Gwangmyeong chicken stew restaurant for huge portions: Sindaebakjip

Sindaebakjip after a look around Gwangmyeong Market

Not long ago, a friend and I were looking around Gwangmyeong Market and wondering what to have for lunch~? That is when we went to Sindaebakjip, a popular spot around Gwangmyeong Sageori. Aged-kimchi chicken stew—doesn't that sound like such a delicious combination?

I spent ages looking for Sindaebakjip, only to find out that it had changed to Sinjjangdak. And there I was, wandering around forever without knowing ^^;

Sinjjangdak is less than a one-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gwangmyeong Sageori Station. It is especially close to Gwangmyeong Traditional Market, so lots of people stop by for lunch after browsing the market. It was completely full when we went at lunchtime. It would have been a disaster if we had not made a reservation, haha.

Ah!!! There are a few parking spaces on basement level 1, and it is a mechanical parking garage. Bigger cars might have a hard time fitting into the mechanical parking, maybe..?

Ordering the aged-kimchi pot-lid chicken stew

The former Sindaebakjip, now Sinjjangdak, has just two main menu choices: pot-lid chicken stew and aged-kimchi pot-lid chicken stew!!! You can never go wrong with aged kimchi,,,, We ordered the aged-kimchi pot-lid chicken stew for 2. Even the add-ons all looked like delicious picks. Wow!!!

Tangy side dishes and a self-serve bar

Once you order and sit down, they bring over these three side dishes: pickled garlic stems? pickled cabbage, and baek-kimchi (mild white kimchi)!!! They were not salty and nicely tangy(?), so they went perfectly with the chicken stew. We refilled them and ate two plates!

There is a separate self-serve bar, so it was really nice to take as many side dishes as we needed without feeling awkward~!

Behind the self-serve bar, you can see the portioned chicken! It looked clean and fresh even at a glance. The restaurant itself felt clean and well kept~!

Rather than cooking hidden away in the kitchen, the owner cooked it in a big pot where customers could watch if they wanted to. It looked even cleaner and more trustworthy that way.

Aged-kimchi chicken stew filling a huge pot lid

After a little wait, out came the aged-kimchi pot-lid chicken stew~! It is Sindaebakjip's signature menu around Gwangmyeong Sageori!!! I was shocked at how huge it was when they first carried it over, hahaha. The pot was that big, yet it was kept so clean. Hygiene: good!!!!

The owner pulled the kimchi into long strips and told us to wrap it around the chicken before eating it. I guess it is extra tasty this way!

It is hard to get a sense of just how huge this pot lid is; my hand is big for a woman's hand, but it was seriously~~~~ huge, and there was so much food. Give it a little stir here and there and let it reduce a bit more—it gets even tastier.

Rich, not-too-salty broth and big chicken pieces

So rich~ the broth is incredible. I was worried it might be salty enough that we would need to order rice, but it was not salty at all. Even spooning up the broth, the seasoning was just right.

I cannot even convey how big the drumsticks were;; They use big chickens, not small ones. The portion was enormous. It would have been a disaster if we had ordered add-ons..!!!!

So~ just as the owner said, I rolled the chicken in aged kimchi and popped it into my mouth in one bite~ pure heaven!!!!! Aged kimchi never lets you down...!! But the seasoning here is insane. That rich flavor, and the aged kimchi was perfectly fermented too!!!

But no matter how much we ate, it just did not seem to disappear... We had really wanted to have fried rice too, but there was absolutely no way we could manage it... We left a few pieces of chicken, potatoes, and kimchiㅠㅠ Such a shame, I could cry, ha,,,, I am a big eater, but the serving was really, really huge. I truly recommend this place for anyone who eats well!