Dakgalbi restaurant in Seocho, Seoul: Dakgalbijeon Gangnam Branch

I visited Dakgalbijeon Gangnam Branch (닭갈비전 강남점), where you can wrap dakgalbi in potato pancake near Sinnonhyeon. I added udon noodles to the cheese dakgalbi and perilla-leaf potato pancake set, then finished with fried rice. Dakgalbi tasted different on its own and wrapped in the pancake, so it was nice to alternate between them.

How do you get there from Sinnonhyeon Station, and where can you park?

The restaurant is on the second floor of Gangnam Dioville at 54 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It is about a four-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 9. The original post lists hours of 11:00–22:00, and the building's underground parking is free for one hour.

A little way in from the main road, the building stands in front of a residential area. I did not notice the side entrance at first, so I used the elevator inside. The stairs beside the building lead directly to the restaurant.

Are there seats suitable for a group?

I arrived a little early and got in without waiting. More guests kept arriving afterward and the restaurant filled up, so I felt there could be a wait at peak times. I did not actually wait during my visit.

Near the entrance, there were two large round tables that seated five to six people. These tables are for groups of four or more, and I was told you can ask the owner in advance while waiting to be seated. If you are visiting with a group, it seems better to make a reservation.

There were not many tables overall, but they were well spaced, so I could eat comfortably with my companion. I wanted a window seat with floor-to-ceiling windows, but they were already full when I visited.

The side dishes were set out at first, and I could help myself to more wrap radish, kimchi, and pickled radish as needed. Aprons were also placed around the restaurant and easy to find.

What was in the set for two, and how do you order extra ingredients?

Dakgalbi and pancakes can be ordered individually, but I chose the Gamsachidak set for two, with two servings of cheese dakgalbi and a perilla-leaf potato pancake. I added udon noodles and later had one serving of nal cheese fried rice.

The original post lists the Gamsachidak set for two at 40.0, each extra ingredient at 3.0, and nal cheese fried rice at 5.0. The currency unit was not separately stated in the original, so I have kept the notation as written.

Extra ingredients are not included by default, and I was told they cannot be added during the meal. If you want cheese rice cakes, rice cakes, sweet potato, jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles), udon noodles, or ramyeon, you need to mention them with your initial order.

What events were advertised during the visit?

During my visit, there was a prize draw for participating in Naver Save and Alerts, as well as a receipt-review event. The receipt review offered one extra ingredient per review if it included photos or video and at least two keywords. There was also a notice that tables of women would receive wheat-flour rice cakes according to the number of diners.

A Naver Reservation event advertised a buy-one-get-one extra ingredient offer when adding extras, along with a 5% discount coupon. Coupons could not be combined. These were all notices displayed during my visit.

What does the perilla-leaf potato pancake taste like, and how do you eat it?

The perilla-leaf potato pancake arrived first. It was large enough to extend beyond the plate, and it was crisp from the edges to the center.

When I asked for scissors, they brought me new chopsticks instead. They explained that they do not provide scissors because tearing it with chopsticks makes it easier to enjoy the crisp texture and flavor.

I first tried the potato pancake on its own with soy sauce. It had a subtle perilla-leaf aroma and the nutty, mild flavor of potato, so it was good even without the dakgalbi.

What is cheese dakgalbi like wrapped in potato pancake?

The dakgalbi came fully cooked from the kitchen and was ready to eat, and the food felt quick to arrive. Each serving has 250 g of chicken, and I was told they use only chicken thigh meat prepared daily. The portion was generous, and I kept the heat low so the cheese would not harden.

The chicken was tender and moist, and I did not notice any unpleasant odor. I was told the sauce does not contain gochujang (Korean red chili paste); it did not taste heavy or overly intense, and the seasoning had soaked well into the meat.

Eating only dakgalbi continuously became a little repetitive. Wrapped in the potato pancake, it gained a milder flavor, and adding pickled radish made it refreshing, so it was good to alternate. The pancake was large enough to wrap the dakgalbi easily.

The udon noodles I added were also cooked together with the dakgalbi. The seasoning had soaked into the noodles well, and I could see why extras need to be added with the initial order.

How was the portion and finish with fried rice?

After leaving a little chicken, I asked for fried rice and a staff member cooked it at the table. Since the dakgalbi portion was generous, I ordered only one serving of nal cheese fried rice.

The fried rice was not very spicy or intense for me, and it went well with the remaining potato pancake. I still felt comfortable after the meal. The widely spaced tables and kind service made it memorable as a comfortable place to eat with friends or a partner.