Jensen Huang - CEO of NVIDIA, currently the #1 company in the world by market cap - went to a Korean fried chicken place in California. Twice. In nine days. The second time was Valentine’s Day, and he brought 17 engineers with him. He personally poured 소맥 (soju + beer mix) at the tables. The man runs a trillion-dollar company and his Valentine’s Day plan was 치맥 with coworkers. Honestly? Respect. He gets it.
What Is 치맥?
치맥 (chimaek) is a portmanteau of 치킨 (chikin - fried chicken) and 맥주 (maekju - beer).
Not just eating chicken. Not just drinking beer. The COMBINATION. The experience. The ritual.
It’s Korea’s version of “pizza and wine” or “hot dogs and beer” - except the whole country is obsessed with it and the chicken is genuinely, objectively excellent.
치맥 has its own holiday. Every summer, Daegu holds the 치맥페스티벌 (Chimaek Festival) - a massive outdoor event where thousands of people eat chicken and drink beer together. It started in 2013 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors.
That’s how serious Korea takes this combination.
The 치맥 Moment - Why Jensen Huang’s Visit Actually Makes Sense
Here’s what’s interesting about the Jensen Huang story: he didn’t go to a fancy Korean restaurant. He went to 99 Chicken, a Korean-style fried chicken chain in Santa Clara. Soy garlic. Honey garlic. Seasoned chicken. Beer and 소맥 at the table. Two hours of eating with engineers.
That IS Korean work culture at its most human.
In Korea, 치맥 is the food you eat when hierarchy disappears for a bit. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or the intern - everyone’s got greasy fingers, everyone’s pouring each other’s drinks, everyone’s arguing about which flavor is better.
The report from the Korean restaurant owner mentioned that Huang might remember eating chicken at Yongsan in Seoul back in the 1990s when he was promoting graphics cards in Korea. If true - that memory survived 30 years and made him come back. Twice in one week.
치맥 does that. It’s unforgettable in the most ordinary way.
치 - The Chicken Side
Korean fried chicken is different from American fried chicken. The coating is thinner, crispier, and stays crunchy even after saucing. Double-frying is standard. The pieces tend to be smaller and more bite-sized.
The main styles you’ll see:
| Korean | Romanization | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| 후라이드 | huraideo | Classic crispy fried |
| 양념치킨 | yangnyeom chikin | Sweet & spicy sauced |
| 간장치킨 | ganjang chikin | Soy garlic |
| 허니갈릭 | heoni gallik | Honey garlic |
| 반반 | banban | Half & half (mix of two flavors) |
반반 (banban - half and half) is the move when you can’t decide. Get half 후라이드, half 양념. No regrets.
맥 - The Beer Side
The beer in 치맥 is usually a Korean lager - 카스 (Cass), 테라 (Terra), or 한맥 (Hanmaek). Light, clean, cold. Nothing complicated. The point is that it cuts through the richness of the fried chicken.
Some people upgrade to 소맥 (somaek) - soju mixed into beer. Which is what Jensen Huang was apparently doing. The ratio varies by person, but it hits faster and tastes smoother than either drink alone.
For the full story on soju, check out our post on 빨뚜 - Korea’s red cap soju.
Key Expressions
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 치맥 | chimaek | Fried chicken + beer | |
| 후라이드 | huraideo | Crispy fried chicken | |
| 양념치킨 | yangnyeom chikin | Sauced/seasoned chicken | |
| 치킨집 | chikinjip | Chicken restaurant | |
| 배달치킨 | baedal chikin | Delivery chicken | |
| 한 마리 | han mari | One whole chicken | |
| 소맥 | somaek | Soju + beer mix |
Quick note on 한 마리: Korean chicken is ordered by the whole bird - 한 마리 (han mari, one bird) or 두 마리 (du mari, two birds). Not by the piece or the bucket. One whole chicken is the standard unit, and it’s a lot of food for one person but perfect for two.
How to Order Chimaek
At a sit-down 치킨집 (chikin jip - chicken restaurant):
For delivery (배달 - baedal), the process is the same but on your phone through Baemin (배민) or Coupang Eats. Delivery 치맥 is honestly the most common form - chicken arrives hot, you’re already on your couch, life is good.
Cera’s Take
치맥 is our Friday night default when I don’t feel like cooking. Baby’s asleep, dogs are calm for once, my husband and I order half and half, open a couple cans of beer, and watch something on Netflix. No ceremony. No planning. Just chicken.
I saw the Jensen Huang story and showed it to my husband. He said, “See, the smartest people know what’s good.” He was very pleased with himself about that.
The restaurant owner in the article said Huang seemed genuinely relaxed both times - no formal dinner setup, just eating with people at a normal table. That’s the whole point of 치맥. It levels everything. You can’t be precious when you’re eating chicken with your hands and pouring beer into soju glasses.
If you’re ever in Korea, skip the fancy restaurant one night. Find a 치킨집, order 반반에 맥주 (banban ae maekju - half and half with beer), and just sit there for two hours. You’ll understand why Jensen Huang came back.
오늘 저녁은 치맥이다. 고민 끝. (Tonight’s dinner is chimaek. Decision made.)
Source: Hankyung, February 2026