Tosokchon – highly recommended place for Ginseng Chicken Soup or Samgyetang in Seoul

9 November 2014

Tosokchon is a Korean restaurant known for its signature samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) made with glutinous rice, ginkgo nuts, ginseng, garlic and jujube, as well as 30 different types of medicinal herbs and grains.

It is located near to the west side of Gyeongbukgung and we came all the way for samgyetang dinner after visiting Changdeokgung, Bukchon Hanok Village and Samcheongdong.

We arrived at the Tosokchon and saw a long line of people waiting outside. This restaurant must be good!
 Queue outside the Tosokchon restaurant in Seoul.



Thankfully, the line moved fast and we were ushered to our seats after about 15 minutes. The restaurant occupies a hanok, with an open courtyard within. Seating is traditional korean style, on the floor, in many rooms surrounding the courtyard. I think the capacity of this restaurant is big, hence the fast turnaround.

The restaurant occupies a hanok, with open courtyard, and seating is traditional korean style, on the floor.

Guests are to remove their shoes before entering and the dining will be at the low lying tables. Cushion provided but I still find it uncomfortable seating cross legged on the floor. My poor legs are deprived of blood after a while.

We ordered a standard white chicken soup and a black chicken (Silkie chicken, which is black-pigmented right down to its bones) soup which cost a bit more but came with a cup of finely grounded herb (ginseng?).  It is believed that eating the black chicken offers more health benefits than eating the normal white chicken.

Each serving of soup also came with a small cup of rice wine. I poured half of it into the soup and drank the rest like soju.
 Standard Chicken Soup.

Black Chicken Soup which cost a little more.

Big piece of ginseng root embedded in the cavity of the chicken, with glutinous rice and other good stuff.


White pepper and salt mixed in a small plate serves as a dip for the meat. I noticed that the Koreans on the next table quickly break up the chicken carcass to expose the glutinous rice with the big piece of ginseng inside before eating. The good stuff are all in the soup. Hence, must savour and finish every drop of it.

Poster near the entrance showing the spices used. My photo is a bit blurred as it was shot while I was walking out.

I must say the Samgyetang was super good and was worth the trouble to find the restaurant and queue to have a meal here.

How to get there:

Address: 5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Hours: 10AM–10PM

Phone: +82 2-737-7444

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Travel from Seoul to Sokcho and Seoraksan

10 November 2014

 
The best way to get Seoraksan from Seoul is by bus. There are express buses running from Gangnam Express Bus Terminal (in Seoul) to Sokcho City roughly every 30 minutes. The trip takes about 2 and a half hours.  Upon arrival at Sokcho, we need to get off the bus at ‘Sokcho’ express bus terminal and take the local bus No 7 or 7-1. The last stop for these buses is the entrance of Seoraksan, about 60 minutes from Sokcho. The best place to stay when visiting Seoraksan National Park would be the Seorak Kensington Stars Hotel, ideally located just a few minutes walk from the entrance of Seoraksan National Park.

We checked out of the Seoul Palace Hotel and took a taxi to the Gangnam Express Bus located nearby. We could have walked. But with our luggage, 3000 KRW for the taxi fare was well worth the expense.

There are 2 sub-terminals within the Gangnam Express Bus terminal, depending on which bus line, operator or destination. Earlier (in Day 1) in our trip, we had recce and found out which terminal to go to. Tickets were sold at many booths, with the names of the destination flashing above.

We booked our tickets for the next bus leaving for Sokcho at 9:00 AM. Each ticket costs 18,100 KRW for the deluxe express bus. We had time for a quick breakfast at a small cafe next to Platform 17 while waiting for the bus to arrive.

Ticket for Express Bus from Seoul to Sokcho. 


The deluxe bus has only 3 seats per row, like the KAL Limousine bus and plenty of legroom. This made the 3 hours journey from downtown Seoul to Sokcho very comfortable. After travelling for about 2 hours, the bus stopped for a 15 minutes break at a rest area.

Our bus at the rest area with toilet facilities, shops selling souvenirs, food and snacks.

We bought 4 Snicker bars that we would need for the hikes at Seoraksan.


We arrived at the Express Bus Terminal in Sokcho slightly before noon. There are two bus terminals within Sokcho – Intercity Bus Terminal and Express Bus Terminal and they are located a distance apart. To make sure that our taxi driver would bring us back to the correct terminal on our day of departure, I took a photo of the Express Bus Terminal before leaving. Just in case there is a language barrier later.

Sokcho Express Bus Terminal. This is near to Sokcho Beach.

For those who find going to Seoraksan and/or Sokcho via public transport a hassle, check out various Day Tours to Seoraksan National Park and the Eastern Provinces from Seoul.

There is a Tourist Information Booth just outside the terminal. First thing to do was to get a map of Sokcho, which we would need in the next few days. The girl manning the booth looked disinterested and was not too helpful with answers to our questions. Language barrier or motivational issue? Not sure. We just took the map of Sokcho and left. Thankfully, I had already done my research on Sokcho before our trip.

Dragging our trolley bags, we walked towards the nearby Sokcho Beach in search of seafood restaurants for lunch. Along the way, we passed a few guest houses and got a few offers for accommodation. Vacancies a plenty. It was probably not the peak season. It was also a weekday, where there were less Korean visitors.

We found a row of seafood restaurants by the beach. Most seemed to be open but were empty of customers. Not much business at this time of year, or day. One had a Korean family taking lunch inside. We went into this restaurant since the elderly couple operating the restaurant seemed friendly and inviting.


Outside the seafood restaurant where we had our lunch near Sokcho Beach.


The speciality in Sokcho is the Ojingo-sundae or squid sundae (Korean sausage, not an ice cream).  Lots of photos of this dish were pasted in the restaurants on this row.  The squid sundae consists of whole squid, stuffed full of pig’s blood, barley, cellophane noodles and other goodies, boiled, then sliced up, covered in egg yolk and fried.  It seems that this dish is only available in this particular region of Korea. I guess this is true since you need fresh squid a plenty and Sokcho is a fishing town where fresh and live squid is in abundance.

Squid Sundae – speciality of Sokcho. The squid sundae had been sliced up and fried with egg yolk. 

Squid Sundae and side dishes that came with our main course.

Codfish Stew – our main course.


After our lunch, we walked back to the Express Bus Terminal.

 
I knew that we could take local Sokcho bus number 7 or 7-1 to get to Seoraksan National Park and our hotel. The bus ride would cost about 1200 KRW per trip per person and takes about 15 to 20 minutes. But with our luggage in tow, we decided to take a taxi instead. Why not enjoy a bit of luxury and contribute to the local economy. There was a taxi stand just outside the bus terminal and we were soon on our way to our hotel and Mount Seorak!

Where we stayed for 3 days while visiting Mount Seorak National Park:

Kensington Stars Hotel is the hotel closest to the entrance of Seoraksan National Park and a few minutes walk to the park entrance. The bus terminal just outside the park provides convenient access to the nearby Sokcho city.

Beatles fans would be thrilled by the hotel’s Abbey Road Sky Lounge featuring some original Beatles memorabilia.

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From Sokcho to Seoul and afternoon in Myeongdong

13 November 2014 

We spent the morning in a relaxed pace and was almost the last couple taking our breakfast at the hotel. The hotel staff helped to call for a taxi to take us to the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal where we bought the tickets for the next bus to Seoul. 

Our hotel in Seoul was the Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong. I selected this hotel for its excellent location at the fringe of Myeongdong shopping district and walking distance to the Euljiro-1(il)-ga subway station.


We took a cool taxi, with a cool driver, from the Gangnam Bus Terminal to our hotel. This was why I find the taxi “cool” – its decor within, with many interesting objects and memorabilia of USA and bikes.

 Cool stuff decorated the taxi’s roof.


One of the many items on the dashboard.

The weather forecasted for this day was a cold spell and it was accurate. The temperature dropped to near zero although the sun was out. My original plan was to go to the Skypark to view the golden eulalia reeds which is at their best during autumn. The Skypark is also a good place to view the sunset over the city.

I figured it would not be fun to be in an open park with the wind and temperature near freezing point without the proper clothes. Best thing to do in bad weather would be shopping and eating. So we went for lunch at the Myeongdong Kyoja, a highly recommended restaurant within Myeongdong,  There are actually two Myeongdong Kyoja shops within Myeongdong, located a short distance apart.

There were only 3 items in their menu -  Kalguksu (knife cut, handmade noodle), Bibim guksu (cold noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste) and Mandu (steamed pork dumplings). Each item cost 8000 KRW and comes with kimchi as a side dish.

Bibim guksu (cold noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste) and Mandu (steamed dumplings) at the Myeongdong Kyoja restaurant .

The steamed pork mandu and the cold noodles were both very good. The free-flow of kimchi was one of the hottest I have tasted in this trip.  I will be back at this restaurant if I ever visit Seoul again.

Myeongdong is a crowded place, full of tourists and locals. Lucky visitors could get to meet a Korean celebrity too.

Korean celebrity at Myeongdong.

Nice of him to pose for photos with fans.

Cosmetics and beauty products are the best buys in Korea. Clothes would be too, but the stores were selling mostly autumn and winter wear.  It seems that a high percentage of the stores were using Korean celebrities to endorse their products, especially cosmetics.



Another restaurant in Myeongdong that was highly recommended is the Yoogane Dak galbi restaurant. Again, there are actually two Yoogane Dak galbi restaurants within Myeongdong.

There are many variants of this dish but we went for the standard -  spicy stir fried chicken with gochujang (chili pepper paste) sauce,  sliced cabbage, sweet potato, bean sprouts, onions and  korean rice cake, stir-fried together on a hot plate at our table.
Vegetables and marinated chicken, stir-fried at our table.


Rice was added halfway to make a nice fried rice with the remaining sauce, vegetable and meat.

Best meal for a cold day.

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Free and easy in Seoul – exploring Insadong, trying the best Jajangmyeon in Seoul and visit Hello Kitty Cafe at Hongdae

14 November 2014

Having seen all the autumn foliage that we wanted to see and done a lot of shopping at Myeongdong the day before, our plan for this day was rather free and easy. This day turned out to be “a day of Hits and Misses” as we went in search of good food and places that interest us.

From Myeongdong, we took a taxi to Insadong. We had good samgyetang at the Hwanghu Sangyetang restaurant located on a 2nd floor shop along the Insadong 10 gil during our last trip to Seoul and we wanted to go back to the same restaurant again. However, we could not find it anymore. Checking with the tourist information booth and we were told that the restaurant is now located near Gyeongbukgung, quite near to the Tosokchon restaurant that we went a few days ago. The next best thing was to go find something else to eat within Insadong and MISS our samgyetang meal.

Korean restaurant in traditional hanok at Insadong where we had Doenjang Jjigae (brown bean paste soup) and bibimbap.

After our “breakfast” of Doenjang Jjigae (brown bean paste soup) and bibimbap at a nice Korean Restaurant, we went to Ssamzie-gil , the shopping and arts complex, to see if we could get anything for the kids back home.



Creativity at a staircase in Ssamzie-gil - the shopping and arts complex.

I remembered shooting a picture of the sheep in May during my last visit. It is more colourful now in autumn.


At the roof of Ssamzie-gil.

There was nothing much more to excite us at Insadong. Many shops and cafes, including a Starbuck with Korean signboard, we had seen before. What was a HIT for us was a hot cup of herbal ginger tea sold by a street vendor and a hotteok (the Korean sweet pancake) served in a paper cup.

From Insadong, we decided to go find the best Jajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodle) in Seoul. My research prior to the trip led me to Andongjang, the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seoul.  It is located near the Euljiro 3-ga Station area. On the way, we walked past the familiar Cheonggyecheon stream where the annual Lantern Festival is held. We will be back later this evening to see the lit lanterns at night.

We managed to find the Andongjang Chinese Restaurant without much trouble. It is along the main street between exit 10 and 11 of the Euljiro 3-ga subway station. Andongjang is one of the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Their history started way back in 1948 and apparently Jajangmyeon is a Chinese dish!

Andongjang Chinese Restaurant is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seoul.

Jajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodle) at Andongjang restaurant.


The noodles could be ordered with an option of added minced meat. It was a relatively cheap and good meal.

Our next destination for the day is at Hongdae. We took the Seoul subway and alighted at the Hongik University Station. For me, one of the must-see places in Seoul is the shooting location of “The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince”, featuring my favourite Korean actress Yoon Eun Hye. I was disappointed in my previous visit because it was closed and I could only see the site from the outside. Prior to this trip, I had read some reviews on the internet that the shop has reopened and is under new management.


BIG MISS – it was closed. Again!

Shooting location of “The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince” – closed again.

Picture of lead actress Yoon Eun Hye at the shooting location of “The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince”.

Under proper management, I believed this place can be a big hit with many tourists and fans of k-drama. Sadly, it seems not to be and is quite a big disappointment to the many fans who came.

Anyway, the Hongdae area (the area in front of Hongik University) is a neighbourhood known for its many unique themed cafes, cosy galleries, accessory stores, fashion shops for the young and gourmet eateries. This is a popular hang-out for the locals in their 20s and 30s and a fascinating place to walk around. The shops here would appeal to our kids. If only they were here with us.

Hongdae is a popular hang-out for the locals in their 20s and 30s and a fascinating place to walk around.

Hello Kitty Cafe – the old one. It has been relocated to another location within Hongdae.

We went to search for the Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae as shown on my map and found it closed!
MISS again.


Fortunately a sign outside the cafe told us the location of the new cafe. The location of the new cafe was still within Hongdae. It was a short walk to the new location of the cafe. It was opened.

A real HIT this time.

The new cafe had its own building on high ground, within a landed property.

Entrance to the new Hello Kitty Cafe site.

A stone path with these lights to guide the way to the main cafe inside the site.

The cafe building.

Entrance to the cafe.

It even has a Hello Kitty gift shop next to the main building.



We went to sit on the second floor of the cafe as the ground floor was quite crowded.

Second Floor sitting area.

Hello Kitty on the Table top.

Hello Kitty on our coffee – sweet potato coffee.

Hello Kitty on our green tea latte.


Special bedroom for Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty sofa.

Hello Kitty everywhere, except the rest-room.

Hongdae has plenty of restaurants and would be a good place for a sit-down dinner. We wanted to try the famous Kyochon Fried Chicken and knew that there was a branch in Hongdae. We spent some time trying to locate this branch as it was not marked on our map. We managed to find it along a small back lane.

Unfortunately, this branch is quite small and catered mostly to takeaway meals. Since we were not that hungry, we decided to buy a takeaway pack to eat in our hotel instead. I think this could be consider a HIT too. There are a few flavours to choose from and we could only try one this time. We picked the Honey Fried Chicken. Quite unique and nice tasting fried chicken. 

Guess who is endorsing Kyochon Chicken – Lee Min Ho!


We chose to try the Honey Fried Chicken, our takeaway dinner before going to the Seoul Lantern Festival.

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