Wonjo Sutbul Dakbulgogi in Chuncheon: A TV-Famous Hit

2017-07-25 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Recently, there's a TV show I didn't just enjoy, but actually tuned in to watch live—a rarity in my life. It's called Dictionary of Useless Knowledge. I wished it aired two or three times a week, but it was only on once, and after a few trips, it just ended. It was such a great show, but the ones you really love always seem to end too soon.

Anyway, the charm of this show is the endless, flowing chatter of guys in their 50s. Among them is food critic Hwang Gyo-ik ~~(Mr.? Sir? I wasn't sure what title to use, but he's a public figure, so I guess I can skip it)~~, who shares incredibly interesting food stories. Rather than narrowly praising specific restaurants, he offers broad, regional food histories in a diverse and easy-to-understand conversational format. The problem is, watching it makes you think, "I absolutely have to go there."

The restaurant I visited today is one of those places I jotted down while watching TV, thinking, "Oh, I definitely need to check that out." It's a spot that's already been featured at least once on almost every food-related TV program in Korea. On top of that, the name is quite unique: Wonjo Sutbul Dakbulgogi-jip (Original Charcoal Grilled Chicken Bulgogi). It's not named after a person; "Original [Food Name]" is just a literal description of the dish. Beyond just giving off famous-restaurant vibes, the name itself radiates a confident "come if you dare" energy.

Plus, it's called dakbulgogi (chicken bulgogi) instead of the usual dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken). Hwang Gyo-ik explained this on the show: between the two names, dakgalbi won out, and dakbulgogi became obsolete. Despite that, this place still uses dakbulgogi. You can feel the owner's stubborn pride, and it makes you wonder just how delicious it must be for them to do things so differently from everyone else.

Exterior of a large station building with Chuncheon Station written on it under a clear sky. — Even on a Wednesday afternoon, it was standing room only. It was hot enough to pass out, yet there were so many people with free time like me!

Entrance to Wonjo Sutbul Dakbulgogi-jip (charcoal-grilled chicken restaurant) with a red sign and people standing in front of it. — If you take a bus from Chuncheon Station to the local Myeongdong area and follow Naver Maps, you'll find it in a spot that makes you think, "Is this right? I don't think this is it." It's been on TV so much that its *Wednesday Food Talk* sign is actually hidden behind an exhaust fan. Even for a slightly late lunch, I had to wait 15 minutes. And because it was so packed, I was seated on the second floor instead of the first.

Wall menu board showing the menu and prices at Wonjo Sutbul Dakbulgogi-jip. — The store name says *dakbulgogi*, but what they sell is *dakgalbi*. It's the same food anyway, but it was funny to see how the store name survived the test of time while the menu name changed.

Red glowing charcoal inside a brazier placed in the middle of a table. — Eating in front of a charcoal grill on a day with a heatwave warning is really tough.

Now the meat arrived, and it was time to dig in. Just in case it wasn't good, I only ordered one portion of each, planning to go eat some delicious makguksu (buckwheat noodles) somewhere else if it failed. Because it's a charcoal grill, you have to constantly change the grate and keep flipping the meat so it doesn't stick or burn, but it's completely worth the effort. We were chatting away while grilling, but the moment it was fully cooked, a sudden silence fell as we focused entirely on eating. Even sitting in front of a charcoal fire on a sweltering heatwave day where people are practically passing out, it's so good that it makes you keep ordering more with the discipline of a monk in training. It might feel unfamiliar since it's not the typical iron pan stir-fried dakgalbi you usually think of, but once you take a bite, you can easily polish off two portions.

Most places use incredibly strong seasoning to mask the gamey smell of the chicken, but I don't know what magic they worked here—the seasoning isn't overpowering at all, making it really easy to eat. Instead of being spicy, it has a noticeable sweetness, likely balanced with sugar. But for someone like me with a "baby palate" accustomed to sweet flavors, it was absolutely perfect. Seeing the incredibly diverse age range at other tables, from teens to people in their 70s and beyond, it doesn't seem like people only eat it for the sweetness. Whatever the reason, that meat is truly delicious.

Pieces of raw chicken in red marinade placed on a wire grill starting to cook. — This is a little over one portion. It sticks easily, so you have to keep flipping it without taking your eyes off it.

Table set with marinated chicken cooking on a charcoal grill, lettuce wraps, and seasoned chives. — These are the side dishes. The chive salad isn't too spicy or overpowering, so it pairs perfectly with the *dakgalbi*. On the flip side, the *dakgalbi* is so good that you almost don't want the other side dishes getting in the way of eating it.

Pieces of marinated dakgalbi (spicy grilled chicken) nicely browned on a wire grill over charcoal.

Red marinated chicken and garlic are being grilled on a wire grid over charcoal. — If you let your guard down even a little, it burns like this. Fortunately, the staff, who seemed quite young, were incredibly kind. Over the 30-plus minutes we were eating, we changed the grill grate more than just once or twice, which must have been pretty annoying for them, but they happily replaced the grates and side dishes for us.

A wire grill with meat cooking is seen beyond a table set with a glass of foamy beer and seasoned chives.

A bowl of cold makguksu (buckwheat noodles) topped with cucumber, seasoning sauce, boiled egg, and seaweed flakes. — The *makguksu* was relatively mediocre. But you can't really skip it either, because the seasoning and chicken fat leave your mouth needing a refresh. It's just enough of a *makguksu* to cleanse your palate.

Going to restaurants featured on TV is usually a hit or miss, but this place was an absolute, total hit.

#Restaurant #Chuncheon #Dakgalbi #Dakbulgogi