Tosokchon Samgyetang

Louis BP Tan★★★★★★★★★★4.04 months ago

One of the best Samgyetangs I have tried. Both the white and black chicken taste equally yummy and comforting especially when taken on a cold day. It is spacious inside the restaurant with private rooms as well. Service is fast. Decor resembles the traditional Korean house. I don’t find the need to order bowl of steam rice as the inside of the chicken is stuffed with rice, red dates, ginko etc

Jlor★★★★★★★★★★4.0a month ago

My friend highly recommended this place to us, saying it serves authentic chicken ginseng soup. It’s quite easy to find, and once we stepped inside, the building had a very traditional feel, which made the experience even better. Overall, it was a good dining experience. The staff were also able to communicate in Chinese. Personally, I felt the soup was very rich and thick, and there was a large piece of ginseng stuffed inside the chicken as well. It is slightly on the pricey side, but if you’re staying nearby, it’s definitely worth a visit to try.

oXRYSTALo Ong★★★★★★★★★★4.04 weeks ago

After spending the morning exploring the beautiful palace next door, Donkey and I went to Tosokchon Samgyetang for lunch. I had heard about this place before but our cycling friends also recommended it as a must try spot in Seoul so we knew we had to visit. The restaurant is set in a lovely traditional building which creates a perfect atmosphere after walking around the palace grounds. We were told that one chicken and a pancake would be the right amount for two people so we ordered the Wild Ginseng Cultivated Root Black Chicken Samgyetang and a Seafood Green Onion Pancake (Haemul Pajeon). To start, they brought us two small glasses of ginseng wine which was quite strong – Donkey really felt the kick from it. We decided to pour both glasses into our soup hoping it would enhance the herbal flavors. To be honest, the chicken soup did not quite meet our high expectations. We were looking forward to a rich ginseng taste but even with the added wine the flavor was more subtle than we anticipated, despite them using Korean ginseng. However the glutinous rice stuffing inside the chicken was truly special – it made the dish very filling and comforting. The portion size was perfect for two people and with all the side dishes served we left feeling satisfied. The historical setting of the restaurant makes it a unique place to dine after exploring the nearby palace. While the soup flavor was milder than expected, the experience of trying this famous dish in such a beautiful location was worth it. Useful Tips: - A 5 minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 2. - If you find ginseng wine too strong, mix it directly into your soup. - One chicken and one pancake is plenty for two people – you will not leave hungry. RATINGS Atmosphere & Setting: 5/5 Food Quality: 3/5 Value for Money: 4/5 Overall Experience: 4/5

Daniel Chen★★★★★★★★★★3.03 months ago

A tourist's hot spot after visiting the palace. This restaurant serves mostly ginseng chicken soup and some side dishes such as seafood pancake. The sticky rice, ginseng and dates stuffed samgyetang, which is what this place is famous for, tasted bland. It's just like any other samgyetang places around Seoul. The environment and decor here were very traditional Koran. The sevice was mediocre at best. Upon entering, the receptionist didn't want to seat us here; he pointed us to another samgyetang place next door (same owner but without the traditional Korean theme and decor). He only let us in after we insisted on having lunch in this one. There wasn't even that many people when we first entered. The restaurant has a rule that all guests must each order an entree; so the 5 of us ended up ordering 4 soups and 1 pancake. The reusable menu was full of grease and smudges, I really didn't want to touch it. In conclusion, if you just want to taste the samgyetang, there are ample places to try. If you want to take photos of the Korean-themed restaurant, this might be for you.

Pui Ham★★★★★★★★★★3.06 months ago

Read about the "craze" and claims about this place. So I tried it on my first day straight after arriving. I reached at 12 noon and there was no queue. I ordered a black chicken with wild ginseng and chicken with cultivated ginseng and a seafood pancake. "This is purely my own opinion. " The soup came quickly and both soup served together only to see the chicken soup sizzling but the black chicken soup lacks that "Wow" factor. Meat: Both chicken is tender and taste great with the black pepper and salt. The stuffing is on the mushy side more like porridge which I would prefer a more firm texture. Soup: A bit bland from my view with minimum ginseng taste. The only real ginseng I taste is when I had the ginseng stem. Although they gave us a small bottle of chopped ginseng to add to the soup, it doesn't enhance the taste. Kimchi : taste milder as compared to other place. ( i wrote this after 3 days) Seafood pancake: filling and squid were plentiful but the whole dish in on the saltier side. If you eat it with the soup then it tastes better. The ginseng wine tastes good especially on a winter cold day. After we left, there was a long queue.