Gwangmyeong chicken stew booked ahead on Naver: Sindaebakjip

Is Sinjjangdak the same place as the old Sindaebakjip?

Sinjjangdak Sotddukkeong Dakdoritang Gwangmyeong Sageori Branch is a chicken stew restaurant at 992 Oriro in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do — and yes, it's the very place that used to be called Sindaebakjip. I was hunting for a dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew) place near Gwangmyeong Sageori with an overwhelming visual, and that's how I ended up at 'Sinjjangdak Sotddukkeong Dakdoritang.'

The old name was Sindaebakjip, but they've changed the sign to Sinjjangdak. Same place though!!

The first thing that catches your eye walking in is the huge cast-iron pot lid.

For reference, soju, drinks, and extra side dishes are all self-serve — you grab them yourself from the fridge.

Booking Sindaebakjip on Naver Reservation to skip the wait

At Sinjjangdak Gwangmyeong Sageori Branch, if you pre-order your dish while booking through Naver Reservation, the food is ready the moment your reservation time comes around. I ordered the aged-kimchi dakdoritang ahead of time while making the reservation, and sure enough they were already cooking it in a corner of the restaurant, timed to my slot. This place is famous for waits near Gwangmyeong Sageori Station, so this felt like a much more efficient way to run things. Thumbs up!

Aged-kimchi dakdoritang in a pot that fills half the table

What I ordered that day was Sinjjangdak's signature dish, the aged-kimchi cast-iron lid dakdoritang (₩18,500 per person)! A whole head of well-fermented aged kimchi goes in, and a staff member cut the green onion and kimchi into bite-sized pieces for us, which made the wait much easier!!

Wait, the pot is huge haha. Can you tell from the size compared to my hand? The ingredients came piled generously into a pot lid big enough to take up half the table, and my excitement was building before I even took a bite. So thrilling.

They added potato, fish cake, and rice cake for us. The portion got seriously, seriously generous, haha.

As the broth kept boiling, the tangy, deep flavor of the aged kimchi soaked right into the chicken. You can eat the smaller pieces of meat right away, but I'd recommend letting the bigger chunks simmer a bit longer.

The chicken had no gamey smell and was so tender, and wrapping it in well-fermented kimchi for one bite was truly the real deal 🥹. Mixing the well-cooked potato and broth into rice was also amazing!!

Best add-in at Sindaebakjip: the fish cake skewer

If you're deciding on an add-in at Sinjjangdak, I recommend the fish cake skewer (₩1,000). It was recommended to me as the sarl add-in, and after actually trying it, I get why. Once it soaks up the broth, it's kind of like tteokbokki fish cake — but honestly even better haha. Officially a hidden gem!!! If you're on the fence about add-ins, fish cake is a must.

Evenings at Sindaebakjip: open doors and an outdoor-tent mood

In the evening they open the whole storefront up, which gives it a bit of that outdoor pojangmacha (street tent) feel — really nice. It was cool out so eating felt even better >_<

Self-fried rice to finish (the staff actually fries it)

Once you've worked through most of the chicken, the K-dessert that is self-fried rice (₩2,000) is absolutely mandatory. You know it 😉. It's called 'self' fried rice, but the staff really does it all, so there's nothing left for you to do ^^. They toss rice and roasted seaweed flakes into the leftover sauce right on the pot lid, and thanks to the heat of the cast iron, the bottom crisps up into a nutty, scorched-rice-like layer that's insanely good. Wait, but isn't this way too much for one serving? Haha, ㅠ. This owner must have a really generous hand,,?^_^. We saved room for the fried rice by leaving some meat, and word has it it made for a great next-day meal too, boxed up~~~

They even chopped the aged kimchi in nicely!

Since it's built on the aged-kimchi sauce base, the fried rice stayed clean and satisfying all the way to the last bite. I was so, so full.

How long is the 6pm wait at Sindaebakjip, and is it worth it?

Honestly, I came here on a date with my fiancé and later came back again for a pre-wedding gathering, hehe. By around 6pm the wait was no joke. I'd still recommend this Gwangmyeong Sageori Station spot even if it means waiting.

The staff were all kind, the food was delicious, and it filled us right up — my recommendation for a Sindaebakjip-turned-Sinjjangdak spot near Gwangmyeong Sageori Station. Ate well and left stuffed!!