Gangdong charcoal chicken barbecue with staff grilling: Ondogye

Charcoal-grilled chicken in Cheonho Rodeo after a movie

Today, I went out for delicious charcoal-grilled chicken in Cheonho with a friend haha. We had just watched Odysseus in IMAX at CGV Cheonho. Maybe because it was IMAX, the movie was quite long, and we were absolutely starving when it ended. So we looked for a good place near the theater and heard there was a spot in Cheonho Station Rodeo that does great charcoal-grilled dakgalbi (spicy grilled chicken). That is how we ended up at Ondogye (온도계)!

Hours are 16:00–23:00 daily, with last orders at 22:00. For parking, use a nearby public parking lot.

Ondogye's interior and side dishes

The restaurant was not huge, but it was neatly organized throughout, making it a comfortable place to eat. Personally, places with this kind of feel actually make me look forward to the food even more haha.

Rather than somewhere overly flashy, I liked the clean atmosphere where you could focus on the food.

Once we sat down, the basic side dishes arrived: scallion salad, green-onion kimchi, and pickled radish wraps, all perfect with charcoal-grilled chicken.

The wall menu was also laid out clearly, so it was easy to look through. It seemed like a nice place for drinks with dakgalbi too, so it could be worth keeping in mind for a company dinner in Cheonho.

Ordering salted chicken neck and spicy dakgalbi

There was even a guide at the table on how to enjoy everything! They are also running a Naver receipt-review event, so it may be worth joining haha. We ordered 2 servings of salted chicken neck, 2 servings of spicy marinated dakgalbi, and rice balls. We wanted to try both the salted and marinated chicken, so we got one of each.

Crispy fried gizzards that called for makgeolli

While we were waiting, fried chicken gizzards came out first! It was unexpected, so I immediately tried a bite. The outside was crisp like fried chicken, while the inside was softer than I expected. That crunchy coating plus the gizzard's distinctive texture made it absolutely perfect as a drinking snack. We were hungry after the movie, so there was no resisting it haha.

In the end, we ordered makgeolli (Korean rice wine) right away too. It paired incredibly well with the fried gizzards—so well that we had started drinking before the dakgalbi even arrived haha.

Relaxed charcoal-grilled chicken with staff grilling

At last, the chicken we had been waiting for arrived! One thing I really liked about Ondogye was that the staff grill it for you. Charcoal-grilled dakgalbi is delicious, but if you are constantly turning it yourself, you can end up focusing on the meat and missing the conversation. Here, the staff handled the grilling, so we could eat comfortably.

It was fun watching the meat cook beautifully too haha. Doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew) also came with the chicken. It had big pieces of tofu and a pleasantly deep doenjang flavor. Taking a spoonful of the stew between bites of smoky chicken was a great match.

The rice balls we ordered came out too. They were packed with roasted seaweed flakes, so they looked nutty and tasted great haha.

Juicy salted chicken neck

Once the chicken was fully cooked, we finally dug in properly. I started with the salted chicken neck. One bite and it was full of juices—so moist and tender. Grilling it over charcoal added a gentle smokiness, and above all, the meat itself was so tender that I kept reaching for more. It made me think that a place that gets the basics right is always a good restaurant. Even without flashy seasoning, the meat's own flavor came through beautifully, which was really satisfying.

I also tried each of the three sauces that came with it. All three were tasty, so instead of choosing only one, I kept switching between them.

How to eat it with pickled radish wraps and grilled rice balls

Next, following the suggested way to eat it, I wrapped the dakgalbi in pickled radish. The savory, juicy chicken neck and the tangy, clean flavor of the radish were such a good combination. It felt completely different from eating the meat alone, so I kept making wraps haha. I also grilled a rice ball, and as its surface turned golden, it gained an extra nutty flavor and became even more delicious haha.

Charcoal-grilled tteok (rice cakes) came alongside it as well. They were tasty on their own, but dipping them in the honey provided made them delicious in a different way. The chewy tteok and sweet honey made a lovely little dessert between bites of dakgalbi.

Spicy marinated dakgalbi that paired perfectly with pickled radish

Next, I tried the spicy dakgalbi. It had a charm completely different from the salted chicken. The spicy marinade had soaked into the chicken well, and the charcoal grilling added smokiness, making the flavor feel even richer. The spicy marinated dakgalbi paired especially well with the pickled radish wraps. The radish neatly balanced the heat of the sauce, so I kept eating them together. It also went nicely with the rice balls, and it was fun trying all the different combinations.

A clean finish with ice cream for dessert

After filling up on the dakgalbi and sides, I thought the meal had truly ended. But they even gave us ice cream for dessert! After spicy dakgalbi and makgeolli, my mouth felt a little overwhelmed, and finishing with ice cream made it feel refreshed. Being able to end the meal with something sweet and cold made the whole meal feel good right through to the end haha.

Maybe it tasted even better because we were so hungry after that long movie haha. Still, it was not simply hunger: the salted chicken neck was juicy and moist, while the spicy dakgalbi brought its marinade and charcoal smokiness together beautifully, each with a very distinct appeal. If you are looking for charcoal-grilled chicken around Cheonho Station Rodeo, this is definitely a place worth visiting haha.

• Salted chicken neck that was juicy and moist, with a great flavor from the meat itself
• Spicy dakgalbi whose marinade and charcoal smokiness worked beautifully, especially with pickled radish wraps
• Fried gizzards that were crispy like fried chicken but tender inside, and a perfect match for makgeolli
• A place with lots of ways to enjoy the meal, from staff grilling to grilled rice balls and honey-dipped tteok
• A great Cheonho restaurant that ends the meal neatly with dessert ice cream