Korean soup
Korean soup, Seoul
The bowls
Samgyetang 삼계탕
A whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, and jujube in a milky broth.
Eaten in summer to fight heat with heat.
A Seoul rite of passage.
Gomtang / Seolleongtang 곰탕 / 설렁탕
Beef-bone broth simmered 12 hours until milky white.
Served plain, so you season at the table with salt, pepper, and green onion.
Year-round comfort.
Jjigae 찌개
A thicker, spicier stew shared from a bubbling pot.
Kimchi, doenjang (soybean paste), and sundubu (soft tofu) are the everyday favorites.
Dwaeji-gukbap 돼지국밥
Busan pork-bone soup with the rice already in the bowl.
Add the shrimp sauce and chives to taste.
Cheap, fast, and addictive.
Doganitang / Chueotang 도가니탕 / 추어탕
Specialty broths for the adventurous: gelatinous beef-knee cartilage, and earthy ground mudfish.
How to eat it
Spoon for broth, not chopsticks
Korean dining uses both: the spoon for rice and soup, chopsticks for side dishes. Don't lift the bowl to your mouth.
Season plain broths yourself
Gomtang and seolleongtang arrive unseasoned on purpose. Add salt, pepper, and chopped green onion until it tastes right to you.
Rice goes in, or beside
Dwaeji-gukbap and samgyetang soak up the rice; jjigae and tang are usually eaten side by side. Watch your neighbor if unsure.
Banchan is unlimited
Kimchi, pickled radish, and bean sprouts refill for free, often replenished without your asking.
Samgyetang: use the scissors
Cut the chicken apart in the bowl, then eat with a spoon. The rice stuffed inside the bird is the prize. Salt the meat from the small side dish.
Jjigae is shared
Several spoons in one pot is normal at family-style spots. A feature, not a faux pas.
Where to eat
- Oilje 🍴Cards accepted
- Hapjeongok 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Daesungjip 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Anam 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Yonggeumok 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Kyewol Gomtang 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- 3rd Samgyetang 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Okdongsik 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Gomtang Lab 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Neungdong Minari 🍴Some English Cards accepted
- Gwanghwamun GukbapSome English Cards accepted
- Oegojip SeolleongtangSome English Cards accepted
- Imun SeolnongtangSome English Cards accepted
- CheongjinokSome English Cards accepted Walk-in OK
- Bukchangdong SundubuEnglish menu Cards accepted Walk-in OK
- Jaedong SundubuSome English Cards accepted Walk-in OK
Verified July 2026. Soup shops often run seasonal hours (samgyetang places do brisk summer business). Tap a venue above for live details.
