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Soups & stews · Seochon & Bukchon

Tosokchon Samgyetang

토속촌삼계탕

Since 1983Celebrity pickTourist favoriteFine on your own ⓘ

Korea time, from recent reviews. Hours may differ on holidays.

A Seoul institution for samgyetang, a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and simmered with ginseng. It sits in a rambling hanok a few minutes from Gyeongbokgung Palace, which makes it an easy lunch before or after a palace visit.

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How it works here

🥢 How Korean restaurants usually work

Waiting

Wait not known
Just join the line

Expect a line at weekend lunchtime; arriving a little early helps. Weekday evenings are calmer.· 4 reviews

What to order

📖 What is Samgyetang?📖 What is Korean fried chicken?
  • Tosokchon samgyetang토속촌 삼계탕

    The classic. Start here if it is your first time.

  • Black chicken samgyetang오골계 삼계탕

    Made with ogolgye, a chicken with black skin and bones.

  • Samgyetang with cultivated wild ginseng root산삼배양근 삼계탕
  • Rotisserie chicken전기구이 통닭

    Crispy whole roast chicken, good to share and for anyone who does not want soup.

How much to order

  • 👤 1One Tosokchon samgyetang.
  • 👤 2Two samgyetang, or one samgyetang and one rotisserie chicken to share.
  • 👤 3-4One samgyetang each, plus a rotisserie chicken for the table.

How to eat it

  1. 1A small glass of ginseng liquor (insamju) comes with the soup. Drink it before the meal, or pour some into the broth. Taste the plain broth first before adding anything. The table has a card explaining how to eat.· 3 reviews

Insider tips

  • The rotisserie chicken is a favorite side order and a good choice for anyone in your group who does not like chicken soup.· 3 reviews
  • The dining rooms spread through several connected hanok buildings, so ask staff if you get lost.· 2 reviews

Why it's famous

Opened in 1983. The broth is known for its thick, nutty taste, made with pine nuts and grains simmered for a long time.· 4 reviews

  • Celebrity pickKnown as a favorite of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, and visited by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.· 4 reviews
  • Tourist favoriteSeoul's tourism organizations list it as a restaurant popular with international visitors.· 3 reviews

Did you know?

  • Koreans traditionally eat samgyetang on boknal, the three hottest days of summer, following the old idea of fighting heat with heat (iyeol-chiyeol) to restore energy.· 3 reviews

Good to know

  • Open daily, 10:00 to 22:00 (last order 21:00).· 3 reviews
  • A few minutes on foot from Gyeongbokgung Station, exit 2 (Line 3).· 2 reviews
Where this comes from (28 reviews)

Summarized in our own words from Korean diners' blog reviews; each fact is backed by at least two reviews. Last checked 2026-10-23.