Sindang restaurant waiting even at open: makgeolli at Gyeryugwan

Every time I walked past Gyeryugwan on my way to Seoul Jungang Market in Sindang-dong, I'd see the stacks of firewood piled up outside and think I really had to try this place. It's famous for oak-fired neungi mushroom chicken roasted golden brown over oak firewood, mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles in broth), and dishes made from all kinds of chicken parts — a waiting-line-worthy restaurant in Sindang-dong. Let me introduce this Sindang-dong wood-fired chicken spot, Gyeryugwan 🐔🍗

A 1-minute walk from Sindang Station Exit 2, plus parking and hours

Today's Sindang-dong pick, Gyeryugwan, sits just a minute's walk from Sindang Station Exit 2, right in Sindang Jungang Market — about as close to the station as it gets. 🚘 There's no parking at the restaurant, so you'll need to use the Sindang Station public parking lot instead.

▼ Hours Daily 4pm–11pm *Last order: 10pm

The stacks of firewood outside always caught my eye every time I walked by, and the oak-fired chicken turning golden brown over the flames 🔥 The vibe alone told me this was going to be good 👏🏻

Is there a wait even right at opening time?

This place is already famous for its waiting line, so I showed up a bit after the 4pm opening — and sure enough, people trickled in and before long there was a queue. ✔️ You can also book through Naver Reservation, so it might be worth reserving ahead before you go!

Is it okay to bring a baby?

I came with my baby, and while there's no baby chair, the seats with backrests were more comfortable than I expected. The interior is clean, which made it a nice spot for a meal out with a baby 🙂

This place has appeared on several restaurant TV shows — Julseoneun Sikdang, Pyeon-Stoorant, Live Today, and more — so I was even more excited. A friend who came with me had eaten here before and said it was delicious, so I couldn't wait to try it.

The menu even had cute little chicken illustrations on it. You order by scanning the QR code at the table to check the menu and place your order.

Menu and side dishes at Gyeryugwan in Sindang

Gyeryugwan's signature dishes are said to be the oak-fired neungi mushroom chicken, assorted chicken jeon, deep-fried chicken gizzard with scallion, and mul-makguksu.

The side dishes include salted seafood (jeotgal) and kimchi, both great to eat alongside the fire-roasted chicken. They went nicely with the rice inside the chicken too, and were perfect as a little palate cleanser between bites.

Oak-smoked neungi mushroom chicken, ₩23,000

Oak-smoked neungi mushroom chicken ₩23,000 Glutinous rice soaked in water used to rehydrate neungi and shiitake mushrooms, then smoked over oak wood for over an hour — this is Gyeryugwan's signature dish.

Maybe because it's properly smoked, the meat was moist and tender while the skin outside was perfectly crispy — total crispy-outside, juicy-inside 🫶🏻

The chicken meat itself is subtly seasoned, so it was delicious and clean-tasting even without any extra sauce or dipping. Maybe it's the gentle wood-smoke aroma, but it had a completely different flavor from your average roasted chicken.

There was quite a lot of glutinous rice stuffed inside the chicken too, giving it a nice chewy texture. Putting a little of the side-dish jeotgal on top of the rice was a great combo — the salty jeotgal against the plain sticky rice worked really well 👍🏻 The roasted garlic on top was browned just right too, with a subtle sweetness that made it a real treat when eaten together 🤍

Assorted chicken jeon, ₩25,000 — the pepper jeon was the best

Assorted chicken jeon ₩25,000 We also ordered the assorted chicken jeon, another signature dish letting you try a variety of parts — neck meat, thigh meat, heart, and more. Just the wood-fired chicken alone might feel a bit limited, so ordering this jeon platter alongside it let us enjoy a nice range of flavors and textures.

If the wood-fired chicken is clean and moist, the jeon is pan-fried golden and adds a nutty, savory flavor — the two together made a perfect pairing. It was nice to try so many different parts of the chicken in one dish 🐔 and the seasoning wasn't too strong, making it a great side for drinks too.

Inside the pepper was packed with a chicken meatball filling, and out of all the jeon this pepper jeon was my favorite. The pepper's gentle spiciness paired so well with the soft chicken meatball that I kept reaching for more.

The other jeon taste even better dipped in the soy-pickled onions on the side. (They were so good I asked for a refill haha)

Songmyeongseop makgeolli vs Gyeryugwan makgeolli — which one's better?

Songmyeongseop makgeolli ₩10,000 With all these dishes it felt wrong not to order a drink! I ordered Songmyeongseop makgeolli — I'd never heard of it before, but a friend said it was good, so I gave it a try.

It's a bit pricier than most makgeolli, so I had high hopes, but it tasted a little sour for my palate — if you like sweeter makgeolli, I'd say skip Songmyeongseop ☹️

Gyeryugwan makgeolli ₩6,000 Personally, I found Gyeryugwan's own makgeolli much tastier. It's also cheaper than the Songmyeongseop makgeolli, so if it's your first visit, I'd recommend just going with the safe choice and ordering Gyeryugwan makgeolli 👍🏻

The oak-smoked neungi mushroom chicken and the assorted chicken jeon were a perfect match with the makgeolli ✨ Both the clean flavor of the wood-fired chicken and the nutty flavor of the jeon paired well with the drink — ideal for a round of drinks.

Finishing with mul-makguksu, ₩13,000

Mul-makguksu ₩13,000 A cold buckwheat noodle soup made with broth simmered from beef shank, brisket, and pheasant! I heard the noodles are made in-house, and maybe that's why they had such a nice chewy texture.

The flavor was mild, similar to Pyongyang-style naengmyeon, making it a clean, refreshing dish to finish the meal with. I was craving the broth so I went with mul-makguksu, but there's also a chicken doenjang makguksu on the menu — noodles stir-fried with chicken and soybean paste, apparently also featured on one of those restaurant TV shows.

There was a reason people line up for Gyeryugwan in Sindang-dong — from the smoky oak-fired neungi mushroom chicken to the assorted chicken jeon showcasing different parts of the bird, to the makgeolli, it was an all-around satisfying meal ☺️ If you're looking for a good place to eat near Sindang Station or Seoul Jungang Market, I'd recommend Gyeryugwan 👍🏻