Hongdae chicken restaurant for herbal dakgalbi: Ttukdak Hongdae

Today I'm getting a head start on Malbok (the last of Korea's three hottest days) here in Hongdae 💨 On a weekend trip to Hongdae I'd scoped out [Ttukdak Hongdae], so I finally went back to eat there 🐤

Where is Ttukdak Hongdae? 5 minutes from Hongik University Station Exit 8

It's 5 minutes from Exit 8 of Hongik University Station. Turn off near the Olive Young by Exit 8, walk a little, and the restaurant is right there.

Arrived at the restaurant 😜 When I came to Hongdae on the weekend, this place had a massive wait!! So I figured I'd come back on a weekday to eat here properly haha

Wait times at 6pm on a weekday, the vibe and 4-person tables

Being a freshly opened restaurant from this past May, Ttukdak Hongdae's exterior is squeaky clean from the outside in. This is what the interior looks like 👀 The tables are spaced wide apart, so it was easy to chat!

I visited at 6pm on a weekday and got seated with no wait, but by the time I was finishing my meal, a line had started to form. This restaurant supports Catch Table's remote waitlist, so if you're planning to visit, check the waitlist status on Catch Table beforehand 😉

Here's the table I was shown to 👆 Ttukdak has no 2-seat tables — every table seats 4 — so you get to spread out, which I really liked haha

Ttukdak Hongdae menu and prices: mains start at 2 servings

First, let's order 어흠

Dak hanmari (whole chicken hot pot), dak jjim (braised chicken) and dak galbi (stir-fried chicken) are the main menu items, and there was also a wide range of jeon (savory pancakes). Note that the main dishes can only be ordered for 2 or more people.

There were also add-on sides and a drinks menu.

😋 Today's order 😋

• Herbal chicken galbi (for 2): ₩34,000
• Minari shrimp jeon: ₩17,000
• Chicken skewers, 2 pieces: ₩8,000
• Rice: ₩1,000
• Zero-sugar cola: ₩3,000

Kimchi side dish and the golden dipping sauce for dak hanmari

The basic side dishes were set out as soon as we ordered. FYI, the kimchi here is genuinely, seriously delicious!! I don't usually eat kimchi at restaurants, you know?? But my friend said it was good, so I tried it, and it was truly next-level tasty.

Since dak hanmari is the signature dish, they even showed us the golden sauce recipe.

After a short wait, today's dishes were ready 🤤 Time to eat this and recharge for summer haha

Herbal dakgalbi for 2 at 34,000 won: how strong is the herbal taste?

First up, the herbal chicken galbi 🤭 I was torn between dak hanmari and dak galbi, but it was so hot out I went with the galbi haha. I figured galbi would suit the heat better than a brothy dak hanmari, but I'll have to try the hanmari next time. Heat, please just stop already~~~

A staff member cooks the dak galbi for you at first. Cook fast, cook fast~~~ The chicken comes pre-cooked, so they told us it's ready to eat once the rice cakes and vegetables have softened a bit.

The herbal chicken galbi, oh yes~~~ True to its name, there was a subtle herbal note to the chicken galbi!! I'm someone who can't handle strongly scented food, but this was mild enough that I had no resistance to it.

The chicken was so tender with no gamy smell at all — genuinely delicious!! They don't sell fried rice here separately, so I ordered a bowl of rice to eat alongside it 🍚

Washing it all down with cola first 🍻

Minari shrimp jeon at 17,000 won with special soy dipping sauce

Next up, the second main dish — minari shrimp jeon (savory pancake with water celery and shrimp). This restaurant has a huge variety of jeon! As a seafood lover, I picked the shrimp one 🍤

This was my first time trying the combination of minari (water celery) and shrimp, and it genuinely paired so well haha — plump, chunky shrimp sitting on top of the fragrant minari pancake.

It's delicious plain, and dipped in the chicken galbi sauce it's twice as good haha

But the real kicker is the special soy sauce dip!!! The tangy soy sauce cuts right through the richness. I usually get sick of eating too much of something rich, but with this sauce, endless bites are totally possible~~~

Ttukdak Hongdae chicken skewers: 8,000 won for 2

Last order was the chicken skewers 🍢 I wanted just one, but they said they're only sold in twos, so I got 2 and ate them haha

The chicken's tenderness combined with the crispy, well-grilled outer surface really made me want to order more haha. I even briefly considered ordering a beer to go with the skewers haha

Next time, once the weather cools down, I'm definitely coming back for the dak hanmari!! Hahahaha

If you're looking for a dak hanmari or dak galbi restaurant near Hongik University Station, or a spot in Hongdae to beat the summer heat, definitely check out Ttukdak Hongdae~~