Seoul Fried Chicken & Beer Night, Three Neighborhood Stops

This was supposed to be an easy 15 minute trip to the meeting point. I did not see the additional comments that said not to trust the instructions and also to not take a taxi. The only recommended way to get there was via subway. It poured down rain all day. I had trouble when I entered the name of the meeting point in the taxi app. It was linked to the name of a place not named in the instructions. I was going to be late. I notified the organizers that I was having difficulty very close to the event start time. I lost a lot of time trying to get help from the front desk at my hotel. After I finally confirmed where I was trying to go and was able to get a taxi. I was going to be a lot later than expected. I thought I would be able to catch up to a group and meet them. Unfortunately, it turned out that I was the only person who booked the activity. In the end, the guide waited for me for bit and then went home. The organizers said it wasn’t fair to have him wait any longer. I was surprised to see my call would not go the person leading the activity. It went to the office and that person spoke to the activity leader. Oh well, I cannot recommend this activity since I missed out. However, you may have a wonderful time. Be forewarned that the “detailed” instructions are not as clear as they believe them to be. Taxis are not your friend when it rains or when you try to request a ride to a train station. Have a backup plan and do not assume it will work. Add another backup plan. The organizer assumes you read all emails while you are on vacation instead of relying on the information in the app. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this activity without any other participants. Who knows? Don’t let my review stop you from giving it a try. I was looking forward to this tour and canceled a different activity reservation to attend this one. The additional notes also mentioned that people have historically missed the activity because they were unable to find it and get there on time. It would be great if the meeting point was in front of a business with an actual street address. Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be for me. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.

Amazing experience with the best guide highly recommended

Wonderful tour. Simon was a great guide. Incredible conversation throughout the night.

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Chicken and Beer tour! Simon was our guide and took us to the most delicous places! Our first stop was so incredible, we went back the next night to really indulge ourselves. (We were pacing ourselves for the rest of the evening on the tour!) The food was perfect, the environment was real, local, not touristy. Simon was a wonderful guide too. So full of stories and information. A real gentlemen too for one of the tour members. He carried her gigantic Olive Young bag for her! :) We were a family of three with our young adult son and we all loved this tour. All three restaurants were special, delicious and abundant in their offerings. We had plenty of soju too and it was delicious. I highly recommend this tour!! We will definitely check out some of their other experiences next time we visit!

Jeff was awesome, one of the best guides I have ever had. He read the group immediately and tailored the perfect tour. He was engaging, told amazing stories, and made us all feel like true locals for a night. Thanks, Jeff!

Great experience! Jeff ist very knowledgable and fun. Great Insights in korean food variety. 100% Recommendation.

What a great night!! Jeff our tour guide was superb. He was full of enthusiasm and great insights. My wife and I really enjoyed all of the different dishes. When there are SO MANY options for food Jeff knows just where to go. Meandering through the streets and markets is what we came to Korea for. Learning some phrases in Korean and the proper way to drink with strangers and friends is the “icing on the cake”.

Wonderful tour with Joe to three places for chicken and beer. All places were great both from the atmosphere and the food.

Can’t say enough. If you want a fun, cultural experience, and great food too, then you need to go out with Jeff. We enjoyed delicious Dak Golbi and of course fried chicken and beer. We were stuffed and then tried several snacks at the food market as well. He is fun and engaging, loves to share his culture and Traditions. It’s been along time since University, but we had a great time learning Korean drinking games! He went way out of his way late at night when I left my cell phone in our taxi. Even though it was very late at night I contacted him and he tracked down the taxi driver and both delivered the phone to my hotel. For that I am forever grateful. Highly recommend this tour . You won’t be disappointed.

Our group had such a great time on this tour! Our guide, Jeff, has a fun and engaging personality- it felt like meeting up with a great friend! In addition to tasting delicious food that was new to us (not all fried chicken, which we loved), Jeff taught us about drinking etiquette, social culture, and we learned some fun drinking games! I highly recommend this tour- it was a highlight of our trip and good for any age group. Just bring an appetite because the food is delicious and abundant!

Awesome tour! Takes you to several places that all serve up delicious kinds of Korean chicken. Tour guide Simon was super friendly and very knowledgable on the different kinds of dishes, prep and presentation. My favorite was the joint that was themed with a lot of war memorabilia. Already looking forward to the next time I can book this.

A great evening with Jeff, who was the best host showing my wife and I around some fantastic food spots and the market. Highly recommended, Jeff was a personable tour guide and we had a lot of laughs together along the way!

Great experience! The food was fabulous and Jeff was engaging and entertaining. He gave us good tips for Korean etiquette & how to speak basic greetings. Overall, a wonderful experience!

Our tour guide, Simon, was excellent. As a chef, he knows his chicken! He brought us to truly authentic chicken places in local, non-touristy areas to experience the real local flavor. Fun time!

Jeff was incredible!! We tried so many amazing things we wouldn’t have found by ourselves and he brought each delicacy to life! Such a fantastic experience and couldn’t recommend the tour enough to anyone - the perfect blend of entertaining stories, delicious food, an insightful knowledge and experience that brought it all to life! If you’re in Seoul, you need to do this!

We had a truly memorable evening with Jeff. He is amazing fun, full of energy and great conversation. We all had an excellent evening. We korean fried chicken and beer, followed by a wander through a market, then another chicken dish with beers and soju. He got us all back to the metro safely, and didn't scrimp on time. Would highly recommend you join this tour for a fun night out in Seoul.

Jeff was such a great tour guide. Had a lot of fun learning Korean customs, trying different foods, including foods from the market (the Korean blood sausage was surprisingly good!), and learning the local drinking games. Was definitely worth adding this tour into the trip, 100%

Great fun and a memorable night. Jeff went out of his way to make sure that we enjoyed ourselves as well as learning about Korean cuisine. More than enough food avd drink...

Best food tours i have done globally, it has to be with Jeff in Seoul! Jeff was quite engaging and gets the participants involved! I definitely recommend this tour if you in Seoul!

If you’re looking for a unique and memorable evening in Korea, this chicken and beer tour with Joe is an absolute must! Joe has lived in Korea for over 20 years, and it shows—not only in his deep knowledge of Korean food and culture but also in the way he bridges the experience for fellow Americans. He’s incredibly relatable and makes you feel at ease right away. The chicken? Absolutely phenomenal. Each stop featured flavors we never would have discovered on our own, tucked away in places we’d never have found without Joe’s insider knowledge. It was great having crispy textured food and beer made it better. Joe shared fantastic stories and cultural insights that added so much depth to the experience. Highly, highly recommend!

All three stops were unique in their own way, but all had delicious chicken and beer. This was a great introduction to the chicken and beer scene in Seoul.

Fun night out, plenty of chicken, beer, soju and more. Excellent hosting job by Ron. Definitely recommend, would be happy to go again next time I’m in Seoul.

Our original tour guide called in sick a day before our tour, so we got the option to reschedule or take a refund. We rescheduled to the next day and got a private tour with Ron, as we were the only booking for the evening. We had a great time! At the first chicken place, we mentioned that we hadn't yet had Korean BBQ in Seoul, so he offered to take us to do that instead of the next two chicken stops. We agreed and hit up a local spot with great Samgyeopsal (pork belly). We made good conversation, and Ron offered to walk us around Hongdae afterwards. We got a nice taste of the nightlife in this lively neighborhood, and he rode the bus with us to our hotel to see us off. All around great experience! We got some nice insights into Korean culture and got some solid recommendations for the rest of our trip. We appreciate the flexibility and proactivity of the tour operator and our guide. Would definitely recommend, five stars!

My favorite experience during our week long visit to Seoul. Our guide, Ron, absolutely amazing. The chicken, fantastic. The beer and soju - spot on. In my humble opinion, a visit to Seoul would not be complete without this tour. Don’t wait, book it - you will have a blast!

This tour was really good. Lots of food. We liked the first and last place. The middle stop was good, but not great. Simon was a good guide.

We had a great time with Ron eating out at some fun places around Seoul. Some great Korean BBQ and fried chicken, were particular highlights. It was nice to do this at the start of our trip around Korea because Ron help us understand some of the food culture of SK. Oh and if you get the chance, ask him to take you for Shaved Ice, it's amazing.

Really wonderful tour led by Hannah, showing my wife and I some great chicken places in central Seoul. The tour was very relaxed and we could eat/drink as much as we wanted (i.e., there is no pressure to drink a lot or eat a lot). Highly recommend this to tourists wanting a unique tour and good food. Hannah was a great guide.

Great chicken/beer experience in a neighborhood away from the crowded central Seoul area. Three locals-filled places for three different tastings of fried, grilled chicken (and I really mean shared full dishes, not just samples). Thanks to our guide, Jeff, for the food and the engaging conversation!

Ron gave an excellent tour that included 3 old school, mom and pop chicken and beer places near Mangwon station. During the tour, he took me through the Mangwon market, which I'll definitely revisit at some point. All 3 stops included a variety of tasty chicken and beer combinations with some fun side dishes to compliment the flavors and offset a little bit of the spice. They all had the feel of older, dimly lit pubs, which enhanced the experience. Ron was interesting to engage with as he spoke about some interesting aspects of the culture in Seoul. Though the tour features Cass and Red Rock beer, which is best with the chicken dishes, he also knows craft beer pretty well, so it was good to pick his brain on that with respect to Seoul. I'd highly recommend taking this tour if you enjoy wings, beer and great conversation about Seoul.

Amazing!! The absolute best guide. Joe was funny, knowledgable and very engaging. The quaint restaurants served the best chicken I have ever had. An added bonus was the walking down alleyways and through markets to get to the next restaurant.

We got lucky and got two tour guides! Jeff and Ruth were so much fun and taught us a lot about Korea and the chicken and beer culture. Would definitely recommend this tour!

First of all our guide Joe is awesome…funny as hell!!! Knows his chicken and beer and took the time to explain which restaurants he chose and why…was not a random stop. After the tour was over he took us to a local joint for beer before we went home…if you like chicken and beer you cannot go wrong taking this tour it was a fun filled awesome evening

I had this experience solo. It lasts 3 hours and passed in 3 restaurants. The 3rd was the more original, but at that stage, you had enough of chickens. 1-2 =restaurant quite a similar plate. Guide very kind and interesting. Processed me to get the addresses of the restaurants I never received :(

Amazing exercise!! We visited several unique places with different styles of chicken. Joe was a great host and shared a lot about Korean lifestyle and culture!

I have thought very hard how to leave a review for this experience, 1 Star for the food however this lost 4 stars due to the following; The tour guide spoke about himself a lot, food reviews, where he has travelled to and where he was going to travel to. He commented on food other patrons had ordered, these comments were not necessarily positive, was this necessary?. He only touched on Korean food history and food culture, he made comment that the last leg of this tour, that we would stumble there as we would be drunk. He kept telling me if my glass was empty I would have to drink more, I was not inspired to finish my drink. He also told the group that South Korea is very much like North Korea with Propaganda, at this point I was disgusted . The tour guide was not South Korean, what South Korean would behave like this and talk horribly on their own country and hard earned freedom. I won’t say what country this guy was from but I can say that I will be telling as many people as possible not to book any of the 10 tours that Zenkimchi operate’s. This was definitely not an authentic South Korean experience, I didn’t pay $138 USD for this. In closing I could only take 1/4 of this event, I quietly slipped away in utter disappointment and disgust. If I wanted this experience I would have traveled to the country that this guy was from. If you want an authentic South Korean experience, do not book this. Attached is the proud owner of this disreputable tour

Joe is a great host. I actually booked this tour after having a great time on the bbq tour the previous night. If you are looking for a great time and food away from the touristy areas, this is the one for you!

I was the only one who signed up during my experience. I had a great time with the guide/host! A great experience to meet other people and to experience amazing and authentic chicken in Seoul!

This was by far the best, most authentic tour I have booked in my 10 days in Seoul. Thanks again Joe for the great night, and sorry that it took me a while to write this review! Everyone that wants to see a proper slice of Seoul food and drink culture should book this tour, it was my favourite night of my Seoul trip! I'm not gonna spoil anything, just book it and enjoy it, you will not regret it!

Had great time sampling a variety of chicken and beer. We were only ones on tour with our guide Ron. Made for good conversation over more beer and chicken than we could eat. Definitely a great tour delivering on what was promised

I decided to book this tour because I was travelling alone and read that going out for fried chicken and beer is usually done as a group. I had a fantastic time! It felt more like I was going out with friends than being on a tour. We were a small group (4 total) and ate so much good chicken, several different types. I am not a big beer drinker but I ended up liking the beer as well. I would absolutely recommend this tour, it was one of the highlights of my trip.

We had a fantastic tour with Joe! Restaurant selection was educational, delicious, and tons of fun. This tour is a must do if you are interested in Seoul food tours. Joe is an outstanding host in a fascinating part of the city.

If you like great food and conversation, I recommend that you check out the chicken and beer tour. My partner and I had a fantastic time hanging out with Joe.

This was a wonderful experience. The three chicken spots we went to were delicious and all very unique. We had beer (lots of beer) at each spot. It was a full night and we walked to the three spots (which was appreciated to digest.) This was one of the highlights of our trip.

Awesome food in three very different and unique restaurants, great company, good beer and interesting facts and background information. Highly recommended tour.

Let me tell you about this Korean fried chicken and beer food tour from ZenKimchi. It's absolutely insane! You get to hit up three different restaurants with all kinds of chicken and crazy flavors. I mean, we're talking about finger-licking good stuff here, people. If you're into fried chicken and beer, this is the tour for you. And let me tell you, I would definitely go again. It's a culinary adventure like no other. Don't miss out, my friends.

We had a great experience with Joe. The food selections were fantastic, especially the last location whose ambience was very unique with all of the WWII memorabilia. It was three of us, me, my husband, and my stepson on this tour. Joe was also fantastic company and had a ton of interesting stories about his time in Korea. We would not hesitate to recommend this tour!

It was very cold that night about -19 C so I was the only tourist who made it. What a great time touring three restaurants for chicken, beer, and Soju. Love yours with locals. You learn so much more about the community you are visiting. Thanks Ron for a memorable night. 🤗🤗👍

The meeting place was super easy to find and Joe was a terrific guide. He took us to restaurants that we would never find in the tourist districts. We had completely different types of chicken (all delicious!) and a lot of good beer to drink.

This was my second tour with Joe following a brilliant and exciting ghost tour. Joe was amazing, friendly, and funny and unsurprisingly he went above and beyond his mission. As for the chicken and beer, it was five stars just like our guide. This tour is a must for anyone visiting Seoul.