Friday night chicken stir-fry takeout in Yesan: Sijang Dakbokkeum

On Fridays I don't want to cook — I want delivery or takeout^^ The work week's almost over and it's an exciting Friday night. What are you all planning after work today, and what delicious dinner are you thinking about~?

Funny thing is, on any weeknight I want something tasty and a good time after work, but on a Friday, with the weekend right there ahead, I really want to cut loose, eat well, and relax properly. So especially once I get home, instead of going through the hassle of cooking something good myself, I'd rather pay for food someone else made deliciously.

I'm not great at cooking, so my beloved future wife — current girlfriend — often offers to make me a nice pasta or a fresh salad. But on Fridays especially, I want to keep her out of the kitchen after a hard week's work and just put something delicious straight in her mouth, so I often order delivery or pick up food myself and rush over to her place.

Why Sijang Dakbokkeum for Friday night takeout?

The go-to menu for delivery and takeout is pretty much always chicken. There's fried chicken, there's gizzards, but my girlfriend isn't really into fried chicken. So I often bring home dakbokkeum (Korean chicken stir-fry) instead — it feels more like a proper dish, and when it's done well, it's really good.

Luckily, in Yesan-gun, a place I visit fairly often, there's a Yesan Market restaurant that makes dakbokkeum so well I never get tired of it, so this time I stopped by for a second visit and took some home. A Yesan Market must-visit, handy for takeout near Splash Resom, a favorite near Yesangho Lake — Sijang Dakbokkeum. I want to eat it again this Friday too~ :)

What eating chicken stir-fry inside a traditional market feels like

A good restaurant inside a traditional market just hits differently than a regular commercial eatery — it somehow feels more like a proper find, more special. A lot of people love that market atmosphere enough to seek out traditional markets often. I'm one of them too.

Sijang Dakbokkeum is located inside Yesan Market. Yesan Market is worth a visit at least once — the parking lot is large and free. There are plenty of good restaurants, and you can spread out your food in the central plaza to eat, which really captures that market atmosphere. When I visited last week, even in the heat, I saw people eating in the shade of the plaza with just big fans keeping them cool despite the wide-open, sweltering air, and I honestly felt respect for them. Markets like this give us special moments and memories. Give Sijang Dakbokkeum a try~^^

Sijang Dakbokkeum

Parking at Yesan Market and finding GATE4

Here's the outside of Yesan Market, where Sijang Dakbokkeum is located, and the parking lot. As you can see, the lot is huge and split across several spots, making parking really convenient. And it's free!! The market has several entrances, but to reach Sijang Dakbokkeum more easily, I'd recommend using GATE4. That said, it's not a massive, sprawling market, so any entrance works fine too.

The open kitchen and the slushie stand out front

There's a guide map at the market entrance that makes it easier to find the shop. I arrived at a retro-feeling storefront. It has a fully open kitchen, so you can watch the cooking happen right in front of you. Out front they also sell slushies, perfect for a hot summer day — something both kids and adults would love.

Kiosk ordering, and the bone-in dakbokkeum sold out

You order comfortably through the kiosk inside the restaurant. Even if you're not sure how it works, the staff will kindly walk you through it, so there's no issue. Being a popular spot, the bone-in dakbokkeum was already sold out the day I went, so I ordered the boneless version instead. After ordering at the kiosk, if you leave your phone number, you get a KakaoTalk alert like the one in the last photo — very convenient.

Boneless dakbokkeum with cheese, served with cucumber salad

The food didn't take too long to come out, which I really appreciated. It was packed up neatly, and I happily carried the takeout over to my girlfriend's place. She never lets me arrive to nothing — she'd already made a delicious cucumber salad to go with the dakbokkeum. That turned out to be a genius move, since it paired perfectly with the dish and we ate it all up.

Being boneless made it even easier to eat, and the cheese I'd added was honestly the kicker. The crisp shishito peppers cut through the richness and added a great aroma, so I enjoyed it from start to finish and even scraped up the sauce.

This was already my second visit, and I have a feeling there'll be a third before long. Looking forward to it. Everyone, eat something delicious this Friday too.