Author: Katy
Repost with full credit, Please.
The article series of artists' restaurants - Introducing Kim Hyun Joong's Jaksal Chicken Restaurant.
There's one thing not many K-Pop
fans do and many might not know is possible to do unless you're really
part of a fandom: visit an artist's restaurant. Many have started
businesses around Seoul; often they are partners or their relative owns
the restaurant. The most popular is probably JYJ Junsu's
parents' pizza place Misarang, but there are definitely more. As an
exchange student in Seoul at the moment, I will visit some of these
restaurants, check out prices and describe the easiest way to get there.
The first restaurant to introduce is Jaksal Chicken. It is owned by SS501's Kim Hyun Joong
and is located very close to Seokchon station on the pink line number
8. He actually owns another one, bigger and on the other end of Seoul in
Ilsan, but today we will just start with Jaksal.
To go there, take the pink line number 8 and get off at Seokchon
station. Depending on where you are in Seoul, it could take more than
half an hour to get there. Also I would suggest going during the early
afternoon and try to take the train back early, since Seoul's subways
tend to be very crowded during the evening hours.
When you arrive at the station, follow the signs and go to exit number
7. From there, go straight until you get to the first side street. It's
big so you won't miss it. Go straight again for around 50 meters and
you'll see it on the left side on a corner to another side street.
You might be surprised to face a pretty small restaurant, one of those
you see on Korea's streets a lot. There's a small tent outside with
plastic chairs and tables, and inside, maybe enough space for 20
customers.
The menu is not huge, mostly variations of chicken, like garlic chicken,
spicy chicken, etc. with a salad. But there is more to it as well;
Ddokbokki is also on the menu as well as Budaejjigae. Prices go up to
around 17,000 won, but the menu is made up of dishes fit for two, so you
might want to make sure to go with a friend which makes it a) more fun
to be there, b) cheaper and c) you'll probably finish the whole dish.
If you're not sure about what to order and are not fluent in Korean, one
of the waiters working at the place speaks very good English and is
quite nice, so don't hesitate to talk to him.
My friend and I decided to go with the Budaejjigae, which is basically a
stew, with sausage, noodles, vegetables, fishcake, dumplings and a lot
more in it. You get the hot pot on your table and finish cooking it
there. It was 16,000 won and was actually pretty satisfying.
I must also say, I would not have expected it to be as delicious as it
was, since I assume they will get customers anyway, because Kim Hyun Joong's
name is attached to it and his face is plastered all over the place,
but I have definitely tasted way worse budaejjigae since coming to Korea
two months ago.
If you are not a fan but are around this area, it's a cheap place to get
very good food with a nice atmosphere. And if you are a fan, then
definitely go there. Most of the fans probably go to the bigger one in
Ilsan, so this is a quiet place to enjoy the food and look around at the
pictures of Kim Hyun Joong hanging there without being intrusive.
Check out the pictures in the gallery to get an idea of what the place is like!