Without extra toppings, it only has meat, cabbage, and perilla leaves inside. The chicken was cut to just the right size, though, so it was easy to eat in one bite. It wasn’t spicy either, so everyone can enjoy it. Add toppings, or leave a review and get some toppings haha.

The potato pancake was really chewy, with large pieces of perilla leaf inside, so it was nutty and delicious when eaten all together. On its own it was slightly mild, which actually made it an easy, not-too-heavy side dish.

It was delicious dipped in soy sauce too, and when I ate it like a wrap with the dakgalbi, I could see exactly why this set is so popular.

Cool, nutty semi-frozen nurungju

I also ordered makgeolli (Korean rice wine), which goes well with dakgalbi or pancakes. The semi-frozen nurungju comes out with this old-school presentation, and the serving is really generous.

With fine ice crystals inside, it was incredibly refreshing, while the nutty scorched-rice flavor means even people who dislike makgeolli’s distinctive fermented taste can enjoy it without hesitation haha. It had a lovely nutty aroma too.

Wrapping dakgalbi in a pancake felt fresh, and everything was generally tasty and approachable, so I think it would be a safe choice for a group work dinner too.

If you’re looking for a group dinner spot or a good-value restaurant around Gangnam and Sinnonhyeon, I recommend Dakgalbijeon Gangnam Branch!