GASTRO CHIC: Tosokchon (Seoul)

Had an 8 hour stopover in Seoul on the way to
Ulan Bator, Mongolia and was eager to try a quaint
local restaurant which had a reputation for
an incredible Chicken Broth.
After a quick sauna and Swedish massage
for the weary muscles at the Hyatt's impressive
spa facilities, I was ready to go.

Toshoksen is famous in Seoul and the constant queue
outside is evidence of that. Apparently even the
President has to wait and it was the same with
a food internet sensation such as myself (at the time of writing we have
1 follower, 7 hits on the site and no viewers outside our immediate family).

Finding it was difficult enough. I wasn't sure if the taxi driver
didn't appreciate that a foreigner was headed to one of Korea's
culinary secrets or if he ate his wife's kim chi every night and just didn't
know any better. After much frustration and after passing the same temple
three times I was dropped off outside a small side street buried amongst
the Seoul urban sprawl.

Obviously no one spoke English but I managed to get a seat on the floor after
a brief wait in line. Looking around I was the only foreigner and my Asian blood
did nothing to help me blend in. I realised I had no clue what to order or how to eat it...
luckily the menu is three items long.

1) Chicken stew with ginseng
2) Laquer chicken stew with ginseng (?)
3) Spicy braised chicken with potatoes

The chicken stew is the famous one so after much
pointing and gesticulating and ridicule from
the other diners, a delicious smelling bowl arrived.
I couldn't quite place the taste, but the sauce had
ginseng, pine nuts, garlic, sunflower seeds,
wild onion and a few other ingredients
I couldn't figure out.

Under the soup was a whole delicious and extremely
tender chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng and chestnuts.
The chicken melted off the bone and the soup gets better and better
the deeper you get as all the ingredients blend and
the stuffing in the chicken disperses and soaks in the soup.

A truly delicious broth, extremely unique to the Koren peninsula
in a unique local setting.

Head for the Dongdaemun night market afterwards.
8 Louis Vuitton socks for $5?
Who cares if the brand name is spelled wrong...

Rating:

Food - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Value - 10/10

Bill for 2 - £25