Duck BBQ in Gwacheon after Let's Run Park on Golden Week: Deo Chadol

Where is Deo Chadol in Gwacheon, and when can you go?

Deo Chadol (더차돌) is a duck restaurant at 5 Dwitgol 2-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor, in the eatery alley right in front of Exit 3 of Seonbawi Station. It's open 11:00–21:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:30. Parking is available too.

During the October Golden Week holiday we went to Gwacheon Racecourse Park, and afterward stopped by Deo Chadol, a duck restaurant famous as a go-to near Seoul Land.

It sits in the eatery alley right in front of Exit 3 of Seonbawi Station, so it's a really good lunch or dinner stop after Seoul Grand Park, Seoul Land or Racecourse Park.

I heard it has recently been featured on various TV programs, including KBS 2TV's Saengsaeng Jeongbo Tong.

It also has a string of awards, including an excellence prize at the 2024 Gwacheon Restaurant Contest and an excellence rating in the duck category from the Korea Consumer Industry Evaluation, which made me trust it. Maybe it's the know-how built up over many years, but even a single dish tasted like it had real depth and care.

Deo Chadol parking and the walk from Seonbawi Station

Above all, the parking lot is very big and roomy, so it's easy for people driving, and it works well for group or family gatherings. It's also an easy distance to stroll from Seonbawi Station, so the location is just right.

Deo Chadol specializes in duck brisket BBQ. Duck has long been enjoyed as a restorative food, said to be low in fat and high in protein and rich in unsaturated fats. Besides the taste, you really feel the appeal of duck, and it made a hearty meal after a day out at Seoul Land.

What is the atmosphere like inside Deo Chadol?

The first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was the wall covered in celebrity autographs 👀 I guess this really is a pretty famous place in Gwacheon!

As you'd expect from a duck place known as a family dining spot in Gwacheon, the restaurant is very large, with a clean, hygienic interior, so it's a satisfying place for family meals or get-togethers.

What are the menu and prices at Deo Chadol?

As a duck specialist, Deo Chadol has many kinds of duck dishes. The signature menu is below.

• Sulfur duck brisket BBQ (180g) ₩19,000
• Sulfur raw duck jumulleok (seasoned grilled duck, 200g) ₩18,000
• Cheongwadae duck brisket jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) ₩12,000
• Health-boosting brisket duck soup ₩13,000
• Duck jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork-style) lunch ₩15,000

All the side dishes served as standard can be refilled freely at the self-serve bar.

What comes in the Deo Chadol couple course?

The couple course is duck brisket BBQ (200g), raw duck jumulleok (300g), doenjang stew and self-made fried rice, so you get Deo Chadol's popular dishes all at once. Since it's the popular choice, we ordered the couple course set too.

The basic table setting includes cabbage salad, green onion kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, pickled radish wraps (ssammu), garlic, ssamjang (wrap sauce) and vegetables.

I liked that the couple course lets you go in order like a proper course, from duck brisket BBQ to raw duck jumulleok to self-made fried rice. It's fun to taste each dish, and you get to enjoy everything right through to the fried rice at the end.

How does the sulfur duck brisket BBQ taste?

The sulfur duck brisket BBQ is Deo Chadol's signature dish, said to be made with 100% domestic premium sulfur-fed duck.

You grill thinly sliced duck brisket until golden. It's thin so it cooks quickly, the texture is tender, and the nutty flavor typical of duck comes through gently.

Eating it with minari (water dropwort) and fresh vegetables added a fragrant freshness and kept it clean-tasting, and dipping it in the special sauce added extra savoriness, so I kept reaching for more.

I also made wraps with the duck brisket, grilled vegetables and pickled perilla leaves in lettuce, and the nuttiness, the sharp tang and the crunch filled my mouth with flavor.

How was the doenjang stew in the couple course?

The doenjang (fermented soybean paste) stew arrived bubbling hot, with a deep, savory flavor. It was mild and clean rather than salty or harsh, and with the duck it felt like it refreshed my mouth.

How spicy is the sulfur raw duck jumulleok?

The sulfur raw duck jumulleok is Deo Chadol's other signature dish, made with a special seasoning recipe. It had a completely different feel from the duck brisket. The spicy, savory seasoning base was just right to eat with vegetables, like dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), and the moderately spicy sauce plus the nutty duck really whetted the appetite.

The two dishes taste clearly different, so eating the mild, nutty duck brisket first and then the spicy raw duck jumulleok made both even better.

Finishing with self-made fried rice

Fried rice after duck jumulleok is a must, right? Once we'd finished the jumulleok, we ordered the self-made fried rice, and stir-frying it in the spicy but delicious jumulleok sauce made the meal satisfying down to the last bite.

If you like duck, Deo Chadol is a taste you have to try.