Sokcho market fried chicken with dried deodeok topping: Seomin Gapbu

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip

Address 📍 16 Jungang-ro 147beon-gil, 1st floor unit 4, Sokcho, Gangwon Hours ⏰ Mon–Thu 10:00–21:00 ⏰ Fri–Sun 10:00–22:00

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, a dakgangjeong shop in Sokcho's Jungang Market

This post is about Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, right inside Sokcho's Jungang Market (중앙시장) 🤍 You can't talk about Sokcho without dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken bites) 🐓 I heard there was a famous dakgangjeong spot in the market, so I went to check it out.

They had the sweet-spicy dakgangjeong of course, plus shrimp gangjeong, and you could even add deodeok or garlic toppings depending on your taste — lots of fun options to pick from 🤍 It shares a storefront with Ttogi-ne Twigim, which is famous in the market, so I could grab fried snacks and squid sundae all in one stop! Let's get into the review 🤍

How to find it: by the market entrance, where the crowd is thickest

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, in Sokcho's Jungang Market! It's near the market entrance so it was easy to find. Just look for Ttogi-ne Twigim or Sijang Dakjip — follow the map and you'll spot a spot packed with people crowding around. That's the chicken shop! haha

Menu: dakgangjeong, fried snacks, squid sundae and potato pancakes

Here's the menu board at Sijang Dakjip. So~ many options. Since it shares a shop with Ttogi-ne Twigim, they cover everything from dakgangjeong to fried snacks, squid sundae, and potato pancakes haha. Basically every dish you'd want to eat at the central market is covered here. Being able to order sets was another plus.

What is deodeok dakgangjeong?

Sijang Dakjip says they use a sauce they developed themselves rather than a store-bought one, and the spicy-sweet sauce was excellent. It's not made ahead factory-style — everything's cooked to order, so you need to wait about 15 minutes. Waiting a bit for tastier dakgangjeong felt like a fair trade.

They're also running a Naver receipt review event, so keep that in mind if you visit haha

With so many menu options you might get decision paralysis, but there's a display case in front of the shop showing how each set is composed, so you can check before ordering — really handy.

They also sell cup-sized dakgangjeong, so if a full-size box feels like too much, I'd recommend going for the cup version haha

Next to the dakgangjeong they were grilling squid sundae and nurungji (scorched-rice) squid sundae — not pre-grilled and sitting around, but grilled fresh to order. The smell was so good that while waiting for the dakgangjeong, I ended up ordering the nurungji squid sundae too.

Tasting the deodeok dakgangjeong

The box packaging already had that must-try-this vibe — I was excited before even opening it.

Here's today's star, the deodeok dakgangjeong. The box was about the size of two adult hands put together — a generous portion.

Look at that glossy dakgangjeong visual! It couldn't possibly taste bad looking like this haha. Sesame seeds and other seeds were sprinkled on top for extra texture.

The good stuff needs a close-up look ..👀

There was a generous amount of deodeok on there too — as a deodeok lover, this was a hit for me haha. It wasn't raw deodeok but lightly dried, so the texture was pleasantly chewy and it paired really well with the dakgangjeong sauce.

Of course the dakgangjeong itself was also evenly coated with plenty of sauce.

Eating a piece of dakgangjeong together with the deodeok made it even tastier. The deodeok didn't clash with the chicken's flavor at all, which made this deodeok dakgangjeong all the more satisfying. It's a taste I'd want to have again.

They also offer nationwide delivery, so keep that in mind haha. Writing this post has made me want to eat it again already ..

Verdict: Jungang Market snacks in one stop

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip lived up to expectations, and I left really satisfied. It has some distinctive menu items and the flavor was excellent, so overall it was a great experience. Being able to cover dakgangjeong, squid sundae, and fried snacks — the classic Jungang Market foods — all at once is a big plus haha. Highly recommended if you're looking for dakgangjeong at Sokcho's Jungang Market. That's all for now ✋🏻