Quick honest review of Bongchu Jjimdak (봉추찜닭) at the Yeouido Finance Tower branch. Short version: it’s a solid, reliable chain lunch. The food is average in the best way — nothing off, nothing surprising. If you’re already in Yeouido and want a filling Korean meal, it’s fine. If you’re planning a special trip across Seoul for this, don’t.
I went on a Tuesday, arriving around 11 AM. By the time the food came out, the place was already loud and filling up fast. Yeouido at lunch is a whole thing.
Bongchu Jjimdak Yeouido: Quick Facts
- Our bill: medium original jjimdak, 39,000 KRW, plus two rice bowls, 2,000 KRW. We spent 41,000 KRW for two, or 20,500 KRW each.
- Portion size: the menu lists medium as 3 servings. We shared it between two people; that is our order, not the restaurant’s serving recommendation.
- Spice: our order confirmation labels the default option as spicy. Soy-based does not mean heat-free.
- Ordering: scan the table QR code. The outdoor board includes English dish names, sizes and prices.
- Verdict: a reliable, filling chain lunch if you are already in Yeouido; not a meal to cross Seoul for.
Prices below are recorded from the menu and order confirmation photographed during this visit, not a live price list.
Jump to menu prices, QR ordering, our bill, or spice level.
What Is Bongchu Jjimdak (Korean Braised Chicken)?
Jjimdak (찜닭, pronounced roughly “jjeem-dak”) is a Korean braised chicken dish. Bone-in chicken pieces cooked down with vegetables — radish, carrots, onion — in a soy-based sauce that goes slightly sweet and deeply savory as it reduces. You eat it over rice, spooning the sauce into the bowl until the whole thing becomes one cohesive comfort meal.
The style got popular out of Andong (안동), a city in North Gyeongsang Province, where street market vendors supposedly started making it cheap and filling in the 1980s–90s. It spread nationwide from there. Today there are dedicated jjimdak chains all over Korea.
Bongchu Jjimdak is one of the longest-running. First store opened in 2000 in Daehakno (대학로), Seoul’s university theater district. That’s 25+ years in business, which is a real number for a Korean restaurant chain.
Getting There
Yeouido is Seoul’s financial district — think Canary Wharf or lower Manhattan, but Korean. Big office towers, government buildings, the National Assembly, and a lot of suit-wearing people at lunch. Not the most tourist-dense neighborhood, but not hard to reach.
The Finance Tower branch is on the 3rd floor of the Yeouido Finance Tower building.
Address: 23-8 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Nearest subway: Yeouido Station (여의도역)
Line 5 (Purple) or Line 9 (Gold) — about a 5-10 minute walk depending on the exit.
From Incheon Airport: Check a live transit route to Yeouido Station before leaving, allowing for transfers and the walk to Finance Tower.
From Myeongdong / central Seoul: About 30-40 minutes by subway.
The Interior
Clean glass facade, standard chain restaurant interior. Decent lighting, reasonably spaced tables. Nothing that makes you stop and look around, but nothing uncomfortable either. The brand history panel on the wall is a nice touch if you want to read while you wait for your food.
When I arrived around 11 AM, the place was calm. By the time we finished eating, almost every table was taken. Fair warning.
How to Order at Bongchu Jjimdak Yeouido
I ordered using the QR code on the table. The stand carries Kakao Pay and KICC branding.
Scan the code with your phone to open the ordering page. The screens shown in this review are in Korean. If needed, translate a screenshot of the menu or ask staff for help; a camera cannot read the display of the same phone. Use the English names on the outdoor board to match the dishes.
The photographed menu lists original soy-based jjimdak (봉추찜닭), boneless braised chicken (뼈없는찜닭), spicy red jjimdak (빨간찜닭), and samgyetang (삼계탕), a separate ginseng chicken soup dish.
The photos do not establish whether foreign-issued cards work with the QR system. Check with staff before ordering if that is your only payment method.
Bongchu Jjimdak Menu Prices at Our Visit
| Dish | Size / listed servings | Price (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| Original braised chicken | Small / 1–2 people | 26,000 |
| Original braised chicken | Medium / 3 people | 39,000 |
| Original braised chicken | Large / 4 people | 56,000 |
| Boneless braised chicken | Small / 1–2 people | 29,000 |
| Boneless braised chicken | Medium / 3 people | 42,000 |
| Boneless braised chicken | Large / 4 people | 59,000 |
| Spicy red braised chicken | Medium / 2–3 people | 43,000 |
| Rice | One bowl | 1,000 |
These are branch prices from our visit. Check the current menu when you go. Rice was separate, at 1,000 KRW per bowl. You want the rice. Get the rice.
Our Order: 41,000 KRW for Two
Original jjimdak (medium): 39,000 KRW (~$29 USD). We shared it between two people. The menu lists medium as a 3-person portion.
Two rice bowls: 2,000 KRW (~$1.50 USD).
Total: 41,000 KRW (~$30 USD) for two, or 20,500 KRW (~$15) per person. USD amounts are approximate conversions from the original review, not live exchange rates.
The Food
The jjimdak arrives in a large stainless pot. Medium size is a proper amount for two — bone-in chicken pieces, radish chunks, sliced carrots, onion, green onion, all sitting in a glossy dark soy sauce. It looks good. It smells good.
Taste-wise: it’s average.
And I mean that as a neutral statement, not a critique. The sauce is exactly what it should be — savory, mildly sweet from the soy and sugar, with a faint depth from the garlic and ginger. The chicken is cooked through without being dry. Vegetables hold their texture. Everything is technically correct.
But there’s no standout moment. Nothing that makes you stop mid-bite and think “okay, *this* is the thing.” It eats like a competent chain version of a good dish. Which is what it is.
The move is to pour that sauce over your rice.
Keep spooning the braising liquid into your rice bowl and mixing it in. The rice absorbs all of it, the sauce gets cut by the plain starch, and the whole thing becomes much more than the sum of its parts. This is how Korean people eat jjimdak. Don’t just pick at the chicken and leave the sauce behind.
Side dish is one portion of kimchi. That’s it. For a chain at this price point in Yeouido, don’t expect a full banchan spread — it’s a practical lunch operation, not a traditional Korean restaurant experience.
The kimchi is fine as a palate cleanser between bites.
Spice Level, English Menu and Payment
Spice level: Our original jjimdak order shows 기본맛(매콤): the default option is labeled spicy. Do not assume the soy-based original is heat-free. The menu also lists spicy red jjimdak. Ask staff about a less-spicy option if needed; this review does not confirm one.
English menu: The outdoor board includes English dish names, sizes and prices. The digital ordering screens shown here are in Korean; a full English digital ordering flow was not verified.
Card payment: Foreign-card support through the QR system was not verified for this review. Ask staff which payment methods they accept before ordering.
Tipping: No tipping in Korea. Don’t leave cash on the table — it’s not expected.
Vegetarian options: Essentially none among the main dishes shown. This is a chicken restaurant.
Halal / Kosher: Certification was not verified for this review. Check directly with the branch if you need certified food.
Dining with children: Check the spice level before ordering for a child; our selected default option was labeled spicy.
Solo dining: The smallest jjimdak on the photographed menu is listed for 1–2 people and costs 26,000 KRW before rice. Keep that portion and price in mind if eating alone.
Lunch crowd: Real. The restaurant filled up during our late-morning visit. Arriving before the main office lunch rush is the better bet.
Comparing hearty Korean lunches in Yeouido? Our Samwonjeong Yeouido: Honest Review of Korean Army Stew covers budae jjigae.
The Verdict
Depends on why you’re in Yeouido.
Go if:
– You’re in the Finance Tower area anyway and need a reliable, filling Korean lunch
– You want to try jjimdak without hunting for a specialty spot
– You’re fine with a chain experience — consistent, not exciting
Skip if:
– You only have a few days in Seoul and are optimizing every meal — spend those on something more exceptional
– You want an authentic, non-chain Korean dining experience
– You’re solo traveling and watching the budget per meal
The food is honest and the portion was generous for the two of us. The Korean ordering screen may need some translation or staff help. Just don’t come in expecting to be blown away.
Would I go back? If I happened to be in the Finance Tower at lunchtime and didn’t feel like walking far — yeah, probably. But I wouldn’t plan a day around it.
FAQ
Where is Bongchu Jjimdak Yeouido located?
It’s in Yeouido Finance Tower (여의도파이낸스타워), 3rd floor, at 23-8 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Nearest subway is Yeouido Station (Line 5 or Line 9), about a 5-10 minute walk.
How much does it cost per person at Bongchu Jjimdak Yeouido?
We spent 41,000 KRW for two: medium original jjimdak at 39,000 KRW and two rice bowls at 1,000 KRW each. That was 20,500 KRW per person. The menu lists medium as 3 servings, although we shared it between two. These are prices from our visit.
How do you order at Bongchu Jjimdak?
We scanned the table QR code and used the Korean ordering page. Match the dishes to the English outdoor board, translate a screenshot, or ask staff for help. Foreign-card compatibility was not verified.
Is Bongchu Jjimdak spicy?
Our order confirmation labels the original jjimdak’s default option as spicy: 기본맛(매콤). A soy-based sauce is not a guarantee of zero heat. The menu also lists spicy red jjimdak. Ask staff about spice options before ordering.
Is there an English menu at Bongchu Jjimdak Yeouido?
The outdoor menu board has English dish names, portion sizes and prices. The ordering screens photographed for this review are in Korean. We have not verified whether the digital menu offers an English mode.
When should I visit to avoid the lunch crowd at Yeouido?
The restaurant filled up during our visit around 11 AM. Arriving before the main office lunch rush is a better bet than turning up at noon, but that observation is not a guarantee of no queue.
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