Baekje Samgyetang — Restaurant in Seoul

No trip to Korea is complete without trying Samgyetang, the iconic ginseng chicken soup. While searching for a spot near Myeongdong, we found ourselves at Baekje Samgyetang.

It was a little tricky to locate, as the signage was in Chinese characters and we were navigating without knowledge of the Korean language.

Stepping inside, the restaurant felt surprisingly spacious and noticeably cold, with air-conditioning blasting throughout the place.

Stepping inside, the restaurant felt surprisingly spacious and noticeably cold, with air-conditioning blasting throughout the place.

Each order of Samgyetang came with a complimentary cup of ginseng tea, along with a selection of banchan served on the side, a thoughtful touch to start the meal.

The servers were friendly and could communicate in basic English or Mandarin, which made ordering and asking questions much easier for us.

Ogolgyet'ang (Black Chicken Broth with Wild Ginseng) - 31,000

We went for one of the best items on the menu, Black Chicken Samgyetang with wild ginseng. Known for its nourishing properties, it’s believed to benefit the skin, muscles, and overall vitality, making it a delicious way to rejuvenate the body from within.

This wholesome dish features a tender whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice and simmered to perfection with ginseng, garlic, and medicinal herbs. It’s the ultimate comfort food that’s both nourishing and delicious, often enjoyed to boost energy and vitality.

Samgyet'ang (Cultivated by Wild Ginseng Root) - 25,000

We had the chance to try both the black chicken and the regular Samgyetang and enjoyed them both. The chicken in each was tender and flavorful. Naturally, the black chicken had a leaner build with less meat, but its rich, herbal depth made up for it. All in all, the meal was hearty, wholesome, and absolutely satisfying.

As a side, we shared a seafood green onion pancake, crispy on the edges, packed with fresh ingredients, and absolutely delicious. A perfect complement to the hearty Samgyetang.

Seafood Green Onion Pancake - 15,000

Another meal that truly hit the spot and fixed our craving! From the nourishing bowls of ginseng chicken soup to the tasty sides like seafood pancake, our visit to Baekje Samgyetang was a wholesome and memorable part of our Korean food journey. A comforting dish that’s worth seeking out...

This place is really tucked away amongst the glitzy clothes and makeup shops in myeongdong. I almost missed it because it's on the second floor and the sign out front is written in Chinese, not hangul. Of course, the pictures of chicken ginger soup (samgyetang) make it pretty clear what this place serves. The dining room is large but chairs are back to back when pulled out. The waitress has an efficient business attitude, letting me pick one of the numerous empty tables available after the lunch hour rush. Not to say the place was empty, I could spot Caucasian diners and heard several patrons and the waitresses chatting away in Mandarin, I guess that sign makes sense. Some diners even brought their luggage to the table, marking this an obvious tourist destination. I was immediately seen to, the waitress brought a menu, inquired if I was Japanese or spoke english and offered me their two most popular dishes - the white (regular) or black chicken ginger soup. She brought out the kimchi side dishes, white pepper, a shot of ginseng liquor (which you can see giant jars of above the kitchen area) and within 5-10 minutes of that my soup appeared. The skin-on chicken is stuffed with nuts, carrot, some sort of dried pit fruit, and glutinous rice which is wonderfully thick. The chicken was falling off the bones tender. The kimchi is spicy and fresh. Not sure what to do with the ginseng shot, I waited for my soup to cool (it was served to me bubbling!) then mixed it in. I realised I might have preferred if I had put in the liquor while the soup was hot and burned off some of the liquor because it wafted up to me whenever I took a bite after that. Ginseng is slightly sweet. I chose this place because the other had reviews that said the soup was flavourless, at least here you can add salt and pepper to your hearts content and mix in side dishes. Easy to get to from myeongdong station, only 4 blocks. Highly recommend coming here in off hours for more relaxed atmosphere, the food quality doesn't suffer. People who are squicked out by picking through skin and bones should stay away though. It's also big enough to share among two people, as I saw others doing and I only got through a little over half...

The taste was better than expected.

I'm not used to this type of food because I thought it would be very bland, but the flavors at this restaurant exceeded my expectations.

This restaurant is located in Myeongdong and opens in the morning. It opens around 9 am, so we decided to have brunch here. We ordered one ginseng chicken soup and one Korean pancake. The ginseng chicken soup is very nice, with the chicken boiled until tender. If you find the food bland, you can dip it in the salt provided on the table. The inside of the ginseng chicken soup contains sticky rice.

Inside the restaurant, there are autographs and photos of celebrities who have dined here, which adds to its credibility in terms of taste. The restaurant has been in operation since 1971 and is considered the best Samgyetang in Korea, with a history spanning over 50 years.

The restaurant also serves ginseng liquor, which has a rather strong taste. If you're visiting this area, you should definitely come and try it.

If you order the Samgyetang, you will receive a free cup of ginseng liquor! The main dish is served with seasoned garlic, kimchi,...