Tosokchon Samgyetang is one of the most famous restaurants in Seoul for traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup, known as “samgyetang” (蔘雞湯).
Tosokchon Samgyetang is great for tourists because it’s located near Gyeongbokgung Palace. The restaurant itself is also charming, located in a beautiful, large, traditional Korean “hanok” house with wooden beams and multiple rooms.
Tourists and locals alike line up to try this super famous samgyetang. Yes, the line is long, but it moves fast! We waited about ½ an hour on a busy Easter weekend. Our tour guide was even a bit surprised at how long the line was so early in the day. I think we showed up before 12PM, but the Easter weekend sort of made the lines a bit longer than normal.
In Seoul, it’s kind of hard to avoid lines, especially on a holiday weekend!
Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang 蔘雞湯)
Tosokchon’s samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) is quite traditional, and consists of a whole young chicken stuffed with sticky rice, nuts, seeds, garlic, jujube, and more in a rich, ginseng chicken broth.
The dish was fantastic (worth lining up for!). The chicken was super tender, and the soup was warming to the soul. Overall, the meal felt very, very satisfying and healthy. I really liked the added touch of the sticky rice and all the nuts and seeds inside.
A word of caution: if you’re not used to dealing with a lot of bones, this might be a bit challenging for you. You are eating a whole young chicken, including all the bones. They give you a container, but do watch out for bones. The meat is so tender, though, it really comes off easily. Still, not everyone likes to deal with bones, especially tiny ones!
This was my first time ever having this dish, and I really enjoyed it! I am not a “bones” person, and typically I shy away from dishes that include too many bones. Still, I think it’s worth it for this dish, and I loved being able to eat so healthy during a trip.
This is a great option for lunch, especially if you are visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace that day.
On a side (random note), the last time I visited Hong Kong Disneyland (July 2025), I actually saw Korean ginseng chicken soup at the Royal Banquet Hall dining hall in Fantasy Land! I ended up ordering it there, and even though it wasn’t as good as this one, it was still a great, healthy option to enjoy while at a theme park!
Tosokchon Samgyetang (土俗村蔘雞湯)
5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea