Fried Chicken gizzards fried stuffed green peppers, and spicy mustard sauce at Kyochon Pilbang, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Christopher Green)
I finally found it! A few months ago, I watched a video of unique and exciting restaurants in Seoul. Several looked interesting, but the one that caught my eye was Kyochon Pilbang, a high-end Korean fried chicken restaurant.
What makes this chicken joint special is that it is hidden in plain sight. Like a 1920s speakeasy where you need a code word to get in on the goods.
If you lean in a little closer, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Kyochon Pilbang is down in the basement of a tall building in Itaewon. Just below Off the Record Vinyl Bar.
The exterior of the building is painted to look like fresh brush strokes all over. To enter the chicken spot, find a large paint brush with long white bristles. Push the brush down and slide the door open. The speakeasy facade doesn’t end there, once the door opens, a long corridor displaying various brushes leads to a cash register but no cashier. I pressed the call button on a tablet next to the register and suddenly one of the storage cabinets swung open and a host was there to escort me to my seat.
Army Sgt Eric Mendiola pulls the paintbrush to open the door of Kyochon Pilbang, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Christopher Green)
The corridor of Kyochon Pilbang, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Christopher Green)
The dining room of Kyochon Pilbang, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Christopher Green)
A decorative Black paintbrush at Kyochon Pilbang, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Christopher Green)
The attentive staff were like Al Capone and kept the table loaded with lemonade, water, pickled radishes and popcorn. The pink radishes were sweet and sour and had the right amount of salt. The popcorn was a mix of salt, sweetness, and a hint of white cheddar.
From the menu, which was written in Korean and English, we had too many options to choose from. I settled on the half-and-half fried chicken gizzards and stuffed fried green peppers with spicy mustard sauce for my appetizer. For my main dish, I ordered the half-and-half combo: half soy garlic sauce and half red pepper sauce fried chicken drumsticks and wings.
When the server delivered my appetizer, the shipment was larger than anticipated. I knew then my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I might have to take my main dish under the cover of darkness hidden in a take-out box. Fortunately, the staff wrapped up my drumsticks and wings so I could enjoy them later.
The appetizer was filling, and I had no regrets that this would be my main dish. The chicken gizzards and peppers combined with mustard sauce were unbelievable. When I got to the fried chicken later, it was a flavor explosion of sweet, savory and spicy.
Soon my time at the speakeasy was up, but I had more delicious chicken to look forward to later. Kyochon Pilbang is worth the trip, if you can find it.
Things to know
Address: 127 Bogwang-ro, Yongsan District, Seoul
Direction: The restaurant is in Itaewon and it’s unmarked. The only way to find it is to look for a large black paintbrush next to the door.
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Menu prices: Their prices range from 5,000 to 33,000 Won.
Phone number: 02-6263-1992
