Samgyetang at nine in the morning: a whole chicken, in one piece

A little after nine on the morning of 30 March, I ate samgyetang. It was the last thing I ate in Seoul.

A whole chicken, in one piece

There is a whole chicken in the bowl.

Glutinous rice is packed into the cavity and cooked with the broth. Put chopsticks in and the meat comes away from the bone, collapsing as it comes.

The broth is white and clouded, and like the meat it starts out barely seasoned. You add a pinch of salt and adjust. Same logic as seolleongtang. Korea’s white soups are finished by the eater, not the kitchen.

As a thing to eat in the morning

Wooden tables in rows, a calm room. Being the morning, there was still space at the tables.

In Japan samgyetang tends to be introduced as a summer restorative. Eating it, though, it works best on a cold morning. Late March in Seoul still has cold air in it, and the steam coming off the bowl was welcome.

Start with soup, end with soup

On this trip I had seolleongtang one morning and samgyetang on another. Both white and clouded, both starting from almost no seasoning.

It happened by accident, but the result was two consecutive lessons in how this city eats in the morning. Put something hot in first, then decide the seasoning yourself. That seems to be the basic shape of it.

Notes from this visit

• Baekje Samgyetang is a samgyetang restaurant in Seoul
• A whole chicken, with glutinous rice packed into the cavity
• The broth is under-seasoned as served. You adjust it with salt
• We went a little after 9am on 30 March 2025
• It opens in the morning, and suits a cold one
• Hours and menu change. Check before you go

Visited March 2025. Opening information is as it was at the time of the visit.