Granny Jin Ok-hwa Original Dakhanmari
Granny Jin Ok-hwa Original Dakhanmari things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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TLDR; It's a basic meal and I don't really understand the hype, but I liked the atmosphere! LOTS OF PHOTOS ATTACHED! I went here on a cold Saturday morning, and at 11:30am it was already busy outside. It's confusing as a foreigner coming here for the first time, but you need to briefly go in and tell them how many people are in your group. Put up your fingers if your don't know Korean. They then give you a plastic number card, and you wait to be called. They call out all of the numbers in Korean, but there's also a sign board with the numbers. It's a little difficult to see in bright sunlight, but it's possible. The line goes quick, and there were 25 numbers in front of us when we came, and we were inside in 25 minutes. This place is massive. Three big floors with tons of tables. I was really surprised with the size of the place and I liked how busy it was. Lots of chatter and character. It's certainly not changed much in 20 years or so. We were sat on the third floor. It's very humid with all of the boiling water around you. It's clearly VERY popular with Koreans, and a comfort food of sorts. You get sat down and get asked if you want the only item on the menu, the 닭한마리 (Dak han mari, literally translates to one chicken lol). You're also asked if you want extras (사리, or sari) and you can add 떡, tteok, 감자, potatoes, 국수, noodle soup, etc. The menu isn't complicated and they give you a receipt in front of you which they update with whatever you order. Kimchi and water are self serve, with kimchi in a massive pot which you ladle out into a bowl, and water jugs which you fill from the machine. The kimchi is homemade, and it's.... OK. I've had better kimchi many times, and it lacks spice. They also don't cut it up a lot, so ifs in big chunks. They arrive shortly after you order with the chicken. Don't worry about cooking it, they'll do that part for you. They turn on the gas, cut up the whole chicken for you and you essentially just wait 10-15 mins for it to cook. Remember to put in your tteok as soon as they start boiling the chicken so it's ready at the same time! We forgot, lol. A big part of this restaurant is their homemade sauce. It's a red chilli paste which is very spicy and very bitter. You need to put a dollop in the small plate you get, then mix with a good squirt of vinegar (white bottle) and soy sauce (black bottle). Also mix in the onion paste they give you, and the sauce is much better. You'll need this sauce, too! Onto the food itself. It's.... Boiled chicken. No spices added, no special flavour. The British are meant to be known for no spices in the their food, so this is just like home! It's very very basic, and for the price (28,000 for a chicken) it's overpriced to me. It's very average. It's literally exactly what you'd expect from boiling a chicken. You're meant to dip the chicken, potatoes and tteok in the sauce, and you really need to for any flavour. If you want, they also sell drinks like Coke or Fanta, or alcohol like beer, soju or Makgeolli. I love Makgeolli so I'd recommend it. It's a rice wine of sorts, but as someone who doesn't like wine, it's not similar personally. Much milkier and milder. Overall, I feel this place has been hyped (as is usual) by Korean TV and YouTube. It's traditional and it's basic but there's a lot better food for the price you pay here, especially as it's located directly next to GwangJang Market!!
Ben PalmerBen Palmer
60
We love the chicken soup 😋 The chicken was fresh and soft, meat was tender and in particular the broth was clear and light. The soya sauce also complements well with the food. That said, if you prefer spicy or thick or kimchi style broth, this may not be the right place for you. We also ordered extra leeks, potatoes and some noodles to go with the soup. Note some reviewers said noodles were compulsory - but it wasn’t the case for us. We tried to order noodles upfront but the Ajumma kept saying “no no order later”. She was very friendly though 🤣🤣 I think she was right coz the noodles might dry up if not cooked immediately.. The restaurant was packed with customers - mainly tourists plus a few locals. We had to share a long table with a group of 4 Japanese girls, but enjoyed the atmosphere. Price wise, it was definitely good value for money - 30K won for one chicken! We would have rated the restaurant 5* if not because of the 45-min wait. The restaurant is located across the Hyundai outlet and less than 10-min walk from Dongdaemum station.
GG
10
This is a popular spot for foreigners. I believe it's part of their travel itinerary since this is one of the "old" restaurants in the Jongno area. Most of the tables were occupied by Japanese tourists when we were here. There's a wait for dinner, we waited about 20minutes before we got seated. I was lucky to come here with Korean friends who walked me through making the sauce - a combination of chili paste, vinegar, soy sauce and mustard. I am not a big sauce person but if you are, feel free to make you own concoction of sauce for dipping. The specialty is this boiled whole chicken in clear broth. The server cuts it in serving pieces. We waited for about 20minutes before the chicken cooked and was ready to eat. I enjoyed it not being dipped, the broth has so much flavor already. Lastly, we ordered guksu (knife cut noodles), added some kimchi into the broth and enjoyed the soup and noodles. It was delicious. No wonder people line up for this restaurant. Was it memorable? Not really.
BelleBelle
10
I visited again because it was delicious, but so disappointed this time. Maybe because there are a lot of customers, the service is really worse, and I really don't want to come back because of the facial expressions of them. He gave me wet wipes like throwing it in the air, and didn't bring the rice cakes I ordered from the beginning of the order, so I went to get them myself, and they served them with a bothersome expression, and I really don't know why I have to pay money to eat it. The taste is worse than last time, and the water cup didn't clean, there’s some bubble kept coming out. Before drinking I didn't know it. I didn't feel good from the moment I entered the store to the moment I went out. Maybe there are many customers, so there's nothing to regret. If you look at me as a foreigner, it will be the same for other foreigners. It seems necessary to improve the service.
뚜루dduru뚜루dduru
00
Sharing, we were here 1st, but as a tourist, we didn't know the need to take number tag. Then the staff also never informed us. Just ask us to stand outside in the cold. The locals pushed us and went in to grab the number tags. He didn't share a very rowdy attitude and went in before us even though they were later. Service is bad, so don't expect much. So here is the tip, go in and grab the number tag. After you go in, the chair can open up and put your items inside. So u don't need to leave your belongings on floor. The chicken not bad, for the size of 1 chicken and the big pot of soup for 28,000 won I feel price point is ok! You can only add noodles after the chicken is finished. We didn't try the noodles. Overall food is ok. The place is very packed and squeeze so if you have many bags I suggest don't go.
Ceres NgCeres Ng
20
This place is so famous that it has become a must-try for every tourist. We came here at 4PM to avoid crowds. It is located in a traditional market so don’t set a high standard on the hygiene. We had the one and the only garlic chicken pot with potatoes and rice cake, which is very easy to eat — just put everything in the pot and wait until they get boiled. The chicken is very tender, and you must eat it with the mixture of chili sauce, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar (all of them available on each table). The garlic chicken soup is very good, but you can also add kimchi in the soup to create another flavor. Many people would order noodles to make chicken soup noodles, but we were too full to do so.
Theresa Fang-Tzu LiangTheresa Fang-Tzu Liang
00
Nearby Attractions Of Granny Jin Ok-hwa Original Dakhanmari
Gwangjang Market
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
DDP │ Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun)
Heunginjimun
Ihwa Mural Village
Bangsan Market
Chungmu Art Center
JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul
Megabox Dongdaemun

Gwangjang Market
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Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
4.3
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DDP │ Dongdaemun Design Plaza
4.3
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Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun)
4.4
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Nearby Restaurants Of Granny Jin Ok-hwa Original Dakhanmari
Woo Lae Oak (Uraeok)
Gwangjang Market Food Alley
Ojang-dong Heungnamjip Main Store
Pyongyang Myeonok
Star Samarkand (Halal)
Ojangdong Hamheung Naengmyeon
하남돼지집 동대문점
Yukhoe Jamaejip Head Store
Onjujeong
Buchon Yukhoe Main Store

Woo Lae Oak (Uraeok)
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Gwangjang Market Food Alley
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Ojang-dong Heungnamjip Main Store
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Pyongyang Myeonok
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Basic Info
Address
18 Jong-ro 40ga-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Map
Phone
+82 2-2275-9666
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Reviews
Overview
4
(3.2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Gwangjang Market, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), DDP │ Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Heunginjimun Gate (Dongdaemun), Heunginjimun, Ihwa Mural Village, Bangsan Market, Chungmu Art Center, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, Megabox Dongdaemun, restaurants: Woo Lae Oak (Uraeok), Gwangjang Market Food Alley, Ojang-dong Heungnamjip Main Store, Pyongyang Myeonok, Star Samarkand (Halal), Ojangdong Hamheung Naengmyeon, 하남돼지집 동대문점, Yukhoe Jamaejip Head Store, Onjujeong, Buchon Yukhoe Main Store

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