Danyang market fried chicken stall revisit: 25-minute Sunday wait

This is the dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken glazed in sweet-savory sauce) shop at Danyang Gugyeong Market that I fell in love with on a past trip and absolutely had to revisit. I told my friend she just had to try it, so here's the takeout report on the Heukmaneul (black garlic) double-flavor nurungji dakgangjeong and the black garlic makgeolli (rice wine).

A must-visit spot at Danyang Gugyeong Market: Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong — the double black garlic flavor is non-negotiable

Why I came back to Danyang Gugyeong Market for dakgangjeong

The moment I knew I was heading back to Danyang, there was one place I already had marked as a must-stop: Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong inside Danyang Gugyeong Market. I'd tried it on an earlier Danyang trip and remembered it being seriously delicious. So this time I basically dragged my friend along, insisting she absolutely had to try the dakgangjeong here — it felt like a required stop.

Danyang Gugyeong Market itself is full of garlic-based food, so it's fun to wander and snack your way through. Among all of it, dakgangjeong is great both as an on-the-spot snack and as takeout for late-night eating back at the hotel.

A 25-minute takeout wait at Sunday lunchtime

I went on a Sunday around lunchtime, and thankfully the wait was only 25 minutes. Last time I waited a full hour, but this time — also a Sunday, but a bit earlier — the wait was shorter. Even from a distance, the big signs reading "Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong" and "Life Dakgangjeong" stood out, and the area around the shop was plastered with evidence of TV features.

Best of all, they had the different types of dakgangjeong laid out in front so you could compare them visually. You could also taste-test while waiting, which made it easy to decide what flavor to go with. The menu had Heukmaneul original and Heukmaneul double flavor, among others, and I went straight for the double-flavor version without a second thought.

Double black garlic vs. original: how do they differ?

As the name suggests, the double-flavor version catches your eye first with its much darker color than the original. The sauce has a glossy coating, and with the first bite, behind the sweet-savory dakgangjeong glaze you get a deep, heavy black garlic flavor. That said, it's not the sharp, pungent kick of raw garlic hitting you. The garlic flavor is more sweet and concentrated, blended naturally into the sauce — if you like garlic, I'd recommend the double flavor.

And here's why this place is called Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong, not just Heukmaneul Dakgangjeong — big pieces of nurungji (crispy scorched rice) are mixed in between the chicken pieces. The crunchy nurungji picks up the rich dakgangjeong sauce, and you end up popping pieces like chips — it's surprisingly a nice extra treat.

Even after some time had passed since I picked it up, the rich sauce flavor held up well, and eating the nurungji pieces in between kept the texture from getting monotonous. I remembered loving this place before, and confidently recommended it to my friend — sure enough, it was still exactly my taste. This time, instead of just getting dakgangjeong, I also picked up the black garlic makgeolli sold right next door.

Black garlic makgeolli: two bottles for 10,000 won

As shown in the photo, the makgeolli was displayed separately in front of the shop, sold as a two-bottle set for ₩10,000. Since garlic is so famously tied to Danyang, grabbing black garlic makgeolli instead of a regular one felt like the more fitting travel choice.

More than anything, the sweet, savory, garlic-heavy dakgangjeong paired really well with the makgeolli. If you're planning to grab a bunch of market food and have a drink back at your accommodation, it's worth picking this combo up too.

Danyang Gugyeong Market has so much food that I always end up agonizing over what to eat, but Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong is the one place I go back to without a second thought. If you're the type who returns to a place that impressed you on a previous trip, then in my book this one's already proven itself — enough that I dragged my friend along this time, telling her "you have to eat this if you're in Danyang."

Who should order from Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong

If you're after food that feels distinctly Danyang rather than just generic fried chicken, or if you like a strong garlic flavor, I'd recommend the Heukmaneul double flavor. The nurungji mixed in also sets it apart from typical dakgangjeong in a fun way. Next time I'm back in Danyang and stop by Gugyeong Market, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting takeout here again. If you're looking for a Danyang Gugyeong Market restaurant or a Danyang dakgangjeong spot, this is a genuinely worthwhile pick for a travel snack or late-night hotel bite.

• Heukmaneul double flavor if you want a strong garlic-forward dakgangjeong
• For anyone who wants to enjoy the crunchy nurungji texture too
• For anyone who needs a late-night snack to pair with makgeolli back at the hotel