RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Where the locals go for dakgalbi in Chuncheon

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — When one hears that a friend is going to Chuncheon, I’m sure there is only one word that comes to mind: dakgalbi. This spicy stir-fried chicken dish is loved by many and its origins are here in this city.

I have been to Chuncheon more times than I can count. It’s my comfort city. I had always gone downtown to “Myeongdong Dakgalbi-ro,” an alley downtown where there are dozens of different dakgalbi restaurants. On a visit a year ago, though, I decided to ask the head brewer at Gamja Island Beer Brewery, “Where do potatoes (a local term of endearment for Gangwon citizens) eat?”

“Oh, definitely 1.5 Dakgalbi. We [the owners of Gamja Island] ate there all the time when we went to Kangwon National University. It’s super popular with locals.”

1.5 Dakgalbi could not be further from touristy Myeondong-ro. Located in Hupyeong-dong, it’s a 10-minute walk from the university's north gate. Opened in 1989, this place is consistently busy and was full at noon, 15 minutes after I’d arrived.

The first thing I noticed about 1.5’s dakgalbi, when it slid from tray to iron skillet, was that they seem to use considerably less gochujang in their dish. It certainly isn’t white, but I could simply see a lot more texture of the ingredients. I’m a huge spice addict, so this wasn’t an issue, due to the restaurant’s addition of lettuce and a small dish of crimson gochujang on the side. This dish includes green onions, cabbage and sweet potato. All ingredients are also locally sourced.

The chicken is ultra-moist and fresh. The Chuncheon area is known for its chicken farms and this freshness and proximity shines through in all dakgalbi in the region. I can’t say that this is farm-to-table, as I simply don’t know, but it’s as close as you’re gonna get.

As busy as it was at the lunch rush, my friend David quickly noted how efficiently the staff whizzed around the tables, turning over all of our dakgalbi, making sure it was cooked thoroughly before zipping off to the next group that needed galbi-ing.

I also ordered a Dakgal Beer, from the aforementioned Gamja Island. They specifically designed the recipe to pair well with this dish, and it's a nice combination. This is not a fancy craft beer; there’s no hop notes. Rather, this is a working man’s beer for a working man’s dinner, but their eye for detail and love of brewing results in a crisp, refreshing, medium-bodied ale that has a hint of citrus to it — like a Munich Helles at Oktoberfest.

And isn’t that what you want in Gangwon Province? A hearty, simple, unpretentious dish that lets the ingredients shine through? This is the opposite of Jeolla cuisine and that’s no insult. Simple dishes with fresh ingredients prepared by experts who love their craft and want to prepare it for locals who know, with absolute certainty, what a great dakgalbi should taste like.

1.5 Dakgalbi is located at Human-ro 77 and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is closed on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Kevin Grabb is a Canadian homebrewer and YouTuber. His channel Korea Brewing Adventure covers Korean alcohol from production to consumption.