Gobong Samgyetang (고봉삼계탕) was one of the top results when we searched for where to eat Korean ginseng chicken soup in Seoul. With a convenient location at Myeongdong and long opening hours, it was an easy decision for us to eat there.
Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup in Myeongdong, Seoul
Korean ginseng chicken soup is one of the food categories that was on our must-eat list on our recent Seoul trip. Apart from taste, the soup is said to be good for fatigue recovery and dealing with gastrointestinal issues. Gobong Samgyetang restaurant is in an easily accessible part of Seoul which we had become familiar with. It is in the same building where we purchased BHC fried chicken takeaway.
This restaurant is on the second level of the Art Noveau Centum Building. The signboards are not very obvious. This is a picture of what the front of the building looks like. From the restaurant, we had a good view of the activities of the busy Myeongdong streets below as we were assigned a table located by the window. A sign at the entrance indicates a 2017 Seoul Michelin Guide listing.
The restaurant has a traditional Korean restaurant decor. To avoid the crowds, we went in the mid-afternoon, between lunch and dinner peak periods. There were a few other diners and only a skeleton crew in attendance. We like the quiet and slow atmosphere of this restaurant at the very off-peak timing.
Gobong Samgyetang Menu
The Gobong Samgyetang Menu is quite limited. In addition to chicken soup, it has a few other items such as chicken bulgogi, seafood pajeon and steamed chicken. Here are pictures of the menu (in Korean and English), which includes a description of the food components and instructions on how to eat Gobong Samgyetang.
Chicken Soup For The Seoul
We would have been contented to try the chicken soup and just share one dish to save room for dinner later. But it seems to be the practice in Seoul restaurants to require each person to order at least one dish each. And so we ordered a chicken soup (KRW20,000) and a Dak Bulgogi (KRW15,000).
A few side dishes were served ahead of the main dishes. A cup of insamju (Korean liquor) was served to each diner. According to the instructions, it can be drank before, during or after the meal. We chose “during”. The main attraction, samgyetang, arrived soon after, bubbling away in a heavy stone pot. The pot was very effective in keeping the soup warm throughout the meal.
Inside the pot was a whole chicken. It was a petit chicken, probably smaller than the size of a typical Cold Storage roast chicken. We were glad that we had ordered another dish. The soup was thick and rich with a good balance of chicken and other flavours of ginseng and other herbs. The meat was nicely cooked and easily fell off the bones yet did not feel dry. It was a satisfying ginseng chicken soup that gave us healthy vibes.
Dak bulgogi turned out to be a fried chicken dish, made in a pancake format. This was our first time trying such a dish. It tasted better than it looks. In fact we would want to order this again in a future visit. Overall, this was a memorable experience to try classic Korean ginseng chicken soup in a traditional restaurant setting.
Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs 
Gobong Samgyetang (고봉삼계탕)
2nd floor, Art Nouve Centum, Myeong-dong, 21, Myeong-dong 7-gil, Jung-gu,
Seoul, South Korea
Open Daily: 10am to 10pm
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
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