Samgyetang near Gyeongbokgung Palace, 토속촌삼계탕
토속촌삼계탕 is famous in South Korea for its Samgyetang. You can see the popularity of this restaurant by the enormous line-up that forms outside during peak lunch and dinner times. If you can try to avoid these rushes, but if not possible at least the line moves fairly quickly. The best thing about Korean restaurants like this (other than the food) that focus on one main kind of dish is the speedy service. If you don't know what samgyetang is, it's a soup made with a whole chicken that has been stuffed with rice, pine nuts, chestnuts, Korean jujubes and ginseng. It's considered very healthy and to be eaten especially during Sambok, the month-long hottest period of the summer.
Here is the menu and prices. We were able to split one soup between the two of us although if you have a large appetite you may want to get your own. The group beside us ordered the spring onion pancake with their soups and it looked delicious. The serving portion was huge and so we asked the waiter if they offered a smaller sized serving. They didn't but the Chinese tourists overheard and offered to give us each a piece which was really nice of them.
The restaurant sits inside a series of traditional hanok (Korean style houses) that are used for seating areas.
This is the entrance.
And look, you know it's a "good restaurant" because it's guaranteed on the front entrance!
Directions: Leave Gyeongbokgung station exit 2. Walk straight for a few minutes and take your second left. You should see the restaurant immediately on the left hand side of the street.
