Cuisine

Chicken (닭요리전문점)

District

Jongno (종로구) , Seoul

Address

Seoul Jongno-gu Jongro40ga-gil 18

Quick read

Why go

Jin Ok-hwa Halmae Wonjo Dak Hanmari is one of Seoul's most iconic whole chicken soup restaurants, operating for over four decades in the famous dakhanmari alley near Dongdaemun...

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Expect possible waits during weekends or peak meal times.

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Jin Ok-hwa Halmae Wonjo Dak Hanmari is one of Seoul's most iconic whole chicken soup restaurants, operating for over four decades in the famous dakhanmari alley near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno-gu. The three-story establishment holds a significant number of tables, yet queues form from early evening on weekdays, and weekend crowds regularly stretch into late night hours. Upon seating, a pot of clear broth containing one whole raw chicken arrives immediately at the table, with the standard serving designed for two diners. Because the chicken enters the pot uncooked, a minimum of fifteen minutes of vigorous boiling is required before the meat is safe and tender enough to eat. During this waiting period, adding rice cake strips and green onion bundles to the pot is the customary approach. Once the chicken is properly cooked, diners cut it into pieces with scissors and dip each bite into a self-mixed sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste, with the optional addition of mustard for an extra layer of sharpness. After the chicken has been consumed, the enriched broth serves as the base for kalguksu noodles, which constitutes the traditional finishing course. Adding self-serve kimchi to the simmering pot midway through the meal creates a spicier variation that many regulars swear by. The chicken itself is notably large and generously portioned, with clean butchering that makes extraction straightforward. The broth tastes light yet deeply savory, delivering a clean umami profile without heaviness. International tourists, particularly Japanese visitors, constitute the majority of the clientele, with Korean diners sometimes making up less than thirty percent of the crowd. Staff members handle basic foreign language communication, though detailed instructions on eating methods or sauce preparation are largely absent. Payment is handled separately on each floor, and side items like kimchi, water, minced garlic, and chili flakes must be retrieved from self-service stations. Tables for four are relatively narrow, so adding many extra dishes alongside the main pot requires careful space management. Pricing sits at approximately 33,000 won for the base chicken pot, with add-on items like rice cakes and noodles at 2,000 won each.