Danyang market dakgangjeong stall on a birthday trip: 50-minute wait

I'd wanted to visit Danyang for a year and a half, and finally made it happen as a birthday trip haha! Whenever I travel somewhere, I always check out the local market. I'd seen so many reviews saying Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong (단양흑마늘누룽지닭강정) at Danyang's Gugyeong Market was a must-visit, so it was definitely on my list!

Where is Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, and what are its hours?

• 📍Location: 31-1 Dojeon 4-gil, Danyang-eup, Danyang-gun, Chungbuk, South Korea
• ⏰Hours: Daily 10:00–20:00 (last order 19:30 / closes early when ingredients run out)
• ❌Closed: Open year-round
• 🚘Parking: Use the market parking lot

We'd parked near the aquarium and walked over to Danyang Gugyeong Market since it was close by! It felt like everyone visiting Danyang had gathered at the market that day,, We'd been out all day and every other spot we went to was pretty quiet even though it was a weekend, which was lovely, but the market itself was seriously packed,,?

How long is the weekend wait at the Gugyeong Market stall?

There was already a line when we arrived, and the wait was 50 minutes! 50 minutes just from ordering to the chicken coming out,, But since you can order first and go explore, we put in our order early and wandered around the market haha.

Two flavors: original and double black garlic

Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, a must-visit near Danyang's sights, has two flavors! Original and double black garlic!

Both cost the same haha. We went with the double black garlic flavor!

They also sell black garlic makgeolli (rice wine)!? Apparently it's the only black garlic makgeolli sold in Danyang Gugyeong Market 😝 and it's made fresh that day!? They even told us the shelf-life since it's made same-day, which I really appreciated!?

We came back after 50 minutes to pick up our chicken, but there was still a line,, Even though it was shorter than when we arrived, the wait was now 55 minutes 🥹 I started wondering just how good this must be if people are willing to wait an hour, and it made me even more curious about the taste!!

Picked up our order and headed straight back to the accommodation!!🥹

How spicy is the double black garlic flavor for a spice-shy eater?

The whole ride to the accommodation, the car smelled so strongly of fried chicken — we'd had lunch at 11:30 and had been out all day, so I was starving, and the smell only made it worse!?

When I opened it, the garlic smell hit hard, and maybe because I love garlic, my mouth was watering ㅠㅠ Time for a bite!

Rice crust generously coated in double black garlic sauce! The flavor was like a spicy soy sauce chicken with garlic soaked through — salty and spicy!? Being spice-shy, it was a bit much for me🥹 so I ate a piece of musi (pickled radish) and the tangy bite balanced it out nicely~~🤍

Is the nurungji dakgangjeong still crispy once cold, and does it work with drinks?

The chicken didn't feel like dry chicken breast at all — it was moist and tender! Back at the pension, it made a great drinking snack!? I was a bit sad we didn't get to try it fresh out of the fryer, but it turned out that even cold, it didn't get hard, which made it even better — crispy on the outside, tender chicken inside!!

There was also lotus root inside, which I don't think I've ever seen in dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken) before haha. My overall impression of Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, a Danyang Gugyeong Market favorite: since I'm spice-shy, I couldn't fully enjoy it myself, but the friends I traveled with loved it as the perfect drinking snack!! When I asked if it was worth the hour-long wait, they said they'd want it again next time they visit Danyang! If that's the case, the 50-minute wait wasn't wasted at all~~😝

Tips for cutting the wait at Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong

The wait might've been extra long since we went on a weekend! My tip: as soon as you get to the market, order the chicken first, get your number ticket, and go explore the market — the time flies by!? Order first, then browse — that's the move!🤍