where and what to eat lah?

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Tosokchon is possibly Korea's most famous purveyor of Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup), a Korean summertime specialty. Located in Chebu-dong, just to the west of Gyeongbokgung Palace, this place was a favorite of late president Roh Moo-hyun.

This 30-year-old icon is housed in a sprawling hanok (traditional house), and for many locals – and even ex-president – it's the best in Seoul. Walk straight for 100m from Exit 2, Gyeongbokgung station, turn left at the GS25 convenience store and it's on your left.

Tosokchon features traditional Korean style tables inside small divided rooms. Before entering the dining room, guests first remove their shoes and sit on the ground on padded floor mats while eating. With its warm wood accents and traditional wood low tables, Tosokchon is a cozy spot to build up your appetite.


The soup is served with a small cup of ginseng wine which can be drunk as it is or added to the soup for the extra kick.


Despite the crowds, the samgyetang (KRW 15,000 / RM 41) arrives fast and still bubbling.
It is made of a whole young chicken, stuffed with glutinous rice, a ginseng root, gingko nuts, garlic, jujube and boiled in a ginseng broth prepared with about 30 different ingredients, including medicinal herbs, nuts, grains and ginseng.


The broth was thick, rich and the hearty chicken meat falls off the bone tenderly. The unique taste and aroma were simply intoxicating even for someone like me who doesn't fancy medicinal soup.


We were so hooked to the taste till when we got back to Malaysia, we tried at least 4 different samgyetangs but none of them lived up to the expectations. That really made us appreciate Tosokchon more.


The other specialty dish of Tosokchon is the Ogolgyetang (Black Chicken Ginseng Soup, KRW 22,000 / RM 60). It didn't taste much of a difference but historically, black chicken is eaten by the Chinese as a medicinal cure. It is said to have a positive effect on the yin, blood, lungs and stomach. It may appear bizarre to some, but the nutritional values pack a punch.


Well, Roast Chicken (KRW 14,000 / RM 38) was a mistake in our order. We wanted the ogolgyetang but the waitress mistakenly understood it as roast chicken. Luckily, it wasn't too bad and it had a whiff of ginseng aroma in it. Tipped some salt and pepper together into a small saucer and used it as a dip.


Tosokchon can be crowded with locals and tourists during lunch and dinner hours. You can expect there to be a line to get in and the best time to visit is one hour before or one hour after the peak dining hours.

Verdict: It was expensive but it was well worth it! Definitely the best ginseng chicken soup we've had and must try whenever you are around Gyeongbokgung.


Address:
Seoul-si Jongno-gu,
Chebu-dong 85-1,
Tel: 02-737 7446
Business Hours: Opens daily from 10.00am - 10.00pm
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 37.577744, 126.971593.
Map:

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We were recently introduced to this bak kut teh place through one of our foodie, it is his favorite daily breakfast place. Located at Desa Aman Puri in Kepong, Restoran Bak Kut Teh Yap Tong Klang has over 20 years of experience in serving bak kut teh.


It started selling from only RM 2.30 per bowl in Tanjung Karang, Kuala Selangor and then moved to Puchong. Ever since, the owner has expanded to four branches in Klang and one in Desa Aman Puri.


As a typical pairing, freshly brewed hot Chinese tea is a must and it goes down well with a bowl of pork-laden bak kut teh soup.


While mixture of bird's eye chilies, minced garlic, soy sauce and thick dark soy sauce provides the extra kick when taken together with bak kut teh.


The bak kut teh here is served the traditional way, in porcelain bowls and not claypots. Big bone / Tai kuat (RM 11), the first thing that struck us were how HUGE the bone of meat was.


Small Bone / Sai Kuat (RM 11), similar to tai kuat but only smaller in size.


Pork Intestines / Chu Cheong (RM 11), cooked with the aromatic bak kut teh herbs until it reaches a nice bite. It was stuffed with 7 - 8 layers of pork intestines to create a thick chewy texture without any offensive after-taste. Most places failed in preparing this tedious dish well as it requires alot of cleaning.


Pork Stomach / Chu Tou (RM 11), a little too chewy for us but it was okay for those who enjoy to exercise their jaws.


Pork Rib / Pai Kuat (RM 11), it wasn't tender enough for us but it was decent.


Pork Belly / Fa Yuk (RM 11), cooked till soft with layer of sinful fats.


Soft Bone / Yuen Kuat (RM 11), still could do with a few more hours of cooking to make it more tender.


Pork Knee / Chu Keok Wan (RM 11), this was probably one of the most tender cut with a nice balance of fats and soft skin.


Dry Bak Kut Teh (RM 11), a different beast cooked in a claypot with thick dark soy sauce, dried chilies, lady fingers and tender pork belly.


Pork Kidney / Chu Yu (RM 12), this dish sent our salivary glands into overdrive! Timely cooked till perfection in a claypot with sesame oil, ginger, cooking wine and dark soy sauce. These thick crunchy slices of pork kidney is best eaten right away! They are very quick to cook and overcooking will make it chewy like squid instead.


Bean Curd Skin / Tau Pok (RM 3), a common must-have side dish for bak kut teh.


Steamed Red Mullet with Lime and Onions (RM 4.50 / 100gm), interestingly steamed with lime pickled onions and soy sauce to create a wonderful intermingling flavor.


Steamed White Bean Curd with Oyster Sauce (RM 5), white silken tofu topped with fried shallots, chopped scallions and oyster sauce - simplicity at its best.


Bak kut teh is typically eaten with Steamed White Rice (RM 1) or onion oil rice.


Overall, we felt it was average and the meats weren't tender enough for us. Maybe cooking them extra few hours might just do the trick. The soup was okay but certainly not for those who prefer the thick and dark robust version.


The owner explained that their soup is cooked for hours without adding any dark soy sauce and chicken feet. According to him, some of the bak kut teh joints use excessive dark soy sauce and chicken feet in their soup to create the dark, thick and sticky consistency.

Verdict: Bak kut teh has many variations, some like it black, some like it strong and thick, some like it light and some prefer a lot of dong quai herbs. Never know, you might have just found your perfect penchant of bak kut teh here.


Address:
15-A, Jalan Desa 2/8,
Desa Aman Puri,
52100 Kepong,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-627 5777 / 016-651 5777
Business Hours: Opens Mon - Fri from 10am - 2.30pm and 6pm - 9.30pm. Sat, Sun and Public Holidays from 9am - 2.30pm and 6pm - 9.30pm
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.209364, 101.616411
Map:

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Restaurant Harbour Steamboat is located in Sri Petaling, same row with the New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice. I walked past this row of shops around 9pm during one of the weekdays and noticed how packed this place was from the outside. Feeling curious and how can I missed out such popular place!? So, I have made a point to return.


Don't attempt to walk in without a prior reservation or you might end up waiting outside for hours. Even during the weekdays, these waiting chairs are filled with customers waiting to be seated.

The restaurant is fully air-conditioned and messy graffiti walls filled with all kinds of marker messages and drawings one could think of.


Like any other Hong Kong steamboat, you'll have a variety of sauces. In here, you have the dried shrimp chili paste, fermented bean curd sauce, chili sauce and cilantro.


And you are supposed to concoct your own sauces, depending on how spicy, sour, salty you like it to be.

The concocted special sauce were actually pretty good!


One of the selling point of this restaurant is probably the variety of soup-based offered. Ranging from Macau pork soup (RM 20), herbal soup (RM 15), century egg soup (RM 10), sugar cane soup (RM 10), Teow Chew soup (RM 12), papaya fungus soup (RM 10), white pepper soup (RM 15), tom yam soup (RM 12) and clay pot lamb (RM 30). We had the Macau pork soup and papaya fungus soup within a pot for RM 30 in total.


There isn't any per head set menus and everything is ala-carte from all the balls to vegetables. We had some prawn wantan (RM 10), dumpling (RM 12), mushroom pork ball (RM 8), garoupa fish slice (RM 10), Tong-Hou vegetables (RM 5) and Japanese udon noodles (RM 5).


Never failed to have fish maw (RM 12) for steamboat.


And of course, lamb slice (RM 15) and pork slice (RM 10), without doubt fresh and tender.


Dipping a slice of meat into the hot boiling broth, and swish it back and forth. The worst thing that can happen is to ruin a potentially good thing by overcooking it.


Don't mind paying extra for the soup but the downside was, they are all going to taste almost the same since the subsequent refills are all from the same clear soup-based that dilutes it further.

Verdict: Special concocted sauce, freshness of the ingredients and the wide variety of soup-based definitely warm the hearts of their ever-packed line of customers. Expensive though!


Address:
No. 19, Ground Floor
Jalan 13/149L,
Sri Petaling,
57000 Kuala Lumpur
(another branch in Bandar Puteri Puchong)
Tel: 03-9059 4353
Business Hours: Opens daily from 6pm - 11pm
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.071577, 101.682372
Map:

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