Dakgalbi was originally named dakbulgogi. It began in 1970 when a dwaejigalbi (grilled pork galbi) restaurant changed its name to “Dakbulgogijip” and started selling dakbulgogi instead of dwaejigalbi. This change, driven by the pork shortage at the time, involved marinating and charcoal-grilling chicken. The popularity of this dish led to the restaurant to fully commit to the new name and the menu. As the restaurant’s success continued, other merchants in the area began offering dakbulgogi.

We know “Chuncheon Dakgalbi” as a dish cooked on a hot iron plate, but originally, dakgalbi was a charcoal-grilled dish. As gas stoves became more common, dakgalbi began to be cooked on a hot iron plate for convenience. The introduction of boneless chicken also brought further changes, and different experimentation with different cuts eventually led to using boneless chicken thighs for better flavor and texture. Since there was no longer a need to cook the bone-in chicken for extended periods, vegetables like cabbage and onion were added to the dish.

Generally, cheolpan dakgalbi is considered as the standard version of dakgalbi. However, in Chuncheon, two types coexist: cheolpan dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken on hot iron plate) and sutbul dakgalbi (spicy charcoal-grilled chicken). Although these are entirely different dishes, locals refer to both simply as “dakgalbi”. But charcoal-grilled dakgalbi is sometimes distinguished as “sutbul dakgalbi”.

Cheolpan dakgalbi is a dish where chicken marinated in red chili paste-based sauce is stir-fried on an iron plate with cabbage, sweet potatoes, onions, and green onions. You can enjoy the stir-fried dakgalbi wrapped in vegetables or add garlic and chili pepper to enjoy their harmony. We recommend trying dakgalbi on its own first, then with vegetable wraps. Once you’re done, you can make a bokkeumbap (stir-fried rice) with the remaining sauce—a ritual so beloved that it’s sometimes called “Korea’s official dessert.” If you order bokkeumbap, the staff will stir-fry the rice with the leftover sauce and extra seasoning, and their skillful stir-frying is often mesmerizing to watch.

Sutbul dakgalbi, on the other hand, highlights the sauce and the meat. Generally, there are three types of marinades: salt-based, soy sauce-based, and red chili paste-based marinades. The salt-based marinade is ideal for savoring the pure flavor of the chicken, the soy sauce-based marinade offers a balanced sweet and savory taste, and the red chili paste-based marinade adds a deliciously spicy kick. If you want to try all three, we recommend starting with the salt-based marinade, then moving on to the soy sauce-based, and finishing with the red chili paste-based marinade. This sequence helps minimize burning on the grill.

Sari (topping) is essential to a fun cheolpan dakgalbi dining experience. You can add various toppings, or sari, to the iron plate, such as rice cakes, sweet potatoes, cheese, and noodles–experiment with different combinations to find what you enjoy. (“Sari” is a unique aspect of Korean culinary culture, referring to toppings added to completed dishes).

After the chicken, cabbage is the second most important ingredient in determining the taste of cheolpan dakgalbi. Cabbage is at its best in winter, and cheolpan dakgalbi served during this season captures the cabbage’ deep, sweet flavor more fully.