Taste of the Town
Sampling the local cuisine gives you a taste of the culture.
Here’s another easy recipe from a city UNIQLO that’s home to many UNIQLO stores.
- Episode 07:
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Dakgangjeong
Dakgangjeong, Korea’s take on fried chicken, is both home cooking and streetfood. Everybody has a favorite neighborhood shop. One might even call this dish the taste of Seoul. The word has two parts: dak (chicken) and gangjeong (candy). As the name suggests, the chicken is dressed in a sweet and salty sauce, with the sugary edge provided by jocheong, a syrup made from malted grain. Cafe Fritz’s dakgangjeong, made with a recipe from the chef at Mingles, a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Seoul, is complemented by an extensive wine list. Whether it’s marinating the chicken or frying twice to bring out extra crispiness, this dish takes time, but the mouthwatering aroma and juicy texture are well worth the wait.
Chicken thighs: 4 cuts (skin on)
Marinade
Salt: 1.5 Tbsp Sugar: 1 tsp Soy sauce: 0.5 tsp Water: 400ml
Sauce
Jocheong: 7 Tbsp (honey also works) Sugar: 3 Tbsp Soy sauce: 3 Tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 Tbsp Garlic: 3 pieces
Batter
All-purpose flour: 200g Garlic powder: 1 Tbsp, 1 tsp Onion powder: 1 Tbsp, 1 tsp Salt: 1 tsp
Toppings
Almonds: 8 Lotus root chips: 10 Black sliced olives: 10
- Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken thighs. Marinate in fridge for 12 hours.
- In a small pot, add jocheong, sugar, Soy sauce. Bring to boil over high heat. Once it bubbles, remove from heat and cool to room temp. Add lemon juice and garlic. Stir.
- Heat oil to 170°C and combine 130g all-purpose flour, 260ml water, and seasonings in a bowl to make the batter.
- Cut chicken thighs (1) into bite-size pieces and coat with batter (3). Sprinkle with the remaining 70g flour. Fry for 2.5 to 3 min. Set on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Once oil has been absorbed, fry again at 170°C and place on fresh paper towels.
- Add (5) to bowl. Lightly dress with sauce (2). Plate and garnish with toppings.
Ujin Cho
Boulanger
Ujin, who taught us this recipe, graduated from trade school before joining Fritz. Along with supervising baking operations for the cafe’s various locations, he also writes about bread-related topics. Choi’s music and reading interests help motivate and inspire his work life.
Fritz Jangchung
11, Dongho-ro 24-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Fritz operates a number of cafes throughout the Republic of Korea. Their seventh shop, located in the Jangchung area, is a rambling space consisting of three buildings in the middle of a courtyard of stately old trees. The dakgangjeong costs 15,000 KRW. There’s also an assortment of seasonal Korean dishes like kimchi coleslaw (4,500 KRW).
- Photography by Siyoung Song
- Text by Jinon Kim (Tokyo Dabansa)
*Information current as of December 2025.
