Category: Chicken Chicken Chicken

9 Best Korean Chicken Joints
Chicken and beer have become serious institutions in South Korea. Korean style fried chicken started showing up around 1970, when cooking oil became more affordable. In the 1980s and 1990s, chicken “hofs” that served deep fried chicken and beer popped up everywhere. This was likely due to early forced retirement for mid-level managers in Korea Inc.’s chaebol conglomerates. Chicken hofs were sold as turnkey business solutions. Since so many opened on every corner, Koreans started going to them because they were there. These days, there are more chicken franchise locations in Korea than there are McDonald’s in the entire world.
The chicken hof has gone through phases. I’m a personal fan of the 1990s style. Small free range birds with papery breading and strong Asian aromatic flavors. Or as one chef I shared chicken with said, smelled like a cinnamon doughnut. The more modern style is closer to American fried chicken, dipped in a flour breading with all the nooks and crannies. There are a few franchises I like from this vein as well.
To sauce or not to sauce?
People debate whether Korean fried chicken needs sauce. I like to just get plain fried with some Yangnyeom Sauce on the side. “Yangnyeom” just means “seasoned” or “flavored.” In the Korean chicken realm it’s a sweet, garlicky, sticky, slightly spicy sauce.
Other popular flavors are soy sauce, buldalk “fire chicken,” and my other favorite, garlic chicken. This was invented in 1997 in the blue collar neighborhood near Daerim Station. Chopped garlic is stewed all day. After frying the chicken it’s baptized in this garlic mixture. Pure heaven!
How to know if it’s good
My rule of thumb is this. To tell a good chicken place, look at the people inside. If it’s full of beautiful young women taking selfies, likely isn’t good chicken. If it’s full of middle-aged men who look like life has kicked them in the teeth–GREAT CHICKEN!
Here are some consistently good chicken franchises and spots. Add your favorites in the comments.
How to use this list
Chicken places come and go quickly. Most of the places on this list are franchises. To find a location near you, copy the Korean name and paste it into Google Maps, Naver Map, or Kakao Map.
The Authentic Chicken & Beer Pub Crawl
Don’t take the risk. Join us for a fun immersive romp for loads of chicken and lots of beer. Click to check the dates and prices.
The List
Ddobagi Chicken 또바기치킨
Two-Two Fried Chicken 둘둘치킨
BHC
Kyochon
BBQ Chicken
Chicken Baengi 치킨뱅이
Gyerimwon 계림원
Hanchoo 한추
Goobne Chicken 굽네치킨
Dishonorable Mentions
Saenghwal Maekju (Daily Beer) 생활맥주
Mexicana
Ddobagi Chicken 또바기치킨
This classic style chicken has been around since 1986. They are brined for 24 hours before being coated in a spicy powder, breaded, and fried. You can get their mild version. You can also get their spicy version with spicy sauce. It’s a good satisfying challenge.
The Authentic Chicken & Beer Experience includes a stop here. Check it out here.
Two-Two Fried Chicken 둘둘치킨
Style: Classic
Everyone knows my love for Two-Two. It’s one of the oldest franchises and the first taste I had of Korean fried chicken. The birds they use are bony, but that means they aren’t factory raised. They actually have flavor. The crust is thin, delicate, and has that Chinese five spice and cinnamon scent that I always associate with Korean chicken hofs. This chicken screams for beer.
BHC
Style: Modern
Big Hit Chicken. Actually, they keep changing what the acronym stands for. This is the old standby and the typical family-style chicken joint.
Acronym for a name?
Check.
K-pop group as spokespeople?
Check.
It’s reliable, predictable, but satisfying.
Kyochon
Style: Battered
This is the one most Americans think of when talking about Korean fried chicken. The thing is, Kyochon is the only franchise I know of that does it this way–batter dipped rather than rolled in flour or starch. The batter is garlicky with a slight sweetness. The crust shatters and stays crispy a long time. If you order it “yangnyeom” style, they meticulously paint the sauce on each piece individually. Caution–the breading really seals the contents inside. Expect a hot geyser of chicken juice to burst out in your first bite.
BBQ Chicken
Credit: Formalin81 on Flickr (cc)
Style: Modern
Pronounced Bee-bee-kyoo. It’s the king of chicken franchises in Korea. They follow the American style of frying, but their flavor is unique. Claiming to fry their chicken in olive oil, they obviously feel like they have to chase KFC. They boast over 20 herbs and spices. BBQ’s flavor is unique and hasn’t been copied. You can smell a BBQ a block away.
Chicken Baengi 치킨뱅이
Style: Classic
They specialize in classic style, but they also make a mean pa dalk, boneless fried chicken thighs served in a sweetish peanut sauce and shredded leeks. The other half of their name refers to golbaengi, sea snails. For some reason they think that chilled spicy sea snail noodle salad goes well with fried chicken.
It sorta does, TBH. Reminds me of trips to the beach in my earlier times in Korea.
It’s been going through a re-branding to appeal to a younger crowd (note the two logos).
Gyerimwon 계림원
I have been so excited about this. It’s been my new favorite, and I can’t get enough of it.
Chickens are spit roasted over wood. Then they’re served on a sizzling platter of crispy rice. Usually it’s served with this sweet hot mustard and radish stem kimchi. Every time I take anyone to one of these places, the chicken is gone like velociraptors entered the building.
This style of chicken is called nureungji tongdalk 누릉지통닭, literally “scorched rice fried chicken.” It comes from Gangwon Province and has been growing in the Seoul Metro area. Gyerimwon is but one chain. Most all the places that serve this that I’ve been to have been outstanding. You’ll know it by the rotisserie chickens in the window, the ream of oak logs out front, and this heavenly smoked chicken smell.
Always start off with the original nureungji tongdalk. Then play with other variations, usually smothered in cheese, curry, or some other sauce. This will be your new favorite chicken and beer pairing.
Hanchoo 한추
Style: Batter
Not really a franchise. It’s a popular spot in Gangnam. It’s popular for being popular, but it has its fans. They serve fried chili peppers with their chicken, which is their schtick. I’m putting it here because people I respect like it. I personally had bad ju-ju with the owners when we were arranging a TV show to shoot there. One of them said they didn’t want more foreigners in their restaurant. I know where I’m not welcome.
Goobne Chicken 굽네치킨
Style: Oven
Going into oven chicken territory, Goobne (GOOB-nay) has been getting popular lately. And it’s good. Even though Korea’s gone through many “well-being” food fads, for some reason chicken hasn’t registered. A Korean co-worker of a friend of mine said that since the fried chicken she was eating was Korean, it was healthy.
Goobne has promoted itself as a healthy alternative to fried. All I know lately is that when we order it, it’s stripped to the bone like those Winged Devourers did on “Beastmaster.”

Dishonorable Mentions
Just to shake up the anthill, there are a couple fried chicken chains I’m not too fond of.
Saenghwal Maekju (Daily Beer) 생활맥주
Style: Modern
The modern style of Korean fried chicken just has no flavor, no soul. It is not much different than bland versions of American style fried chicken. The only thing that makes it Korean is that you can get it tossed in sauce.
Basic rule: avoid chicken places with gimmicks. Miniature tongs, finger condoms, beer served in Pyrex measuring cups.
Saenghwal Maekju appears as one of the newer chains capitalizing on the popularity of craft beer. Don’t expect much from the craft beer itself. It’s mediocre. The chicken is even worse. The other menu items–worser worser worser!
Seriously. Gelato on stale tortilla chips. I ordered this thinking, “If they have it on the menu, maybe they’re on to something. You know, like dipping salty fries into a Wendy’s Frosty.”
Nnnnope. It’s as if a five-year-old took over as menu consultant.
Mexicana
Style: WTF
They actually thought chicken flavored with banana, strawberry, and melon was what the world needed.
Nope.
BUT I’M WRONG…What are your favorite and least favorite Korean chicken restaurants?
February 22, 2026
The Unspoken Rule of Korean Fried Chicken Joints
There’s an unspoken rule in the world of Korean fried chicken joints that many food enthusiasts have come to recognize. It’s a rule that may seem counterintuitive to some, but it’s one that has proven to be true time and time again. The rule is simple: the worse the cabbage slaw, the better the chicken.
This rule was put to the test during a recent visit to Two-Two Chicken in Myeongdong, a popular spot known for its delectable fried chicken. The coleslaw served at this joint was a far cry from the creamy, well-mixed slaw that many of us are accustomed to. Instead, it was a rather haphazard concoction of cabbage, mayo, and ketchup, seemingly thrown together without much thought or effort.
But this lack of attention to the slaw was not a sign of poor quality or lack of care. On the contrary, it was a bold statement. It was as if the restaurant was saying, “Our chicken is so good, we don’t need to impress you with our slaw.” And impress they did, but not with their slaw.
The fried chicken at Two-Two Chicken was nothing short of spectacular. Each piece was perfectly fried to a golden brown, with a crispy exterior that gave way to tender, juicy meat. The fries that accompanied the chicken were equally as impressive, perfectly seasoned and fried to perfection.
To wash it all down, a couple of glasses of beer were served, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich, savory flavors of the chicken and fries. The beer was cold and crisp, the perfect accompaniment to a meal of fried chicken.
This experience at Two-Two Chicken was a testament to the unspoken rule of Korean fried chicken joints. It was a reminder that sometimes, it’s not about the sides or the extras. Sometimes, it’s all about the main event. And in this case, the main event was undoubtedly the fried chicken.
So, the next time you find yourself at a Korean fried chicken joint and you’re served a less-than-impressive slaw, don’t be quick to judge. Instead, take it as a sign that you’re in for some truly exceptional chicken. After all, the worse the slaw, the better the chicken.
January 22, 2024
Kimchi Dakgalbi
Korean barbecue depends on the quality of the marinade. Diners might not have the well-trained sense of a sommelier, but they will detect a difference even if they can’t identify exactly which ingredient they are noticing in a good or bad way.
There are two basic styles of marinades: acidic or enzymatic. Commonly used acidic marinades include citrus juice, such as orange or lemon juice, vinegar or wine. Enzymatic marinades include papaya or pineapple purees. The marinade’s jobs are to enrich the flavor of the meat and, depending on the cut, help tenderize it.
Herbs, oils and spices in the marinade tag along for the ride.
This particular marinade depends on the acid of the kimchi to flavor the chicken before grilling.
For many cravers of Korean cuisine, the word 닭갈비 dakgalbi is associated with commonly called 춘천 닭갈비 Chuncheon dakgalbi, a stir-fried dish of diced chicken with large rice noodles, cabbage, and sweet potato. Although dakgalbi is simpler than Chuncheon’s iconic variation, it’s very tasty in its own right.
There was enough sauce that I decided to serve it as a pasta sauce rather than on top of rice. It worked surprising well.
Inspired by Eueueunji

February 29, 2012
Oppadak – Awesome Chicken Eats in Seoul
By Jason Yu
In the early afternoon here in Seoul, Korea, a delightful smell is just around the corner. As my friends and I head for the restaurant, the fresh aroma is coming from not just any Korean restaurant. While Kimchi, bulgogi and bibimbap may be Korean staples today, this sit-down eatery is a chicken place. And their chicken did not disappoint.
Last week, I had the pleasure of eating at Oppadak – which translates to the cute Korean saying “Big brother chicken” (the full name actually translates to “The chicken that fell out of the oven”). This chain of chicken restaurants are all over Seoul and after eating their chicken, I understand completely why. The chicken is that good!
While comparisons to American food chains KFC and Popeyes will come to mind for people that read “fried chicken” place, rest assured that Oppadak distances themselves from those food chains. The taste and texture of Oppadak’s chicken attest to this.
“I’ve been waiting to eat this chicken all day,” one of my friends says before digging in. Him and I both.
Variety
Oppadak features a variety of chicken from baked and rotisserie to honey and spicy flavors. Their chicken comes in skinless or with skin. Their skinned chicken, I would say, has a lot of juice and crisp in it. When ordering a basket of chicken, rather than having one chicken part (such as a thigh, wing or breast) the basket is filled with a variety of parts.
For people that like their dipping sauces, barbeque, honey mustard, and spicy flavors are just some sauces they offer.
Price
The place is moderately expensive. Yet with a party of people the bill gets considerably cheaper. A full basket of chicken is about W12,000, which can usually feed two people. Beer is about W3,000.
For a party of four ordering two baskets of chicken and some beer expect to spend about W40,000.
Environment
Oppadak is quite popular among the young crowd. While I’ve been there during times when there are only a couple of people, this is the exception. Both Koreans and foreigners love their chicken, so expect to see a full restaurant. At night time, the combination of chicken and beer makes the place even more packed than usual. The plus side of this is that the sit-down is open until midnight or even in the early morning in many locations, making it an attractive place to go to after spending the day shopping, coming back from the noraebang (karaoke), clubbing or coffee.
Also something to note: this place is absolutely nuts during the winter. Since Korea is brutally cold (don’t let those Korean dramas fool you that Korea has nicer and warmer winters), hot chicken is a great cure to fight the cold.
Wrapping Up
If you’re visiting Seoul or live in the metropolitan area, and you’re a fan of chicken, you owe it to yourself to go to an Oppadak.
Just be prepared that it will get messy when digging in the chicken. But it won’t disappoint!
To Find Out More
oppadak.co.kr
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.394752962491.175618.340785907491

Jason Yu is honored to guest post for the popular Korean food blog, ZenKimchi. As a fan of food, anything Asia, learning, and hip-hop, he is a professor by day and programmer by night. He currently develops his website devoted to Asian pop culture, GreenTeaGraffiti, under his alias “Jangta” from Seoul, Korea. Check out his site and for the latest in food culinary, please continue to read ZenKimchi.

August 14, 2011
Two-Two Fried Chicken
This is the first of our Chicken, Chicken, Chicken series of chicken joints in Korea. We’re starting with the grandaddy of chicken hofs, Two-Two, sometimes called by its Korean transliteration, Dul-Dul 둘둘치킨. For me, this was my introduction to Korean fried chicken in 2004, and it is still the standard that I compare all the rest to.
Started in 1978 as Gela Chicken in Myeong-dong, Two-Two (name changed in 1990) was the dominant force in chicken. They were everywhere. They’re still holding up strongly, though public tastes are moving more towards the American styles of BBQ and BHC. Supposedly they’ve had plans to expand extra-territorially since 2007 to the U.S., Japan, Russia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Australia and China. Please comment if you’ve seen it in any of those places.
Website
http://www.22chicken.co.kr
Slogan as of this writing
Njoy Together
Style: Hof
The hof style is a paper thin crust after twice frying, seasoned in what smells a little like Chinese five spice. Two-Two pre-fries half birds and holds them in their window in front of the fryer. They refry to order and hack into bite-sized pieces.
Celebrity
Kang Ho Dong
What it says: “We have a chicken for ajosshies, and we’re not ashamed of it. We’re established, so we go the most established gag man currently on TV.”
Regular
The regular fried chicken is surprisingly juicy, especially in the dark meat arena. Two-Two’s strength is their plain fried chicken with optional sauce for dipping. It’s perfect beer chicken. The crust is delicate, almost non-existent. Little grease drips from the bird, making it easier to eat a lot.
Yangnyum
Sweet, garlicky and smooth. No chunks. It’s a little too sweet. It’s best to have the sauce on the side and dip it, as having it smothered in it beforehand kills the butterfly delicate crispness of the skin.
Goodies
Pickled radish and cabbage with ketchup and mayonnaise. Not necessarily goodies, but that’s what comes with it. Also a packet of sesame salt. Nothing outstanding there.
What to get?
Two-Two is trying to diversify with new offerings like teriyaki. But their strength is their original fried chicken. It usually comes with the yangnyum sauce on the side, so you can get a bit of both worlds. It holds well for take out and delivery, so if you’re not in the mood for the Cass on tap in the restaurant, you can get some better beers to drink with it at home. It’s also one of those chickens that’s good after some chill time in the fridge.
Chicken, Chicken, Chicken criteria explained, somewhat
January 8, 2011
Smoked Turkey at Korea Barbecue
When my friend Chris and I usually meet up near his place, he always prefers to go sit outside at this fried chicken restaurant. The place is okay. Service is great, and the fries are good.
Yet I had noticed that a barbecued chicken joint had opened near him. He had never noticed it before, but old food habits die hard with him.
After watching some hockey (ANYANG!! HALLA!!) nearby, we decided to meet up. He said he’d be a while, so I told him I’m going to the barbecue place.
The name of the place is Korea Barbecue, but it’s only written in hangeul on the sign as ì½”ë¦¬ì•„ ë°”ë² í.
It looks very similar to a Hoo-La-La barbecue place, which I will post about some time. It’s traditional looking with kimchi pots on the roof and strung lights.
The great unique thing on this menu is the Smoked Turkey. I can’t believe we found turkey in Korea!
Like all these types of BBQ joints, it came on a hot iron platter with sizzling onions.
Condiments were a salt and pepper mixture, a smattering of honey mustard and a brown sweet sauce.
I played around with the camera’s night mode, using an overturned ashtray as a tripod.
Chris showed up, and he now says this will be the spot where we’ll meet for beers.
He wasn’t looking me in the eye when he said that–more over my shoulder. I looked behind me and saw one of the reasons for his new preference.
Go figure.
October 11, 2007
Intro to Korean Fried Chicken

(Photo by The Daily Kimchi)
I have been meaning to tackle this subject for a while. I had my first taste of Korean fried chicken during my first week here in February 2004. Two Two Fried Chicken. I was instantly hooked.What makes Korean fried chicken so different?
That’s not an easy question to answer. There’s not some monolithic Korean chicken recipe. There are many styles. I shall concentrate on the big three styles coming from the big three chicken chains, Two Two, BBQ, and Kyochon.

(Photo by The Daily Kimchi)
Two Two style has the most Asian exotic flavor. There’s a little anise, black pepper, and cinnamon flavor to it. It’s similar to Chinese five spice but not exactly. On the Two Two web site, they say that they use traditional Korean medicine in the preparation. This follows a Sino-Korean approach to food and medicine. They are one and the same.
In fact, that is a major selling point in a lot of Korean foods, even fried chicken. The health benefits are advertised on the same level or more than the actual flavors.
Eun Jeong says that Koreans don’t like greasy foods. This is evident in the Two Two style of cooking the chicken. There is not much breading on the chicken pieces. They’re pre-fried and placed aside.
Pre-fried?
It’s strange, but there’s a method to this madness. In restaurants I’ve worked in, we pre-fried the french fries. We called this blanching. We then put the fries aside for later. When we fried them again in hotter oil, the results were fries that were crispy on the outside with a mashed potato consistency inside.
Yeah, yeah, you don’t get a mashed potato consistency in twice fried chicken. But you do get a crispier skin. Also, pre-frying lets the restaurant quickly prepare fresh chicken to order. Otherwise, you’d have a long wait for your chicken, or, like many American chains, you get chicken that has been sitting under a heat lamp, soaking in all its grease.
Fried chicken at Two Two comes with a salt, pepper, and sesame seed mixture and a spicy sweet garlicky dipping sauce. You can ask for your chicken yang-nyeom 양념 style, where they smother the whole chicken in the sauce. I sometimes like this. Brant can’t stand it. He calls it “yang-yuck” chicken (“It’s too too sweet”).
Most all the fried chicken establishments serve their chicken with the yang-nyeom sauce on the side or smothered all over.

(Photo by The Daily Kimchi)
My only complaint with Korean fried chicken is the sides. If there were biscuits or a decent coleslaw, it would be perfect. Instead, we usually get a pack of pickled radish, which even Koreans I know say isn’t that good. We also tend to get shredded cabbage drizzled in lines of ketchup and mayonnaise. Some establishments mix the ketchup and mayonnaise first. That’s the closest we get to coleslaw. Barbecued chicken restaurants do this too, but that’s another post. We eat these sides because they’re all that’s available, and they help cleanse the palate when the mouth becomes too overwhelmed.
That’s the Two Two style. It’s safe for me to claim that most chicken hofs use this style. And that’s another good thing about chicken hofs. They’re hofs. You can have beer with your chicken. In fact, yes, fried chicken is considered a drinking food–well, at least a party food. It’s not dinner. It’s something you eat after dinner or at a birthday party. You can even order draft beer to go.
There are Two-Two chains in Japan, Russia, Vietnam, and Australia. There don’t seem to be any in North America yet.

Now for the other styles.

BBQ (pronounced Bee-Bee-Cue) is the largest fried chicken chain in Korea. They have a thicker breading on their chicken and don’t use the twice frying method. It’s closer in style to American fried chicken. Yet the spices they use are different. I can’t put my finger on it. They brag on their web site that they use a lot of ’em.
BBQ also follows the trend of advertising its health benefits. When I first came to Korea, it was plugging its Calcium Fried Chicken.
I’m serious.
I don’t know still how they put the calcium in the fried chicken. Do they soak it in milk?
Now they advertise that they fry their chicken in 100% olive oil. They have big cans of olive oil sitting outside their stores.
Nonetheless, they put out some really good chicken. The flavor is addictive. If they ever set foot on American soil, they would expand as quickly as Krispy Kreme has expanded in Korea (there’s now a Krispy Kreme within walking distance to me… my poor waistline). So far, they have expanded into China and Spain.

This past summer, BBQ came out with what they called an African chicken. It’s a barbecued chicken that tastes very close to Jamaican jerk chicken. Another hit from those guys.
BBQ is not usually a chicken and beer place. Yet they have recently started opening “BBQ Chicken & Beer” hofs. I’d like to check that out sometime.
The third main style is Kyochon. Kyochon boasts that its chicken stays crispier longer. Their method is to dip their chicken in a sweet garlicky batter before frying. They also don’t pre-fry, and each time I’ve gone to Kyochon, it has been a long wait to get my order. They are also the greasiest of the three styles.
Nonetheless, they are good. I know some people who swear by Kyochon chicken. And the people I have introduced this to have been surprised by the flavor. It’s one of those chickens that causes, hmm, less than refined behavior in people–sucking on chicken parts, licking fingers, making Cro-magnon grunts.
Kyochon also promotes itself as “better-being.” I don’t know specifically what its health benefits are, but they do have a new walnut fried chicken that I haven’t tried yet. I think they’ve also resolved to stop using trans fats.

(Photo by The Daily Kimchi)
All Korean fried chicken places cut their chicken in the Asian style. Rather than cut them based on the joints between bones, they hack them with cleavers or scissors into mysterious pieces. This makes the dark meat almost indistinguishable from the white meat.
One thing I like about many of these chicken places is that these are great mom and pop operations. Last week, I got some chicken from a place close by that I hadn’t tried yet. They were a Two Two style hof. It was a wife, a husband, and two children in hapkido uniforms. The husband was very chatty and asked me lots of questions in Korean and English. He made me feel like they were cooking me a home cooked meal.
One of my first Korean friends outside of my workplace was the guy who owned the BBQ near my place. He always greeted me when I passed by and sometimes gave me discounts on the food.
One evening, I got stood up on a date, and took the long subway ride back home. I walked forlornly through my neighborhood to my apartment. The BBQ guy saw me pass and noticed I didn’t look like my usual happy self. He opened his cooler, tossed me a canned soda, and patted me on the back.
That, my friends, is Korean hospitality.
Update: Kyochon has opened its first store in New York.
KYOCHON CHICKEN This Korean 1,050-restaurant chain, said to be the inspiration for the wave of Korean fried chicken spots in New York and on the West Coast, has opened its first New York outpost. Two more will open in Bayside, Queens, in a few weeks: 156-50 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens, (718) 939-9292.
February 3, 2007