Dongbu Market bakery in Jungnang with ₩3,900 tripe soup: Daroa

After finishing my workout, I took a walk over to Jungnang Dongbu Market and stopped by Daroa, a well-known spot there. It's famous for 'sobobeok,' a bun made by stuffing various fillings into a streusel bread. This time I also checked out their newly launched boneless fried chicken, various breads, and ready-made foods.

What stood out most was the fried chicken cooked to order right after you place it, at a really affordable price. They also had a good variety of today's bread like red bean bread, cream bread, and sweet pea paste bread, making it a great stop for a snack or a simple meal.

On top of that, they sell ready-made foods like tripe soup at low prices, so it was a nice place to pick up something to eat while wandering around the market. Overall, a solid Daroa visit.

Walking into Dongbu Market from Jungnang Station to reach Daroa

Today I stopped briefly at Jungnang Dongbu Market right after my workout.

It's only one stop from Hoegi, but this place definitely has a stronger sense of everyday local life. The weather was nice today, so I ended up walking over to Daroa, a favorite spot in Dongbu Market.

It's a bakery specializing in a menu called 'sobobeok,' which stuffs streusel bread with various ingredients, sort of like a burger.

I had it once before and it definitely had its own charm. Seemed like a good choice for kids' meals or snacks too.

What's new at Daroa: boneless chicken fried to order

But today I wanted to try something different — apparently they just launched a new chicken menu.

They offer both fried and seasoned versions, cooked to order right when you buy. The price is quite low too. I'm a heavyweight eater so a whole chicken is no problem for me, but eating a whole chicken alone can get a bit much or heavy after a while.

So this boneless chicken, in a size that's easy to eat simply, looked pretty appealing. While the chicken was frying, I took a look around the store.

How much is today's bread at Daroa? Red bean, cream and sweet pea paste

Various breads that get cheaper the more you pile on.

I picked up three kinds — red bean, cream, and sweet pea paste — to eat while I study. There was also a section for ready-made food.

₩3,900 instant tripe soup and olive oil at Daroa

They said a lot of older folks come here for this in particular. I suddenly got a craving for tripe soup too, so I grabbed one — it was ₩3,900 for one.

I figured I'd stash it in the freezer and pull it out later with a bottle of soju when I don't feel like cooking a proper meal.

They also sell things like olive oil and lemon juice at low prices, so passersby stopped to browse those too.

How the red bean bread and chicken from Daroa tasted

While waiting for the bus, I pulled out a red bean bread and ate it — sweet, soft, and delicious.

The weather had warmed up so it was nice to have a relaxed moment like that after a while. Once home, I opened up the chicken right away — since it was freshly fried, the subtle fried aroma was still there and it was great.

Honestly, I was a little torn because I wanted seasoned chicken too — but even at this low price, they threw in some seasoning sauce as well.

That little touch was surprisingly thoughtful. Still, fried chicken with just salt really is the classic. Anyway, another good meal today.

Daroa Dongbu Market Branch location and opening hours

• Address: 68 Jungnangcheon-ro 10-gil, 1F, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Transit: about 343m from Jungnang Station Exit 4
• Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00–20:00 (closed Tuesdays)
• Note: July 31 hours were listed as 11:00–15:00
• Service: takeout, delivery, reservations, pet-friendly
• Menu highlights: 'sobobeok' made with streusel bread, along with various breads, ready-made foods, and chicken fried to order