Best Ginseng Chicken Soup @ Toksokchon in Seoul

Best traditional korean restaurant - Toksochon, very famous and "must eat" place if you ever visit Seoul! This restaurant was also frequently visited by Former President Roh, Moo-hyun. Famous signature dish here- Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).

 The restaurant looks like a traditional korean house.I thought I will see long que infront of the shop, but suprisingly no. I guess I was early, it was about 5pm.

A glimpse of roast chicken, making me hungry....

The signboard in chinese "Toksokchon Samyetang". This is the right place!! Pheww...again, the chinese characters saved my life! Am so thankful that my mom sent me to chinese school. Seriously, the korean characters in the map and shops makes it difficult to find places.

English in the menu! When place order, you can just point at the menu list or am sure there's some staff who is able to speak chinese.We ordered 2 bowls of Chicken Stewed with Ginseng (14,000 won/ RM42 per bowl). There is Black Chicken Stewed with Ginseng but more expensive.

We were seated on the floor on big square flat pillows. While waited for our samyetang, side dishes were served. 2 jars of kimchi: paechu kimchi (napa cabbage) and kkakdugi (radish kimchi squares), and came alongside with insamju (ginseng wine) in small lil' cup. The ginseng wine is served cold, the taste pretty dry. with strong aroma of ginseng mix with liquor smell. You can either drink it from the cup or pour into the ginseng chicken soup to add flavour. We didnt know this could mix it into the soup, we drank it in one go at the end of our meal. :P It really warms our body to fight thru the nite cold wind.

"Many Koreans enjoy samgyetang on three specific days in summer: "Chobok"(초복), "Jungbok" (중복), and "Malbok" (말복), which Koreans believe to be the hottest and most sultry of the year. Food with high nutrient content is eaten to regain the loss of stamina in the summer heat, and samgyetang is a favorite dish."

Toksochon's Samgyetang is made up of about 30 different types of herbs and grains. A whole young chicken were stuffed with glutinous rice, gingko nut, ginseng, garlic, chestnut and jujube are used to enhance the dish's unique and aromatic flavour. I tried this dish in a Korean restaurant in KL, but the rice wasn't stuff inside the chicken. If you found one, means it closes to traditional and authenticity. Fell in love with this dish at first sip of the soup, it's tasty, rich flavour but not too salty and suprisingly not oily! By the taste of it, the soup must have been boiled for long to kept its flavour. The chicken meat is so awesomely tender! I wish i could have this like EVERYDAY!!! It's so darn good, I was grinning while enjoying this dish. :)

Gingko nut found!

Ginseng found!

Long ginseng and chestnut!

Voila, finally finished them all! The tin bowl is for the bones! It took me some time to savour every bits of the soup and ingredients, and meantime feeling the warmth start to grow in my body n face.

Ginseng root on display, I think they sell them too.

When we left, I was shocked to see the queue and thank goodness that I came early. Walked away without feeling the need to wear my sweater, the ginseng soup warms me without feelin cold and gives me energy to adjourn to my next venue - Insadong!

Address: 

85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, South Korea 

02-737-7444

Direction:

Subway: Take the subway line 3 and get off @ Gyeongbokgung station and exit through  exit number 2, then  120 meters towards Hyoja-dong direction. You will past "popoyes", then look for GS25  convenience store,  turn into the small lane at the corner of this store, you will see Toksochon. Bus: Take the bus 7022, 1022, 0212, or 1711 then get off at Jeokseon-dong  or Gyeongbokgong station.

明洞餃子 （Myeong-dong Gyoza) @ Seoul

 If you are in Myeong-dong, you wouldn't wanna miss this place.

 A popular place where locals and backpackers go to.

 Belif or not, I actually was finding this shop and when I saw the queue in front of a shop, and then i looked up to see the name of the shop, only to realise this is what I have been searching for! In Korea, if you see there's people queue infront of a restaurant means the food is good and worth to que!! Follow this rule, you won't go wrong.

We queued about 20-25 mins to get a table. Not tat long actually, becoz most Koreans they will straight away leave after eating. That's the culture difference, we Malaysians like to chit chat and hang around in the restaurant after eating. 

 

 The menu is very limited, we ordered 3 dishes! This is Kongguksu (8,000 won) - chilled soya milk noodle soup. A cold soya milk soup with noodles, cucumbers, sesame seeds, pretty interesting to me! I kinda like it, subtle sesame seed frgrant and smooth texture green noodles.

 Gyoza, I think they call it Mandoo (8,000 won), must order this, famous dish here. It looks like siu long pao, but it's HUGE! Outer layer skin is pretty thin and the fillings are alot. After eating this, my tummy feels like it's gonna explode!

 Calguksu (8,000 won) - knife cut noodles. I think tis is their type of ramen. I can't finished them, the noodles are just too much! Among the 3 dishes, this is my least favourite, the taste rather bland.

 There's 2 branches here, both on the same road, both located at both ends of the street. The one I went is at the upper street, which has Woori bank at the corner.

Direction: Myeong-dong station, exit 7. The upper street branch located next to H&M outlet. The other branch located near Watson.

Address:  25-2, 2-ka Myoung-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Tel: 02-776-5348

Along the same street, you will spot this ice-cream stall selling  big size, tall ice-cream and crowds que-ing infront of the stall. You might wanna try them. :)   

Labour day - time for shopping!

 Went to the newly opened Sephora infront of Starhill. Quite a crowd inside Sephora. Saw many different brands of cosmetics on different racks that made my eyes pop!

There's actually way too many things I wanted to put into the basket, but i try to resist myself, so finally settle for a Sephora 3-action cleansing water RM39. The cashier gave me a stack of poscards attached with Hugo Boss latest perfume samples, a Baviphat Lemon Whitening Sleeping Pack and Apple AC Therapy Sleeping Pack and Burt's Bees Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion. Sephora defnitely not stingy on giving samples! :)

 

 Next stop, Uniqlo!! I went crazy when i reached the entrance, array of exclusive Cath Kidston Charity Project collection of floral designed tops were right infront of my eyes!!!  I screamed in my heart! Oh, how could i resist all these beautiful pieces of art?? I really really hope i could take them all!

This season Uniqlo brings in exclusive collection designed by British designer Cath Kidston to raise funds for the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning(JOICFP), a charitable non-governmental organization. Uniqlo and Cath Kidstoon will make donations from the net proceeds of sale to fund an initiative supporting a safe motherhood program in Zambia. What's best in shopping is when you know some of the money goes to charity too! :)

  

It took me a few hours (erm becoz it was raining outside and so am stucked there while waiting for the rain to stop) to try a few pieces of my selection! Well i was fickle-minded and it's a pretty tough job to choose which to take home. Finally I bought 2 Cath Kidsto's floral tops (NP:RM59.90, now Promo: RM39.90) and a Uniqlo lace embroided near the collar of the blouse (RM24.90).

 Am glad that they packed the clothes in a Cath Kidston paper bag too! <3

Giveaway Winner!!!

Sorry for the long waited post! Time to reveal the winner of my recent Birthday Giveaway *drum rolllllllllll*

Who will bring this gorgeous Guess clutch bag home??

Congrates to Ayna!!!

Check your inbox, Ayna! :))