Hi, it’s Solyn. This time we went to Apgujeong Dakgochi.
There’s a certain kind of spot that doesn’t need to advertise itself. No neon, no influencer deals — just a few outdoor tables and the smell of grilled skewers drifting down the alley.
This is a pojang-style open-air drinking spot (yajang) tucked into a quiet side street near Isu Station. It has been running for over 20 years, and some regulars still remember when a single skewer cost 1,000 KRW.
The price has gone up since then, but the soul of the place hasn’t moved an inch.
Getting there
Isu Station is served by both Seoul Metro Line 4 and Line 7, so it’s easy to reach from most parts of the city. From Exit 3, it’s a short walk down toward Cheongdugot 4-gil.
The alley can feel a little tucked away the first time — just follow the smell of the grill and you’ll find it.
The vibe
The outdoor seating is the whole point. There are only about four tables outside — plastic chairs, low tables, the kind that rock slightly if you lean the wrong way. Inside fits a few more people, but sitting out under the open sky is why you came.
The music the night I visited was 90s–2000s Korean pop. Not curated for a retro aesthetic — that’s just what they play, and somehow it lands exactly right. It gives the place that specific feeling of being 20 again, eating something cheap and good outside.
Loud when full, slightly cramped, completely unpretentious. The Korean word for this kind of decades-old place is nopo, and this is it in its purest form.
What I ordered
The menu is short and honest — no fusion, no gimmicks. The board on the wall lists everything, and the laminated card at the table has the same.
I started with the obvious choice: the ganjang dakgochi (soy-glazed chicken skewers), 4,500 KRW each. Simple soy glaze, light char on the outside, enough juice inside to be satisfying.
Nothing that’ll blow your mind — but honestly, that’s the point. You’re not here for a culinary revelation. You’re here for the night air, a cold beer, and something warm on a stick.
To go with the skewers we spread the table out: hanchi (grilled squid) at 11,000 KRW, plus nogari (dried pollack) — the classic Korean open-air snack — and a round of beer.
A few reference prices from the board:
- Soy / salt / barbecue / teriyaki dakgochi — 4,500 KRW each (~$3.30)
- Hwangdo (canned yellow peach) — 9,000 KRW (~$6.70), a total yajang classic
- Nogari-gui (grilled dried pollack) — 12,000 KRW (~$8.90)
- Hanchi-gui (grilled squid) — 11,000 KRW (~$8.10)
- Naembi udon (pot udon) — 7,000 KRW (~$5.20), to warm things up late in the night
- Draft beer — 4,500 KRW (~$3.30)
Most people pick two or three items plus drinks. Budget 10,000–15,000 KRW per person and you’ve got a proper icha (second stop of the night) covered.
The biggest surprise of the night was the free snack. When you sit down, they put a small pack of kkoedori on the table — an old-school Korean snack most people in their 20s and 30s recognize instantly from childhood.
Tiny, nothing special on paper, but genuinely good when you’re two beers in and the night is still going. It’s the kind of detail that tells you the owner actually cares — not a bowl of stale peanuts, but something with a little memory attached to it.
That’s the difference between a place that has survived 20-plus years and one that hasn’t.
Four outdoor tables is not many. On a Friday or Saturday night you might wait, or just find it completely full and have to come back — there’s no reservation system and no waitlist, only first come first served.
The free snack refills also run out fast on busy nights. They’re technically self-serve, but when the basket’s empty you have to ask the owner directly for more.
- Best time: After 8–9 PM. This is a second-stop spot, so people usually come after dinner elsewhere. Weekday evenings are noticeably calmer than weekends.
- Payment: Card acceptance isn’t confirmed — older spots like this often prefer cash, so bring some to be safe.
- English menu: None, but the board is simple enough that pointing works fine. Lead with dakgochi and go from there.
- Getting there: Isu Station (Line 4 / Line 7), Exit 3, then a short walk toward Cheongdugot 4-gil.
- Budget: Around 20,000–30,000 KRW for two comfortably covers skewers, one cooked side, and a round of drinks.
Would I come back?
Yeah, without hesitation. Not because it’s the best food in Seoul — the dakgochi is good in that specific, unambitious, street-food way, the kind of thing you just want to keep eating.
The real reason is the outdoor table, the old Korean pop, and the nostalgic snack pack someone puts in front of you without being asked. This place has been exactly like this for two decades and will probably stay that way for two more.
If you’re around Isu and want somewhere genuinely local to end the night, it’s worth finding that alley for.
— Solyn