Korean restaurant in Gangnam with perilla chicken hot pot: Arigyegok

I went to Arigyegok on a day when I wanted something a little different from the usual Korean food near Gangnam Station. On this visit I ordered the 2-person set — mud duck jeonbyeong (fried duck pancake) and perilla seed chicken hot pot — and added a mountain herb chicken salad. I liked that the three dishes didn't all lean the same direction. The duck pancake was all about crunch, the perilla chicken hot pot leaned warm and savory, and the salad played the role of resetting your palate in between. It suited a night when I wanted both an eye-catching dish and something comfortable to settle into.

How ordering works at Arigyegok, and what to pick

At the Gangnam Station branch of Arigyegok, ordering is done through a QR code on the table. I sat down, pulled up the QR menu, and picked from there. The duck pancake caught my eye first, and rather than pairing it with just the hot pot, I decided to add the mountain herb chicken salad too. I figured the dishes wouldn't overlap in flavor, and once the whole spread was laid out, that choice felt even more obvious.

What is the perilla seed chicken hot pot in the 2-person set like?

The perilla seed chicken hot pot from the 2-person set anchored the meal. The perilla broth went well with the chicken, and it was a nice thing to return to after something crispy like the duck pancake. There was a slow, unhurried rhythm to eating a hot broth in front of you — a different kind of comfort from a meal that's strong-flavored from start to finish.

Mud duck jeonbyeong: how it looks and how to wrap it

Mud duck jeonbyeong stopped me visually before I even got to imagining the taste. A whole fried duck placed on the table was striking, and naturally I reached for my phone before my chopsticks. But the real fun of this dish showed up more in the eating than in the looking. Cut into pieces and shared around, it wasn't a dish to finish alone — it kept the table's conversation going too.

The best part of eating the duck pancake was pairing it with the crispy fried dumpling wrapper served alongside. Compared to eating the duck alone, adding the wrapper made each bite's texture much more distinct — satisfying enough that I thought, 'this combo is all you need.' Even if jeonbyeong sounds unfamiliar, if you like crispy fried things and dumpling wrappers, it's an easy flavor to enjoy.

The perilla seed chicken hot pot was the dish I naturally reached for after the duck pancake. The nuttiness of the perilla broth went well with the chicken, and the shift from crunchy texture to warm broth felt smooth. The hot pot alone might feel a bit plain, and the duck pancake alone might feel heavy as a meal — but together, each dish's strengths came through more.

Why add the mountain herb chicken salad?

The mountain herb chicken salad was the extra dish I added that day. I ate it as a palate reset between the duck pancake and the hot pot. After the crispy duck pancake and the perilla broth, the salad made the next bite feel fresh again. Rather than analyzing each dish's flavor at length, the biggest strength of this meal was how clearly each dish had its own role within the spread.

In what order should you eat the three dishes?

A meal focused on one dish is good too, but the memorable part this time was rotating between the three. I ate the duck pancake with the dumpling wrapper, moved to the warmth of the perilla chicken hot pot, then switched things up with the mountain herb chicken salad. There was no fixed order — just picking whatever I was craving in the moment — and it flowed naturally, so the meal didn't feel long even as it stretched on.

I especially thought the mud duck jeonbyeong was more fun with company. Cutting off a piece and pairing it with the dumpling wrapper naturally led to passing it around, and the act of eating itself became part of the fun. It's a visually strong dish, so at first you're busy taking photos, but once you actually eat it, the crispy wrapper combo is what stays with you longer.

Worth knowing before you visit Arigyegok

The mountain herb chicken salad was an extra we ordered that day, so it's worth checking the current menu before visiting for the exact ingredients or availability. I felt this dish kept the duck pancake's fried richness from dragging on too long and balanced the meal overall. If you like a savory hot pot and crispy pancake but want to avoid the whole spread feeling too heavy, this combo is worth considering.

The QR ordering system also suited the flow of the meal well. Being able to sit, take my time browsing the menu, and order from there meant less pressure when comparing unfamiliar dish names on a first visit. The current lineup and availability of the 2-person set and extra dishes may change, so check the QR menu when you actually visit.

Arigyegok Gangnam: the verdict

The mud duck jeonbyeong, perilla seed chicken hot pot, and mountain herb chicken salad I had at Arigyegok each brought something different, and together they made a well-rounded spread. The duck pancake's whole-fried presentation and crispy wrapper pairing, the chicken hot pot's broth that suited the chicken so well, and the salad's role of resetting things in between — all of it stuck with me. Worth remembering for a day near Gangnam Station when you want to share a slightly special Korean meal with company.