Chumdak Chicken Main Branch
춤닭치킨 본점
About
Retro pocha pub in the Bangbae Cafe Alley serving pressure-fried whole chicken alongside classic bar bites, complete with a hidden back outdoor patio.
Tucked along the Bangbae-dong Cafe Street in Seocho, Chumdak Chicken channels the spirited energy of an old-school pocha. Inside, warm amber lighting, vintage tableware, and nineties K-pop stages flickering on screen set an immediate nostalgic tone. The owner sometimes weaves through the tables wearing a quirky chicken hat, while servers deliver retro childhood snacks—sweet Apollo candy straws alongside crunchy macaroni crackers—as table starters. But the pub’s standout feature lies through the back door: a secluded rear terrace covered with tented vinyl, offering a spacious, open-air *yajang* experience tucked away from the main avenue. Under the canopy, patrons gather on breezy evenings or listen to rain tap against the sheeting over cold glasses of draft beer. The kitchen centers its menu on whole domestic fresh chicken fried in heavy pressure cookers. This high-pressure technique locks in moisture, producing signature fried chicken—or *apryeok-sot yetnal-tongdak*—encased in a paper-thin, crackling crust while rendering the meat, even the breast, remarkably tender and juicy. To cut through the rich crunch of the poultry, tables routinely order the *gukmul tteokbokki*, a soupy, spicy rice cake stew that doubles as a communal dipping sauce. The sprawling menu further covers late-night drinking essentials, from chicken feet and *jjamppong-tang* seafood stew to dried squid and spicy sea snails tossed with thin noodles. Orders are handled efficiently via table QR codes, drawing an easy after-work crowd of office groups, neighborhood regulars, and terrace seekers looking for unpretentious comfort. Whether you settle inside beneath the retro posters or claim a plastic stool out on the patio, it captures the loose, convivial charm of classic Seoul pub culture over piping-hot bird and foamy drafts.
Menu
- Pressure-fried Crispy Chicken₩15,900
- Soupy Tteokbokki₩13,000
- Draft Beer₩5,000
Local tips
- Head to the hidden back terrace patio for atmospheric outdoor dining and draft beer.
- No reservations are accepted on weekends (Fridays and Saturdays).
- Public parking right in front of the shop is free after 8 PM on weekdays and all day on weekends.
Details
- Gubanpo Station
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 16:30–01:00
- Monday
- 10:30–01:00
- Tuesday
- 10:30–01:00
- Wednesday
- 10:30–01:00
- Thursday
- 10:30–01:00
- Friday
- 10:30–01:00
- Saturday
- 16:30–01:00