Korea loves its chicken, whether it be
grilled, deep fried or boiled. They serve it in a lot of different varieties,
but one of the most social things you can have (except for the beloved “Chicken
and Beer!”) is a soup which contains whole chickens. It is served in the middle
of the table in a huge bowl and eaten with a chili/soy/vinegar-sauce that adds
a whole lot of taste. The soup is made of chicken and broth, and while boiling
you dump a whole lot of garlic paste which adds a marvelous flavor (maybe not
the best food for Valentine’s Day…but good food is always good food!)
Dongdaemun is famous for a lot of things.
Clothes shopping, cheap and bustling markets, the area with Russian and
Mongolian restaurants and shops etc. etc. But it is also famous for the little
alley area where these chicken soup places stand shoulder to shoulder. Go out
through Exit 9 of Dongdaemun Stn, walk
westward down Jong-no to Jong-no-40-gil (종로40길), turn left once and then take at the first alley and you’ll
soon see something that might look like a mirage och chicken soup restaurants.
Most of them are bound to be full during dinner time but it is well worth the
wait. Just be careful not to burn your tongue on the boiling soup, and even
though it’s hard, just keep a cool head and wait for the food to cool down a
bit. These restaurants are often frequented by many tourists from China and
Japan who apparently know where the real deal is.
