Gwacheon duck BBQ course for 3 with soju-beer and minari: Deo Chadol

The weather has been sooo~~~~ nice lately, so I bet a lot of you are heading out with family every weekend. Gwacheon especially is perfect for a family outing since you can do Seoul Land, Seoul Grand Park, and the zoo all in one day!! This time I went to Deo Chadol, a Gwacheon Seoul Land restaurant famous for duck dishes??? But seriously. This place, are you kidding me...???

I went at an awkward hour, 1:30pm, and I was first surprised there was already a wait. Second, I got curious about a menu I'd never heard of — not beef brisket, but duck brisket. By the time I walked out, you'll understand why my title is like this!!!!! What made it taste that good........ let me explain why the title just burst out of me.

Deo Chadol in Gwacheon: the verdict up front

Deo Chadol in Gwacheon was so satisfying across the board — the duck brisket BBQ, fresh duck jumulleok, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and fried rice in the 3-person course — that we finished every last bite. For those of you too busy to read this whole review, here's the verdict up front. This place, are you kidding me... why is it this good. I'm almost mad at how good it was

Every single dish was satisfying enough that we cleaned our plates completely. It stood out even among the recent meals I've had. Paid with my own money, 200% would go back!! If you're wondering where to eat near Gwacheon's Seoul Land or Seoul Grand Park, keep this place in mind. haha

Where is Deo Chadol, and how's the parking?

Deo Chadol is right in front of Exit 3 of Seonbawi Station, on the first floor of a standalone building to the left of the Hyundai Motors dealership. The location was great from the start, and it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit.

Being close to Seonbawi Station makes it easy to reach by public transit, and the dedicated parking lot is spacious enough to make driving convenient too. It's also a good distance by car from Seoul Grand Park or Gwacheon Racecourse, so it works perfectly as a meal stop after an outing.

Is there really a wait even at 1:30pm on a weekend?

I arrived at Deo Chadol around a late 1:30pm weekend lunch, and there was still a wait. Gwacheon's Seoul Land restaurants really are different haha. Even well past normal lunch hours, there were people waiting, which makes me wonder just how popular it gets during peak hours hahaha.

While waiting I had a glass of cold omija tea (five-flavor berry tea) that was already prepared — ahh~ tangy and sweet, really got my appetite going. haha

What's the vibe inside Deo Chadol?

Walking inside Deo Chadol, I saw a lot of celebrity autographs. There's a reason famous people come here!! The tables were also spaced generously apart, making for a comfortable dining atmosphere.

What's in the Deo Chadol 3-person course?

The Deo Chadol 3-person course includes 350g of duck brisket BBQ plus 400g of fresh duck jumulleok (spicy stir-fried duck), along with doenjang jjigae and self-fried rice. That's what we ordered!

Duck brisket BBQ, wrapped in minari

First we grilled the duck brisket. We grilled it to a nice golden brown and wrapped it with minari (water dropwort)... wait, why is duck brisket this savory?? haha I'm used to beef brisket, but this was my first time with duck brisket.

It chews softly while the savory flavor comes through, and with the fragrant minari added on top, I thought — this is a deliberately, ridiculously good combination... I got so hooked I couldn't not drink soju-beer. That's my excuse anyway~~~

The side dish was excellent, the beer was excellent — I won't forget that soju-beer at Deo Chadol, the Gwacheon Seoul Land restaurant

Self-serve bar and doenjang jjigae

Deo Chadol has a separate self-serve bar where you can freely grab wrap vegetables and various side dishes — and best of all, the wrap vegetables were fresh!!!

The doenjang jjigae served alongside was also really good. Look how packed it is with ingredients. It was great to spoon into between bites of meat. haha

Fresh duck jumulleok, seasoned gently enough for kids

For the fresh duck jumulleok in the Deo Chadol 3-person course, you ask for it once you've nearly finished the duck brisket. The jumulleok comes loaded with vegetables, and the sauce isn't too spicy or intense, so I think kids would eat it well too. It's a different kind of appeal from the brisket, so I really liked that this course lets you enjoy both in one sitting.

So the pairing with the duck jumulleok went to bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine) and cider. It was originally supposed to be beer and soju, but since I'd already had way too much soju-beer, we switched to a bokbunja wine plus cider combo!!!

This is a total drink-magnet of a side dish... ah, it's really so sweet...♥

Finishing with self-fried rice in the leftover sauce

Is there a more perfect ending than diligently frying rice in the leftover sauce?

I think this one photo of us cleaning our plates down to dish-washing level says it all about how satisfied we were with Deo Chadol, the Gwacheon Seoul Land restaurant. From the duck brisket to the jumulleok to the fried rice, we ate reeeeeally thoroughly and well!

Dessert: persimmon ice cream

At Deo Chadol, leaving a review gets you persimmon ice cream for dessert, so of course I made sure to enjoy that too

Worth going back to Deo Chadol after a Gwacheon outing?

Deo Chadol was satisfying across the board — duck brisket, jumulleok, doenjang jjigae, fried rice — making it one of the most memorable meals I've had recently. If you're planning a trip to Seoul Grand Park, Seoul Land, the zoo, or anywhere around Gwacheon, I highly recommend this as your meal spot!! I'm definitely coming back here again. 💕