Large-portion dakgangjeong at Suyu Market chicken shop Gimssi Chicken

My husband has always loved dakgangjeong (sweet and spicy crispy fried chicken bites), so when I found out about a super budget-friendly, spicy-sweet dakgangjeong shop, I headed to Gimssi Chicken's Suyu Market branch. The portion was way more generous than I expected for the price, and I enjoyed it so much I had to write this up.

Where is Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch, and how do you visit?

Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch is on the 1st floor at 29 Dobong-ro 71-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea, inside Suyu Market. It's open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and if you use the Suyu Market parking lot and make a purchase, you can request a parking voucher.

Gimssi Chicken is famous inside Suyu Market for its great value! The portions are huge for the price, and I was practically pulled in by the smell of chicken frying as I walked past — ended up ordering right there. They started frying as soon as I placed my order.

Sauce and whole fried chicken prices at Gimssi Chicken

Extra sauces are just ₩500 each, and there's a good variety: spicy seasoning sauce, seasoned chicken sauce, cheese jalapeño sauce, mustard sauce, and cheese mustard sauce. With so many options, you can enjoy several different flavors.

Wings are ₩8,000 for 8 pieces or ₩10,000 for 11, and drumsticks are ₩8,000 for 7 or ₩10,000 for 11 — real market prices. These days even a basic whole fried chicken at most chicken shops runs well over ₩10,000, but at Gimssi Chicken the old-style whole fried chicken is just ₩7,000, and the seasoned version is ₩10,000! Price-wise, nothing else comes close...

Why we chose the medium-spice large-portion dakgangjeong

There were three spice levels for the dakgangjeong: original mild, a medium level about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, and a really hot option. My husband and I went with the medium spice large size (₩17,000). These days, even a small dakgangjeong ordered through a delivery app easily costs ₩20,000, so I was already excited to see how much ₩17,000 for a large size would get us.

You can pay easily with Zero Pay or Kakao Pay, and if you don't have a card or cash on hand, bank transfer works too!

Is the dakgangjeong still crispy under the sweet sauce?

Seeing the perfectly fried chicken finally come out made my mouth water instantly — it looked so good. Then came the highlight: coating it evenly in their 15-year secret-recipe sauce!

They mix in a bit of tteok (rice cake) too, so between bites you get the crunch of the chicken and the chewiness of the rice cake keeping things interesting. Looking at how thoroughly the sauce coated everything, I worried it might be too spicy, but it wasn't sharp or overwhelming at all. I've been cutting spicy food out of my diet lately so even a little makes me react strongly, but this was more like a light, pleasant kick.

What I liked most about Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch was how the crispy fried coating and the sweet sauce worked together!! Usually once a sweet sauce soaks into fried chicken, it either goes hard or turns soggy, and you lose interest in eating more. But Gimssi Chicken's dakgangjeong was still good as a snack even cold — my husband decided to save half in the fridge and ended up pulling it out later that night as a snack while gaming.

They toss the chicken around to make sure the sauce coats it evenly, and just watching from a distance, the sight and the sweet smell alone made my stomach growl automatically.

How big is the large portion? Enough to overflow the tub

Maybe because we ordered the large size, they kept piling chicken in until it overflowed the container. It's delicious warm, and just as good cold, when the sweetness of the sauce keeps you reaching back for more.

Is Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch worth a stop in Gangbuk?

• If you want dakgangjeong that's crispy outside with a sweet sauce, try Gimssi Chicken
• One of the top three for value among fried chicken shops
• Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch has parking available
• Tastes great even after it cools down