Tosokchon Samgyetang
Tosokchon Samgyetang things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Warning to those with NUT/PEANUT ALLERY! The restaurant is well known to local Koreans and tourists who come for their renowed heart-warming ginseng chicken soup. There are 4 ginseng chicken soups to choose from ranging between 19,000-29,000won per portion. It is quite filling since the chicken is stuffed with rice and you have unlimited (help yourself) refill of spicy radish and kimchi, so it may be a good idea to share one between two if you're not too hungry or a smaller portion eater. There are a few other choices, such as seafood pancake which was thick and full of ingredients. The chicken broth is however made with NUTS, specifically peanuts and pine nuts. My friend unfortunately found out after getting an allergic reaction after eating half of the soup. We had asked two of their staff members, but both denied there being any peanuts so we carried on eating. After a little while, my friend started to feel unwell so we asked them to check with the kitchen staff who confirmed it had nuts and peanuts in their soup. However overall, the taste is wholesome and warming. It doesn't feel oily and is a soothing soup (not heavy). The restaurant wasn't full when we arrived so we were seated immediately. It has plenty of seating and I hear that there are queues on weekends, though the line moves quickly so no need for reservation.
KatyKaty
10
TOSOKCHON SAMGYETANG (토속촌삼계탕) | SEOUL 🇰🇷🐓🍗🥣👨🏻🍳👩🏻🍳 Tosokchon is like a rite of passage for Korean ginseng chicken soup goers. Lunch today at our usual haunt. Place has a touch of wondrous heritage and Korean history and culture. FORGET ALL OTHER GINSENG CHICKEN SOUPS. THIS ONE HERE IS THE REAL DEAL AND NOTHING COMPARES. Tried and tested! 🏆🥇🎖️ Located near Gyeongbokgung Station, the restaurant is iconic because it was frequented by late President Roh Moo-hyun and considered the crème de la creme for samgyetang. Literally the only real deal. 👏🏻💯👍🏼 Tosokchon produces their own ingredients like Tojongdak (Korean chicken), 4-years ginseng, chest nut, jujube, garlics, ginger, adlay, perilla seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed, nuts, pine nut, black sesame etc. Everything painstakingly goes into the soup - hence the extraordinary textured taste which sets it apart from other restaurants. 😍😍😍 Besides Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), it serves Ogol-samgyetang, otdak, pajeon (green onion pancake) and rotisserie chicken. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 Be prepared for long queue - so big tip, reach there just before 11 am and you will be seated as the first wave of customers. Anything later, you will need to queue for about 45 mins! Plot this on your Naver map - it’s mandatory. 🚨‼️⏰ . . 📍 5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 종로구 자하문로5길 5
Dennis ChongDennis Chong
10
Ok, I didn't know about this place but my friends have recommended here and also said this is a "must visit" tourist place. 1st experience of eating Samgyetang in Korea don't really know what to expect. Looking at the menu didn't knw there are quite a few variations to choose from but I decided to go with the cheapest and most classic option. I thought it was a good idea to have Samgyetang because the weather outside was a little chilly and thought it would like keep the body warm for the rest of the day, contrary to the Koreans who actually take it in summer. I would say the restaurant was pretty crowded but the turnover was very fast, a lot of local domestic 'tourists' as well. There was a very helpful and informational "how to eat samgyetang" information behind the menu so was good for tourists and first timers. The soup was flavourful and nice but what I liked most is the glutinous rice which is stuff inside the chicken. It was well cooked and the rice was very soft and sticky and absorbed a lot of the taste from the soup. If you ask me if the dish was expensive. I would probably say no. I saw reviews saying its expensive but I think its pretty worth based on the premium ingredients used. And also it was a very filling meal. Expensive? No again because I visited other places which were more expensive than here.
Matthew LeeMatthew Lee
20
A must-visit every time I visit Seoul! This ginseng chicken soup is one of the best I've had. Comfort food especially in the winter season. Sides of kimchi & preserved radish are self serve and placed on every table. The kimchi is fresh & not too spicy. There's the white chicken or black chicken option - honestly no difference to me. The chicken is very tender and peels off easily with your chopsticks. Glutinous rice is stuffed inside the chicken so if you're not a fan of carbs, you don't have to order a portion of white rice to go with it. But try the glutinous rice - it's cooked with red dates, lotus seeds & ginkgo nuts which gives it a sweet taste. A bowl of white ginseng chicken cost 16K kw while there's a more expensive option (24K kw if I didn't remember wrongly) which is the same bowl of white ginseng chicken but served with an additional small container of ginseng roots shavings. In my option, it doesn't change the taste of it at all & there's not much taste to the ginseng roots so I would advice giving it a pass cause I felt slightly cheated when I ordered the more expensive one. Most of the seatings are on the floor where you have to remove your shoes before entering. Cushions are placed on the floor & floor is heated during winter. Great experience that you've to try!
Jeralyn LimJeralyn Lim
30
visited in September 2023 during my trip to Seoul. I don't understand why the ratings are so high; it was way too disappointing. It wasn't crowded on a weekday around late lunch hour, and there were still plenty of seats available. The ginseng Samgyetang, in particular, was not tasty at all. The soup lacked the ginseng taste, and while the glutinous rice stuffed inside the chicken might still have a hint of ginseng, it didn't resemble what one would expect from Ginseng Samgyetang soup. The soup had a complicated taste that was hard to describe, but it definitely wasn't delicious, and I wouldn't recommend it. The minimum order is one dish for one person. The staff members who could speak Chinese weren't very friendly. The seafood pancake, despite being a large portion, had a price tag that was almost the same as the Ginseng Samgyetang. However, it didn't meet my liking either. To be honest, I don't understand why the ratings are so high, but I can definitely say this is not recommended. Some reviews mentioned long queues during weekends, but I don't think it's worth waiting in line. They do provide ginseng wine that you can drink before or after the meal or mix it into the soup. In conclusion, I was disappointed, and I would not recommend this place. An overrated place.
Syvian LimSyvian Lim
40
Went to this place few times before and everything was great! Until I went there with my friend at the beginning of April this year and waiter attitude was a bit off putting (the Chinese guy who wore glasses) it felt like we unknowingly made him upset or what, but for the whole time he didn’t say a word to us, not even when we were ordering to confirm the order ( but he talked with other tables), no one gave us a menu or come up to us for 10 min even tho we pressed the waiter call many times and meanwhile other tables who came after us already been served their food… (when we came it wasn’t a busy hour) I was with my friend, we talked in russian between each other and we ordered everything in English so the waiter didn’t hesitate to talk with other employees in Chinese in front of us😅 I got my bachelors degree in Chinese language, so I was a bit uncomfortable hearing some stuff they were talking about… (about personal life, customers etc.) Can’t talk I’ll about their chicken soup it was delicious as always, but their seafood pancake which I tried there for the first time left me traumatised, it had shell inside 🥹 we realised it only after reheating pancake at the hotel that night, had to grow it away (didn’t take a photo)
Antonina ZhAntonina Zh
00
Nearby Attractions Of Tosokchon Samgyetang
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Gwanghwamun Square
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
Sejong Center
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
National Palace Museum of Korea
Tongin Traditional Market
Seoul Museum of History
Cheong Wa Dae Sarang Chae
National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

Gyeongbokgung Palace
4.6
(15.7K)Click for details

Gwanghwamun Square
4.4
(5.4K)Click for details

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
4.4
(3.3K)Click for details

Sejong Center
4.4
(3.2K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Tosokchon Samgyetang
Cheongjinok
Hwangsaengga Kalguksu
Heavy Steak Jongno-gu office
Mutan Gwanghwamun Branch(restaurants)
Blue Bottle Coffee Samcheong Cafe
Starbucks Gwanghwamun
Terarosa Coffee Gwanghwamun
On The Border Gwanghwamun D Tower
화목순대국 광화문1호점
Seochon Gyedanjip

Cheongjinok
3.9
(1.8K)Click for details

Hwangsaengga Kalguksu
4.2
(1.3K)Click for details

Heavy Steak Jongno-gu office
4.8
(983)Click for details

Mutan Gwanghwamun Branch(restaurants)
4.9
(890)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Map
Phone
+82 2-737-7444
Call
Website
tosokchon.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.2
(4.6K reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Sejong Center, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, National Palace Museum of Korea, Tongin Traditional Market, Seoul Museum of History, Cheong Wa Dae Sarang Chae, National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, restaurants: Cheongjinok, Hwangsaengga Kalguksu, Heavy Steak Jongno-gu office, Mutan Gwanghwamun Branch(restaurants), Blue Bottle Coffee Samcheong Cafe, Starbucks Gwanghwamun, Terarosa Coffee Gwanghwamun, On The Border Gwanghwamun D Tower, 화목순대국 광화문1호점, Seochon Gyedanjip
