Reggae Chicken—a casual joint on the outskirts of Hongdae which specialises in Western-style fried chicken—looks very unassuming on the exterior and you might be slightly turned off by the narrow front as it looks slightly dodgy. We almost turned away but as night fell, the LED lights inside the restaurant lit up and familiar tunes from Bob Marley started playing. There and then, we were hooked.

With very limited seating, you will feel like you’re stepping into a cosy and humble fried chicken joint somewhere in Jamaica. This is exactly what sets it apart from the numerous Korean fried chicken joints in Seoul.

The menu here is extremely limited but this is when you know that they are really good. Specialising and excelling in fried chicken is not an easy task but Reggae Chicken has won the hearts of many.

You can only choose from 3 main chicken dishes—Reggae Chicken Original (17,000 Won), Reggae Curry Chicken (15,000 Won) and Kingston Wings (12,000 Won).

We went straight for their specialty—Reggae Chicken Original. The platter is good to share amongst 3 to 4 people. Besides fried chicken, the set comes with thick fried potato wedges and huge battered onion rings. Have this platter with a pint of beer and you are all set.

We were surprised by how insanely delicious the chicken was! The juiciness of the chicken coupled with the crispy skin was just magical. It is all in that first bite. No kidding, this was one of the best fried chicken we have ever had! Simple, wholesome but oh-so-delicious! The batter on the chicken seems to be lightly-seasoned buttermilk, but it gives the chicken so much flavour.

The whole experience of being in Reggae Chicken is worth visiting, from the Bob Marley tunes to the mellow vibe of the restaurant.

Reggae Chicken
147-19 Donggyo-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul
Tel: +82 02-333-3438
Daily: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Sangsu

KyoChon has the best fried chicken in Seoul, South Korea. There, we’ve said it. There is no lack of Korean fried chicken restaurants in Seoul, but KyoChon’s rendition is head and shoulders above the rest.

KyoChon offers its Korean fried chicken in several flavours—Garlic Soy Series, Honey Series, and Red Series (Red Pepper). Do not leave Seoul without having KyoChon’s Korean Fried Chicken.

We visited one of KyoChon outlets in the Hongdae district. Unlike other older KyoChon outlets which are a lot more casual, it impressed us with a modern and sleek setting.

“Kyo” translates to wisdom and enlightenment and “Chon” means village. KyoChon was created to remind the brand’s founder of home and the amazing fried chicken he used to have. The one thing that sets Kyochon apart from many other fried chicken joints, is the fact that they use only natural ingredients.

This means that their chickens are not injected with hormones and only canola oil is used to fry the chicken. No trans fat or MSG, just simple and fuss-free chicken that is oh-so-good!

The menu was extremely straightforward and we went right for the Garlic Soy option. You can choose from different serving types, including—Whole Chicken (W16,000), Sticks [Drumlets] (W18,000), Wings & Drummettes (W18,000) and Combination (W18,000).

We had the Combination platter to have a go at the different chicken types. All we can say is, “Wow!”

It was probably the most satisfying fried chicken experience we ever had in our entire lives. From the crispy exterior to the evenly coated sauce and tender meat, KyoChon has created THE perfect fried chicken. Honestly, we were probably too appalled by how good it was that we gobbled the entire platter up within a mere few minutes.

For something that has no MSG or preservatives, it was damn addictive! The garlic soy sauce was just right. Mildly sweet with a strong garlic flavour, each bite we had got better and better. It was an out-of-body experience that we can barely put into words.

Also, the simple process of savouring a chicken drumlet to the bone is ultra-satisfying. Be sure to get all the good, crispy parts at the ends of your drumlet to enjoy it fully. There is no debate, KyoChon has our heart and our tummies.

If there is just one Korean fried chicken place to go in Seoul, South Korea, look no further. Be prepared to be so satisfied by their amazing Korean fried chicken!

KyoChon (Hongdae)
362-15, Seogyo-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 3381300
Daily: 3pm to 2am
Nearest Station: Sangsu

Strolling around the Myeong-dong district in Seoul, South Korea, you will find that Korean Fried Chicken joints are aplenty. However, one spot that was highly recommended to us was Noo Na Hol Dak. They have several outlets in Seoul but we visited the one right in the heart of Myeong-dong.

Upon stepping in, we found out for ourselves just how popular they are with both locals and tourists alike. The restaurant is spacious, making it a great place for communal gatherings and casual hangs with friends or colleagues. Beer is the beverage of choice to complement fried chicken—but of course.

The menu was pretty simple, focusing on what they do best: Korean-style chicken. Since Noo Na Hol Dak is well-known for their oven-baked chicken, we opted for the basic Crispy Baked Boneless Chicken (W16,900) and pints of Cass beer to enjoy.

You have the option of having chicken on the bone (wings and drumlets) or boneless and we opted for the latter for ease of consumption. The chicken came in a huge sharing portion with two sauces on the side: black pepper sauce and tangy sweet chili sauce.

Digging into our first chicken piece, we noticed that the chicken was lean and a lot less greasy since it was baked instead of deep-fried.

The chicken skin was still crisp and tasty and the meat inside was so tender! The sauces on the side did not wow us though; they were simple accompaniments that had no actual added value to the chicken. The chicken tasted better on its own and we highly recommend that you have it this way!

Some shoe-string fries are thrown in on the side for you to munch on. If you love beer, do not miss out on their draft beer Cass. The beer is served icy cold. Beer and fried chicken is a match made in heaven, no doubt!

While the oven-baked chicken was not exceptionally spectacular, we liked the overall experience at Noo Na Hol Dak. It is the place to go after a long day of shopping or sight-seeing if you are ever in the Myeong-dong neighbourhood.

Noo Na Hol Dak
Hotel Ibis Ambassador Seoul
Myeong-dong, 78 Namdaemun-ro
Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-6361-8353
Nearest Station: Myeong-dong