Seongbuk chicken restaurant with crispy fried chicken: Hidongi Chicken

A Seokgwan-dong chicken spot at the entrance to Dolgoji Market

Browsing markets is practically my hobby, so I love visiting markets here and there. When I went to Dolgoji Market near Seokgye Station, the smell of chicken drew me right into Hidongi Chicken Seokgwan Branch 😊 Chicken is so expensive these days, but this is an incredibly good-value chicken spot where a whole chicken is still in the ₩10,000 range.

Located 617 m from Exit 5 of Seokgye Station, right at the entrance to Dolgoji Market, Hidongi Chicken Seokgwan Branch is already well known among locals as a great-value chicken place in Seokgwan-dong!! Since it is at the market entrance, I bet plenty of people have been lured in by the smell while browsing the market, just like I was.

Takeout discounts and half-and-half orders

Hidongi Chicken Seokgwan Branch delivers too, but takeout gets you ₩3,000 off one chicken and a whopping ₩7,000 off two, so picking it up is definitely the better deal 😆 They have also launched a new Honey-Matdong Chicken—honey and chicken? That is a combination that simply cannot taste bad. There are plenty of other flavors, including seasoned chicken, garlic soy sauce, chili mayo, Hwadongi Chicken, and spicy Matdong Chicken, and every menu item can be ordered half-and-half~~ (Boneless chicken costs an extra ₩1,000.)

There is also a prize-draw event for takeout customers: first prize is a whole fried chicken for free. Second prize is half a chicken, third is ₩3,000 off, fourth is Cajun fries, fifth is two cheese balls, and even sixth prize gets you two fried gim-mari (seaweed glass-noodle rolls), so there is nothing disappointing about coming sixth either, haha.

Cola is not included, so while you are at it, join the review event and get one for free~

Chicken fried to order and the wait time

They do not pre-fry the chicken; it is fried as soon as you order, so keep in mind there is a little wait, haha.

• Bone-in chicken: about 15 minutes
• Boneless chicken: 10–15 minutes

Still, if a short wait means even crispier chicken, is it not worth waiting? I think so.

I ordered the bone-in fried chicken to go, and they told me in advance that it would take around 15 minutes. I went to browse the market and came back at exactly the right time, haha. There is also a big food-service supermarket nearby, so I was looking around so much that I lost track of time. That is the charm of visiting Dolgoji Market.

What comes with ₩15,000 fried chicken to go

This is what came with the fried chicken to-go order. (₩15,000): chicken radish pickles, a wet wipe, mustard sauce, and salt. Many inexpensive chicken places even charge extra for pickled radish, so I was not expecting any, but they included it! They thoughtfully packed a wet wipe too ❤️

Big drumsticks and a crisp coating

I could hardly believe the drumsticks were so big and the portion so generous for the price! When I took a bite, it made that wonderful crunching sound, and I could immediately feel how crisp the coating was. The coating is slightly on the thick side, but I love crispy chicken, so that thicker crust was exactly my taste.

Can you see that glossy sheen from all the oil? >< Every piece was moist and delicious, with no dry parts. My one tiny disappointment is that I absolutely love the neck piece and always look for it first when I eat chicken, but there was no neck 🥲 It is a part people either love or hate, and it has little meat, so lots of places do not include it these days!!! I do not usually like late-night meals, but it was so delicious that I completely cleared it, forgetting it was late at night ❤️

When this is the kind of place you crave

• A great chicken spot in Seokgwan-dong at the entrance to Dolgoji Market
• An affordable chicken place with generous portions
• A Seongbuk-gu chicken spot with satisfying takeout discounts
• A chicken place that is perfect for chicken and beer after work
• A local favorite among Seongbuk-gu residents