Sangol Dakgalbi: 30-Year-Old Spot Near Gangbyeon Station
I came to Gangbyeon Techno Mart (an electronics mall in Seoul) to catch a movie. I wanted to grab a bite beforehand, but there wasn't really anywhere decent to eat. Even with the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal and Techno Mart right there, the area around Gangbyeon Station lacks standout restaurants. Nothing comes to mind when I think of Guui-dong (the local neighborhood), and a quick search only brings up franchise spots or snack bars that seem to focus on delivery. After scouring both Naver and Google, I didn't have many options. I finally decided to head to "Sangol Dakgalbi," a 30-year-old local joint that people seemed to talk about a lot.
Following the map, I walked past the commercial district and ended up in a residential area. I was a bit unsure as I walked in, but the smell wafting from inside the restaurant was absolutely incredible. Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) was the food I ate most often—and enjoyed the most—back in college, but this smelled even better than what I used to have. A sweet, not-too-spicy aroma immediately filled my nose.
The prices are neither expensive nor cheap. With inflation being what it is these days, paying over 10,000 KRW per portion doesn't feel like a huge stretch. Since there were three of us and we planned to add ramen noodles and fry some rice at the end, we originally tried to order just two portions. However, they told us the portions were a bit small and that three would be the right amount. Since it's a long-standing local spot, I trusted them and ordered three portions of dakgalbi and one ramen noodle add-on. After ordering, I just sat still. I had read a Naver review claiming, "They get mad if you try to grill it yourself," so I literally didn't touch a thing. The restaurant's low ratings were mostly due to unfriendly staff, not bad food. Well, if that's the case, it means the food must be good, so I was excited.
The side dishes are nothing special. Since I drank too much yesterday, I gulped down the refreshing dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth while waiting for the meat to cook. Maybe it was because there weren't many customers, but the service from the owner and staff wasn't bad at all, contrary to what I saw in the reviews. The owner was very folksy and friendly. The staff didn't say much, but they took our orders promptly, so there was no issue whatsoever. Since all the side dishes are self-serve, I was honestly a bit puzzled about where the friction in those reviews could have come from.
They really do cook everything for you. Once it was fully stir-fried, they told us to wrap it in lettuce and advised that adding veggies makes it taste even better. I tried it without the lettuce first; it was slightly spicy and the meat was tender. Following their advice, I wrapped it in lettuce with some garlic and vegetables, and the flavors mellowed out into a perfect balance. The lettuce is self-serve, but it's unlimited, so you can eat to your heart's content.
After we had eaten a fair amount, they added the ramen noodles. It seems there's a specific timing for adding them, rather than just throwing everything in from the start. The noodles were perfectly chewy at first, but after a few bites, they started to get a bit soft. Since there isn't much moisture on the iron grill, it's hard to get thoroughly cooked, soft noodles, so I wouldn't recommend adding them if you aren't a fan of al dente noodles.
Once we were mostly done, they asked if we wanted to fry some rice. I had thought three portions of chicken would be too much, but just as the owner said, it was the perfect amount—neither too little nor too much. If we hadn't ordered the ramen, finishing with the rice would have been the exact right portion, but the ramen made us a little full. Regardless, we ordered two portions of fried rice.
The unique thing here is that even the fried rice tastes better wrapped in lettuce than eaten on its own. There are so many similar iron-grill dakgalbi places out there, but what sets Sangol Dakgalbi apart is definitely the lettuce. Eaten plain, it's just slightly less intensely flavored than other spots, but wrap it in lettuce, and everything at this restaurant becomes delicious. It's fascinating, especially since the lettuce doesn't even look particularly special.
It's a bit of a shame that you have to walk a little from the station. It's only about a 500-meter walk, but the surrounding neighborhood has absolutely nothing to see, which made me think it would be great if they opened a branch inside Techno Mart. The area around Gangbyeon Station isn't exactly a thriving culinary hub, so I feel like I've found a really great spot to get a solid meal. Even during the day, there were plenty of people pairing their dakgalbi with soju or beer. I didn't crave alcohol because of my hangover from the day before, but I think this is a fantastic dish to enjoy with makgeolli (rice wine) or somaek (soju and beer). Also, the reviews about the staff aren't an issue at all right now, so you don't need to worry about that. Instead, you should keep in mind that the ventilation isn't great, so your whole body might end up smelling like dakgalbi.