Dakdoritang for 3 and self-fried rice at Sindaebakjip, Gwangmyeong

How do you get to Sindaebakjip Gwangmyeong Sageori Branch?

Sindaebakjip Gwangmyeong Sageori Branch is a cast-iron chicken stew restaurant at 992 Oriro, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, open Mon-Sun 11:00-23:00. This was the day we were planning to go grocery shopping at Gwangmyeong Market. So before shopping we figured we should grab lunch nearby, and while trying to decide what to eat, I found out about this dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew) place known as a Gwangmyeong Sageori favorite, so we came here.

• Address: 992 Oriro, 101 and 102 ho, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00am-11:00pm
• Other: Group friendly, takeout, separate restrooms, waiting area

This place has a great location, just a minute's walk from Gwangmyeong Sageori Station. We also drove there and were happy that they offer parking support.

For reference, they say they use 100% domestic chicken, hand-trimmed daily, with a homemade low-temperature aged sauce for a deep, rich flavor. Cooking in a cast-iron pot lid also gives it a deep savoriness, and you can eat in or take out.

What are the dining room and seating like at Sindaebakjip?

We walked in feeling excited, and wow, the seats were spacious and plentiful. It looked like a great spot for family meals, friend gatherings, or office dinners.

Sindaebakjip menu: dakdoritang and add-ons

Sindaebakjip Gwangmyeong Sageori Branch has two menu options: cast-iron chicken stew and aged kimchi cast-iron chicken stew. We sat down at a comfortable spot and looked over the menu. For add-ons, there were fish cake skewers, cheese, rice cake, glass noodles, potato, and ramen noodles. And for extra dishes, there was steamed egg, self-fried rice, and plain rice.

They also sell crispy potato pancake, by the way. Since there were three of us and we wanted something special, we decided on the signature aged kimchi cast-iron chicken stew.

Why does Sindaebakjip cook dakdoritang in a cast-iron pot lid?

After ordering, I looked around and found a note explaining why they insist on the cast-iron pot lid. It said cast iron has high thermal conductivity, so heat spreads quickly across the whole pot and keeps a steady temperature for more delicious cooking. It also said the lid's bottom is narrower and rounder than the top, which keeps the ingredients moving evenly so heat reaches everything and the stew cooks at a consistently high temperature for better results. They said they cook chicken exactly the way it's been done for generations, carrying on the wisdom of minimizing nutrient loss, and it made me even more excited to try it.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar at Sindaebakjip

While we were chatting, they brought out the basic side dishes.

If you run out of side dishes, you can grab more from the self-serve bar.

How did the aged kimchi cast-iron dakdoritang taste?

A little while after the side dishes came out, the main dish arrived. Doesn't it look amazing?

Since aged kimchi went into this dish, a staff member came over and cut the kimchi into bite-sized pieces for us. I filmed it so you can see it clearly, so check that out. Once it was all prepped, it was finally time to taste it.

I tried the chicken leg first, and wow, it was so good. It really lived up to being a Gwangmyeong Sageori dakdoritang favorite.

The potatoes were well cooked too, so we kept snacking on them in between, and I loved how much aged kimchi was packed in.

And the broth was so rich, I kept reaching for more.

For reference, wrapping the chicken in aged kimchi made an amazing flavor combination.

The wing meat couldn't possibly be bad either, right?

And with so many different cuts, it was fun to pick and choose what to eat.

Eating happily in every way we could, the three of us demolished all the meat in no time.

Finishing with two rounds of self-fried rice

Fried rice is a must after finishing the meat, right? So we ordered two portions of self-fried rice.

If you're curious how it gets fried up so deliciously, check out the video. Now we let the nicely fried rice sit and press down a bit.

Once it was cooked through nicely, I took a big bite, and yep, it was delicious.

We piled the leftover aged kimchi on top and kept eating happily. If you're looking for a Gwangmyeong Sageori dakdoritang favorite or want something special, I recommend giving this place a try.