Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang) UPDATED

UPDATE: Due to a recent visit to Hanabi below, I have noticed they've updated and improved a lot of the items on their menu and have made some changes to the review, below in BOLD.


Forgive my absence, studying and life really takes a toll on you.

Today I'm going to compare and contrast two places that have decent Korean ginseng chicken soup (samgyetang).

The first time I had samgyetang was on my trip to South Korea in 2008, where I was able to experience the real deal. The fam and I were taken to one of the best ginseng chicken soup restaurants in Seoul. It has been two years since I tasted this dish and my memory is a little foggy, but I remember it to be extremely good. I no longer remember the name of location of the restaurant, but I do remember that this restaurant was 5 levels and each level was quite busy. It was so good in fact, that our tour group asked the tour guide to take us back to eat ginseng chicken soup as our last meal in Seoul.

Black whole young chicken stuffed with red dates (for sore throats and colds), garlic cloves (anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial), water chestnuts and glutinous rice, Korean ginseng (for eyes, de-stresser, brain food and general well being) and garnished with green onions and shredded dried ginseng.

As you can see, we ordered the black chicken. Black chicken is considered by Asians to be healthier and richer in nutrients compared to white chicken, and are also rarer and more expensive. However, this dish cost about 25,000 won ($25AU), which isn't expensive at all since it costs about as much to get it here. The advantage in eating it in Korea is that they use actual Korean ginseng, which is the best kind. I suppose you could say that sangyetang is packed with healthy, nourishing herbs used in traditional Chinese/Asian medicine. The piece of ginseng in the broth is also very generous!

If you're ever in Seoul, try finding the 5-storey ginseng chicken soup restaurant! It's well worth it. I THINK it is somewhere close to Myeongdong because that's where we were before we went to eat.

However in Sydney, there are many Korean restaurants that have samgyetang on their menus that closely resemble the traditional recipe.

First is Hanabi at Lidcombe. A small little place run by a Korean family, but they speak very little English so speak clearly or you might end up getting a different chicken soup. Or just say "samgyetang"!

Samgyetang at Hanabi is $15 is now $18, one of the cheapest I have ever seen it in Sydney. They also have a lotus root side dish (banchan) that is one of my favourites, but they only sometimes have it. I believe it is marinated with honey, sesame oil and soy sauce. It's yummy :D

Pros:
The soup is plain, as it should be, and you flavour it yourself with salt and pepper.
It has a strong ginseng flavour and the ginseng is quite big and generous.
Relatively cheap.
They now use a full young chicken!
They seem to have improved their menu as of 18/12/10 and the dolsot bibimbap is better than before.
The waitress, while speaking little English, was very attentive and pleasant, trying to teach us poor non-Korean speakers how to eat each side dish and meal through mimes. She was also very generous in refilling the side dishes and we had a total of 8 different ones! We pretty much got full on those alone! SO much variety and trying new things (seaweed/kelp chips? I have no idea what it was but it was goooood), me likey!

Cons:
They use half a whole big chicken instead of young chicken.
No chestnuts.
The piece of ginseng you get is random, there have been a few times where you don't get a big piece (I have no problem with this since I don't eat the ginseng, but my father does).
I don't recommend anything else on the menu, which is only so-so.
Don't speak much English and ordering can be a chore. My father however tried to explain that he didn't get any ginseng last time (typical Asian dads...) and the head chef was very sorry and gave him an extra piece this time.

Address:
Hanabi
35 Joseph St
Lidcombe (near the traffic lights)


Another place for good ginseng chicken soup is Dae Jang Kum at Haymarket which is $21. That's about standard price in the CBD.

Most Korean restaurants in the city have potato salad for a side dish. Mmm potato salad. I had this with my bestie after Sculptures By the Sea.

Pros:

Soup comes flavoured well and very tasty.

Young chicken!

Can taste ginseng in the chicken flesh.

Stuffed with a few chestnuts.

Con:

Soup comes flavoured, which isn't exactly authentic. Tastes good though.

Ginseng piece is quite small.

Mild ginseng taste in the chicken, but not in the broth.

Address:

Dae Jang Kum Korean BBQ

35-27 Goulburn St

Haymarket (near Chinatown)

I've also tried another Korean restaurant at Lidcombe, but it was very salty. I'm still looking for the best place to eat ginseng chicken soup. Probably the best place is Han Cook at Town Hall, behind The Galeries Victoria on Pitt St, which closed down for renovation. Still looking! There's still many places at Strathfield and Ashfield to try.

Bon appétit!