Hongdae terrace chicken pub: Namhae Garlic Basasak combo, Goobne

I was looking for a chicken place with a good vibe in Hongdae and ended up at Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road (굽네치킨 홍대레드로드점). I usually eat Goobne as delivery, but this time I wanted to try it freshly baked.

Where is Goobne Hongdae Red Road, and what are the hours?

Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road is 580m from Exit 3 of Hapjeong Station. You can reserve through Naver, so it's easy to book whenever you like.

• Hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 – 02:00 (next day)
• Hours: Fri, Sat 11:00 – 03:00 (next day)
• Other: delivery, takeout, group seating, Wi-Fi, reservations

A Hongdae outdoor-drinking chicken spot: what's the 1st-floor terrace like?

The first floor has terrace seats and bar-style seats. What stood out most was the terrace near the entrance. In cool weather like this, having chicken and beer outside beats sitting indoors, right?

Sitting on the terrace, you can soak up Hongdae's lively energy and enjoy that outdoor-drinking feel (yajang, 야장). It's a great fit for anyone hunting for a Hongdae yajang chicken place.

2nd-floor tables and window seats

Head up the stairs and the second floor has tables where several people can sit comfortably. It's mostly regular tables, so it looks easy for groups. Windows on both sides keep the space from feeling stuffy, and you get a sense of the street outside, which I liked.

The appeal is that you get an outdoor-drinking feel even without a terrace seat. Depending on the weather and which seats are free, you can choose between the first-floor terrace and the second-floor window seats.

What's at the self bar?

Goobne Hongdae Red Road has a self bar where you can help yourself to what you need. It had a water purifier, tongs, forks, disposable plastic gloves and pickled radish. I liked that you can take as much radish as you want so you never run out mid-chicken. The disposable gloves are handy too if you don't like getting sauce or oil on your hands.

How much is the Namhae Garlic Basasak combo, and what comes in it?

The Namhae Garlic Basasak combo was ₩26,900 and a Coke Zero was ₩3,000.

We ordered the Namhae Garlic Basasak combo. A Goobne combo comes with 5 drumsticks, 5 wings and 5 winglets. The biggest plus is that there's no dry breast meat, just the soft, moist cuts.

How do Namhae Garlic Basasak taste and feel?

Maybe because it came out freshly baked in the shop, I got warmth and a nutty garlic aroma right away. The surface has a crispy, crumble-like coating, so it's crunchier than ordinary oven-baked chicken.

It's closer to a thin, light crunch than the thick, oily crunch of fried batter. Since it was fresh out of the oven, the texture of the coating really came through. I liked the clean savoriness typical of oven-baked chicken, and the outside was nutty while the meat inside stayed moist, so it didn't eat dry.

Is the garlic spicy or sharp?

Above all, Namhae Garlic Basasak is chicken with charming garlic flavor. You might expect raw-garlic sharpness or heat, but when you actually eat it, the center is the mild sweetness and nutty aroma you get from roasted garlic.

How should you eat it with the Marbling sauce?

Namhae Garlic Basasak comes with a Marbling sauce to go with the chicken. It's tasty plain, but the sauce gives you a different experience.

The soft, creamy Marbling sauce coats the chicken and makes it moister and richer. The mayonnaise-style nuttiness and mild sweetness blend nicely with the garlic aroma. Dip generously and the crisp coating against the smooth sauce makes it even better.

Personally, once I started dipping, the plain pieces felt a little bland. So I'd recommend eating the first few pieces without sauce to taste the garlic's own nuttiness, then switching to the sauce.

Who is Goobne Hongdae Red Road good for?

Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road is a fine spot for a casual chicken-and-beer (chimaek) night with a friend, or for dinner during a Hongdae date. The Namhae Garlic Basasak blended crispy texture, moist meat and the nuttiness of roasted garlic well. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes savory, flavorful chicken over heavy seasoned chicken.