Best Dakhanmari in Seoul: where to eat it and how

닭한마리

“One whole chicken” boiled in a pot at your table, with noodles to finish.

Price: About ₩33,000 per chicken (two people), plus noodles
When: All year; good late at night
Spice: Mild

On our list of 30 Korean foods to eat in Seoul →

Photo: bryan..., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is Dakhanmari?

Dakhanmari is a whole chicken that arrives raw-ish in a basin of broth with potatoes and rice cakes, and cooks at your table. When it is done the staff cut it up, you dip the pieces in a sauce you mix yourself, and you finish by boiling noodles in the broth. Its home is an alley near Dongdaemun Station.

What does Dakhanmari taste like?

A clean, garlicky chicken broth that gets richer as it cooks down. The flavour comes from the dipping sauce you make: chilli paste, soy sauce, vinegar and mustard.

How do you eat Dakhanmari?

Mix the sauce: a spoon of the red chilli paste, then soy, vinegar and mustard to taste; some add chopped chives. Wait for the staff to cut the chicken. Eat the chicken and potatoes, then order kalguksu noodles (사리) to boil in the remaining broth.

Where can I eat Dakhanmari in Seoul?

Dakhanmari Alley (닭한마리 골목) by Dongdaemun Station exit 9–10, open late into the night.

Good to know

One chicken feeds two; order 1.5 or 2 for three or four.
Ask the staff if you are unsure how to mix the sauce — they will often do it for you.
Noodles (칼국수 사리) at the end are a must.