"Food Challenged" in Seoul

I’ve always associated Korean cuisine with spicy and hot flavors, given their widespread use of chili paste and peppers. So when my dad asked for non-spicy Korean food throughout our entire trip in Seoul, I was stumped. It was an extra challenge for me especially since I’m not familiar with the place and can’t speak the language.

Nevertheless, challenges are made to be overcome! These are my discoveries of yummy Korean food which are not spicy and which are suitable for elderly people.

1. Ginseng chicken – This is a dish which can be found in many Korean restaurants. I heard of the Tosokchon restaurant, which was famous for this dish and is located near the Gyeongbukgong Palace. But we weren’t able to go there. Instead, we had ginseng chicken in one of the Insadong restaurants near our hotel. The chicken (a whole one!) came in a hot clay pot filled with soup. It was stuffed with rice and some herbs. The waiter told us that each order was good for one, but for me, it was really too much because the stuffing itself was so filling. The rice was glutinous and flavorful. The soup was good, too, and didn’t have the yucky bitter medicinal taste. It was great for eating in cold weather.

Ginseng chicken in claypot - so big you need  to use a soup ladle to eat it! 

2.  Dumplings – I was surprised to find dumplings in Korea, since I always associated it with Chinese cuisine. Korean dumplings are very similar to the Chinese ones in terms of ingredients and taste -- minced meat mixed with vegetables and wrapped in a thin layer of dumpling wrapper. But the size! Oh wow! It’s really large – the size of a Chinese siopao! When you bite into this giant of a dumpling, some juices flow out – a sign of a successful dumpling!

Giant dumplings

3.   Bonjuk – I found a small and cozy place tucked away in the second floor of a shop in Insadong. The sign outside simply said 粥, which I knew meant congee or rice porridge. A short flight of stairs led us to an airy and pastel-colored restaurant which had only about 7-8 tables. The menu was all about rice porridges with all types of ingredients – plain, with abalone (their specialty), with vegetables, with beef, with octopus (seemed to be popular), etc. Each order cost only 9,000 to 12,000 won and came with the ubiquitous banchan. The bowl was so big, its contents was enough for two people. If you’re looking for comfort food and mother’s cooking, this is it!  

Bonjuk goodness!!!