Ilbeonga Tongdak Pocha in Anyang: Corn Cheese Chicken Review

Today I’m sharing a self-paid visit to a newly opened pocha—a casual Korean pub—in Anyang Ilbeonga: Ilbeonga Tongdak Pocha (일번가통닭포차). I hadn’t noticed it at first because it’s on the second floor. After one visit, though, I could see myself coming back whenever I’m craving whole roast chicken. Both the flavor and the portions really impressed me! And despite the chicken-focused name, the other dishes we tried were delicious too.

Opening hours • Monday–Thursday: 5:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. the following day • Friday–Saturday: 4:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m. the following day • Sunday: 4:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. The hours vary by day, so keep that in mind when planning your visit. The 2:00 a.m. closing time on Fridays and Saturdays makes it an option for a late-night stop. Parking Parking at the venue is difficult. Use parking at Anyang Station or the Anyang Ilbeonga public parking lot.

The entrance has a real retro feel. There were customers of different ages, too. Anyang Ilbeonga seems to be getting livelier again, and I’d love to see more pubs like this opening here.

What we ordered • Corn cheese nurungji whole chicken: whole roast chicken with corn, cheese, and crispy scorched rice • Golbaengi somyeon: spicy sea snails with thin noodles • Haemul jjamppong-tang: spicy seafood soup • Draft beer

There were four of us, and we came for dinner and a few drinks. We were hungry, so we ended up ordering quite a bit! We started with the corn cheese nurungji chicken and beer, then added the other dishes one at a time.

The interior carries on the retro theme. The lighting was pleasant without being too dim, making it a comfortable place to eat and have a drink. The kitchen looked clean, and the central self-service station was handy for topping up what we needed. A little farther inside, you can also watch the whole chickens turning in the electric rotisserie.

What a sight! A thin layer of nurungji—crispy scorched rice—sits underneath a large whole chicken covered in a blanket of corn and cheese. Shredded scallions help balance the richness, and there are several sauces to keep each bite interesting.

You do need to pull the whole chicken apart before eating, but that’s part of the fun! Try getting a little crispy rice, chicken, shredded scallion, and corn cheese into one bite. That combination was so good.

It paired so well with draft beer. I’d been wishing I could find this kind of nurungji chicken in Anyang Ilbeonga, and now I finally had! After enjoying the chicken, we felt like trying another dish to go with our drinks, so we ordered the golbaengi somyeon.

This was the dish that really convinced me we’d found a good spot. The chili seasoning tasted different: it had a deep, punchy heat that reminded me of chili powder from the countryside. That was my impression from the first bite, and my mom and aunt both noticed the same distinctive flavor.

The portion was generous, too. Once we mixed in the two bundles of thin noodles, the plate was completely full. I wondered whether they had given us a little extra because there were four of us, but either way, it was delicious. This is a dish I’d happily order again: spicy, punchy, and just right with a drink.

Our final order was the haemul jjamppong-tang, a spicy seafood soup. It was packed with seafood and had jjamppong noodles inside, making it a filling choice. It was just what we wanted when we started craving a hot, brothy dish to finish. There was a noticeable smoky, wok-fired flavor, too.

Overall, I really liked the atmosphere, and the owner was very friendly. The second-floor location makes it easy to overlook, but it’s somewhere I’d happily return to. If you’re looking for a Korean pub in Anyang Ilbeonga, I’d definitely recommend Ilbeonga Tongdak Pocha! #AnyangBars #AnyangIlbeongaBars #AnyangIlbeongaFood #AnyangChicken #AnyangIlbeongaChicken #AnyangStationChicken #AnyangStationBars #AnyangStationPocha