Post-hike duck BBQ and makgeolli in Gongdeok, Seoul: Gongjung Dodeok

Mornings and evenings have gotten pretty cool lately — perfect season for outdoor drinking spots. I was looking for a good place to grab a post-hike drink after a fall hike and ended up at Gongjung Dodeok in Gongdeok.

It's located between Gongdeok Station and Daeheung Station, and it's known for its half-and-half set that lets you have duck roast and duck bulgogi at the same time.

You can spot a giant duck sign from far away, so even on a first visit it wasn't hard to find the place haha. The name was unusual the first time I heard it too — apparently it means "a duck restaurant in Gongdeok where lots of people enjoy themselves together."

There's outdoor bench seating out front, which made it perfect for visiting on a nice day like the ones we've been having lately.

Where is Gongjung Dodeok, and when is it open?

• 📍 28 Baekbeom-ro 20-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1F, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–22:30 (last order 21:30)
• 🚇 About a 5-minute walk from Daeheung Station Exit 3
• 🚗 No dedicated parking
• ✔️ Reservations via Naver Reservation / Catch Table
• ✔️ Free corkage

Outdoor bench seats or indoor tables at Gongjung Dodeok?

The outdoor bench seating had a nice atmosphere, but Gongjung Dodeok's indoor seating was also quite spacious. Walking in, it felt like a slightly more polished version of a folk village.

It was a comfortable place to chat with friends or a partner over a meal. Each table has a burner for grilling the duck, and you check the menu and order via a QR code at the table, which was convenient.

Gongjung Dodeok menu: why first-timers order the half-and-half set

If it's your first visit, I personally think the half-and-half set is the best choice. If you're curious about the roast but also want the bulgogi, you don't have to pick just one — you can have both on the same grill.

I ordered the medium size of the half-and-half set.

What comes with the Gongjung half-and-half set for two, 69,000 won

On this visit I ordered the Gongjung half-and-half set for two at 69,000 won, the barley shrimp minari pancake at 22,000 won, and jijangsu makgeolli at 13,000 won.

The half-and-half set for two comes with plain duck roast, seasoned duck bulgogi, minari (water dropwort) and potatoes, plus a side of duck potato stew called gonggamtang.

Here's the basic side dish setup — comes with perilla leaves and sauce~

Minari and potatoes cooked in duck fat on the grill

As the minari cooks in the duck fat and the bulgogi sauce naturally soaks into the potatoes, the grill just keeps getting tastier the more you eat...

I lightly wilted the minari in the duck fat on the grill until it just barely softened, then ate it with the duck — the distinctive fragrance of minari really cut through the richness.

The bulgogi was properly marinated, giving it a completely different appeal from the roast. The sauce was salty with a hint of sweetness, and as it mixed with the duck fat, the flavor kept getting richer!

I especially loved the potatoes that cooked alongside the bulgogi. Potatoes soaked in sauce and duck fat like that are basically impossible to mess up.

How to eat the grilled duck at Gongjung Dodeok

The roast had no seasoning, so it was great for enjoying the savory flavor of the duck itself. Cooked until nicely browned, it was slightly crispy outside and stayed moist inside, and it tasted even better with ssammu (pickled radish), perilla leaves, or green onion kimchi.

Gonggamtang, a duck take on spicy potato stew

And then there's the gonggamtang that comes with the half-and-half set! I wondered what it was from the name alone at first, but simply put, it's like a gamjatang (potato and pork bone stew) made with duck instead of pork.

It's loaded with duck meat and vegetables, plus perilla powder, so the broth was savory and a little spicy. Simmered bubbling on the burner, it was perfect for spooning up hot broth between bites of meat!

This paired so well with the makgeolli too. Eating duck alone can get a bit greasy after a while, but a spoonful of gonggamtang broth reset my palate, so I could keep enjoying it all the way through.

Is the 22,000-won barley shrimp minari pancake worth it?

For a side dish, I ordered the barley shrimp minari pancake. Just looking at the price, it seemed a bit pricey for a side, but once it arrived, the size made total sense!

More importantly, it wasn't just a thick flour pancake — it was packed with minari, and there were tons of barley shrimp tucked in between.

The outside was crispy while the fragrant minari flavor stayed alive on the inside.

Every bite had that distinctive savory umami from the barley shrimp, making it great to pick at between bites of duck.

If you personally like minari, I'd say it's worth ordering alongside the duck.

Jijangsu makgeolli, 13,000 won: the post-hike finish

And to finish off this combo — jijangsu makgeolli! Sitting outdoors with duck and minari pancake, how could I not have makgeolli haha.

It paired well with the seasoned duck bulgogi too, but I especially loved taking a bite of the crispy barley shrimp minari pancake followed by a sip of makgeolli.

With the fragrant minari and umami from the barley shrimp, adding makgeolli into the mix made it feel like a proper night out at a Korean tavern!

Final verdict on Gongjung Dodeok

What I liked most about Gongjung Dodeok is that instead of the usual samgyeopsal or beef spot, it's centered on duck, letting you enjoy both roast and bulgogi together. If you're looking for a different kind of meat restaurant near Gongdeok or Daeheung Station, or want to eat duck bulgogi and roast at once, Gongjung Dodeok is a Gongdeok restaurant worth checking out.