Our second stop in Gangnam: fried chicken and a very cold draft beer at Ohnul Tongdak.
FIRST-HAND KOREA FOOD GUIDE · GANGNAM / YEOKSAM
If I wanted to give a visiting colleague one relaxed Gangnam evening without planning an elaborate restaurant crawl, I could happily repeat this route: Korean BBQ at Gokkupjip, then walk toward Gangnam Station for fried chicken and beer.
Gokkupjip worked especially well for us because the staff cooked the meat from beginning to end. That left us free to talk instead of watching the grill. Afterward, Ohnul Tongdak was an easy second stop for chimaek — Korean fried chicken and beer.
Best forFriends, colleagues, business travelers and first-time Korean BBQ visitors
AreaYeoksam → Gangnam Station, Seoul
Our orderBrisket + scallop, pork belly, kimchi noodles, half-and-half chicken and draft beer
My takeA very easy two-stop evening when conversation matters as much as the food
I met a good friend and almost forgot to take photos
This was one of those dinners where the company probably influenced how good everything felt.
I met a good friend around Gangnam, and once we started eating and talking I did not take nearly as many photos as I normally do for this blog.
Still, the evening left a clear enough impression that I wanted to keep the route: first, a small Korean BBQ restaurant in Yeoksam where the staff handled the grill; second, a much larger chicken-and-beer place closer to Gangnam Station.
The two restaurants have very different personalities, which is exactly why they worked well together.
Two stops in the Gangnam area
1F, 18-4 Yeoksam-ro 12-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
서울 강남구 역삼로12길 18-4 1층
1F, Bitville Building, 33 Seocho-daero 74-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
서울 서초구 서초대로74길 33 비트빌빌딩 1층
Local tip
I would not bring a car for this particular evening if you plan to drink. Gokkupjip is inside the Yeoksam side streets, and Ohnul Tongdak is closer to the Gangnam Station/Samsung Town side. Walking plus subway or taxi is simpler than moving and parking a car twice.
I would not bring a car for this particular evening if you plan to drink. Gokkupjip is inside the Yeoksam side streets, and Ohnul Tongdak is closer to the Gangnam Station/Samsung Town side. Walking plus subway or taxi is simpler than moving and parking a car twice.
The best part of Gokkupjip was not having to touch the grill
The handwritten menu at Gokkupjip.
Gokkupjip is not sitting directly on the big road outside Gangnam Station. It is tucked into the Yeoksam neighborhood, around the smaller streets behind Yeoksam Elementary School.
We arrived on a weekday evening without a reservation. Not long after we sat down, the remaining tables filled.
What I liked most was the grill service.
At a Korean BBQ dinner, someone at the table can easily end up spending half the conversation watching meat, turning it, cutting it and wondering whether the next piece is about to burn.
That did not happen to us here.
The staff handled the meat from beginning to end, adjusting the cooking depending on the cut and cutting it for us.
A very Korean but slightly unusual detail from my evening:
I was so satisfied with the staff member's grilling and service that I personally gave a ₩10,000 tip. Tipping is not normally expected in Korean restaurants — this was entirely my choice, not something visitors need to copy.
I was so satisfied with the staff member's grilling and service that I personally gave a ₩10,000 tip. Tipping is not normally expected in Korean restaurants — this was entirely my choice, not something visitors need to copy.
Brisket and scallop first, then pork belly
We started with the Hanwoo beef brisket + pen-shell scallop set and eventually ordered three portions around that combination.
Thin brisket cooks quickly and brings plenty of beef fat, while the scallop adds a chewy, cleaner texture. We also ate them with the vegetables cooked on the grill, including bracken.
After that we added two portions of aged Korean pork belly.
The pork was not taken to the dry, overcooked stage. Because the staff was managing the grill, we could continue our conversation and simply eat each piece as it was ready.
A soybean-paste stew was also served on our visit. I am treating that as a first-hand detail from that evening rather than promising it as a permanent complimentary item.
I still order kimchi mari guksu after the meat
Even after the meat, I wanted the kimchi mari guksu (김치말이국수).
It is a cold noodle dish in a tangy kimchi-based broth, and for me it does exactly what I want after a fatty Korean BBQ meal: cools everything down and resets my mouth.
The portion was larger than I expected for a side dish. If your table is already full, I would share one rather than automatically order several.
There are plenty of restaurants where I remember the grilled meat but forget the final dish. Here, I remember the cold noodles as part of the meal rather than an afterthought.
Second round: walking toward Gangnam Station for chimaek
When we came out of Gokkupjip, I wanted a cold beer.
We had not chosen a second restaurant in advance. We simply walked toward Gangnam Station looking for somewhere that seemed busy enough to have a good turnover of draft beer.
That is how we ended up at Ohnul Tongdak Gangnam Station.
The beer was cold enough that it became the strongest memory from our second stop.
The draft beer that night was excellent.
I would personally put that particular glass among the better restaurant draft beers I have had in recent years. The glass itself was properly cold, and the beer did not have the stale smell or rough taste I sometimes notice when draft systems are not in good condition.
I wondered whether the large, busy Gangnam branch and fast turnover helped. That is only my guess, though. What I can say with confidence is that the beer I drank that night was very good.
We ordered boneless half-and-half chicken.
We had already eaten plenty of beef and pork and expected to pick at only a few pieces. Somehow the chicken continued disappearing.
The plain side did not feel excessively heavy, the seasoned side went well with beer, and I did not notice an old-oil smell.
The chicken also tasted fresh to me, but I did not check the origin label or whether the meat was chilled or frozen. I would rather leave that as an impression than turn it into a claim I did not verify.
Prices and opening hours
| Place | Item | Reference price |
|---|---|---|
| Gokkupjip | Aged Korean pork belly | ₩17,000 around our visit |
| Gokkupjip | Aged pork neck | ₩17,000 around our visit |
| Gokkupjip | Gabrisal | ₩18,000 around our visit |
| Gokkupjip | Hanwoo brisket + pen-shell scallop set | ₩26,000 around our visit |
| Gokkupjip | Kimchi mari guksu | ₩7,000 |
| Ohnul Tongdak | Ohnul Tongdak 1977 | ₩20,900 |
| Ohnul Tongdak | Seasoned chicken | ₩21,900 |
| Ohnul Tongdak | Boneless crispy chicken | ₩23,900 |
| Ohnul Tongdak | Draft beer 500 ml | ₩6,000 in a recent 2026 visit report |
One thing worth noting is that current public platforms do not all show exactly the same Gokkupjip meat prices; some differ by about ₩1,000. I therefore treat the amounts from our September visit as reference prices rather than promising what you will pay.
| Place | Current public hours checked | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Gokkupjip | Mon–Sat 16:30–23:00 · Sunday closed | 02-6949-0705 |
| Ohnul Tongdak Gangnam | Mon–Sat 16:00–02:00 · Sunday 16:00–23:00 | 02-597-1977 |
What international visitors should know
Staff grilling: Staff handled our grill at Gokkupjip, and other recent public reviews also mention staff grilling. Service can still vary by table and situation.
Reservation: Gokkupjip is currently listed as accepting reservations. Because it filled up during our weekday dinner, I would reserve for a business meal or larger group.
Tipping: Not normally expected. My ₩10,000 tip was an unusual personal choice.
Chimaek · 치맥: Korean shorthand for chicken + maekju (beer).
English menu: I did not independently verify a complete English menu at either restaurant.
Foreign-issued cards: Not independently tested for this article.
Parking: Gokkupjip is publicly listed as having parking, but it is a dense side-street location. I would confirm parking before driving. Ohnul Tongdak is easier to treat as a public-transport destination.
Dietary caution: Korean BBQ side dishes, stews and noodle broths can contain seafood, meat stock or fermented ingredients. Ask staff if you have strict dietary restrictions.
Useful Korean
삼겹살 = samgyeopsal / pork belly
차돌박이 = chadolbagi / thin beef brisket
키조개관자 = pen-shell scallop
김치말이국수 = cold kimchi noodles
반반치킨 = half-and-half chicken
생맥주 = draft beer
2차 = second round / second drinking stop
삼겹살 = samgyeopsal / pork belly
차돌박이 = chadolbagi / thin beef brisket
키조개관자 = pen-shell scallop
김치말이국수 = cold kimchi noodles
반반치킨 = half-and-half chicken
생맥주 = draft beer
2차 = second round / second drinking stop
Pros and cons
| What I liked | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Staff handled the BBQ for us | Gokkupjip is not directly outside Gangnam Station |
| Easy to focus on conversation | The small restaurant can fill at dinner time |
| Kimchi noodles gave the meat dinner a good finish | Public price listings for Gokkupjip are not perfectly consistent |
| Ohnul Tongdak is large and stays open late | Eating BBQ and chicken in one evening is obviously a lot of food |
| The draft beer was unusually good on my visit | One excellent beer does not guarantee every visit will be identical |
FAQ
Do I have to grill the meat myself at Gokkupjip?
Not during my visit. Staff grilled and cut the meat for us, which was one of the main reasons I enjoyed the restaurant.
Should I reserve Gokkupjip?
I would for an important dinner, a larger group or a busy weekday evening. We entered without a reservation, but the restaurant filled shortly afterward.
What is chimaek?
It is the Korean combination of fried chicken and beer. The name combines chicken with maekju, the Korean word for beer.
Is this route good for a business traveler?
Yes, particularly if you are staying or working around Gangnam. The first restaurant is conversation-friendly, and the second stop is casual enough to continue the evening without planning another formal meal.
Can I do only one of the two restaurants?
Absolutely. If you want dinner, I would choose Gokkupjip. If you already ate and simply want late-night chicken and beer near Gangnam Station, Ohnul Tongdak makes more sense.
Would you drive?
Not for the two-stop version. If I know I will have beer, I would use subway or taxi and walk between the restaurants.
Would I repeat this route?
With a friend or colleague, yes.
At Gokkupjip I could leave the grill to the staff, eat brisket with scallop, move onto pork belly and finish with cold kimchi noodles without spending the evening managing the fire.
Then we walked toward Gangnam Station and found exactly the kind of second round I wanted: chicken and a genuinely cold draft beer.
Good company probably helped, but I would still use this same route again — and next time I would like to bring my wife to Gokkupjip as well.
At Gokkupjip I could leave the grill to the staff, eat brisket with scallop, move onto pork belly and finish with cold kimchi noodles without spending the evening managing the fire.
Then we walked toward Gangnam Station and found exactly the kind of second round I wanted: chicken and a genuinely cold draft beer.
Good company probably helped, but I would still use this same route again — and next time I would like to bring my wife to Gokkupjip as well.
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