Tosokchon Samgyetang 토속촌 삼계탕
After the amazing palace tour in Gyeongbokgung palace, (in another blog post here) I searched the night before about restaurants to try near the palace and I ended up with the Tosokchon Samgyetang place which is popular to locals and even well-received even by tourists 
We just had to use google maps to walk almost less than 10 minutes from the palace to the restaurant. I think it is better to walk since you can also appreciate the view of Jong-no District. The streets have clear and big signs so you would not get lost if you pay attention to these signs.
ADDRESS: 5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로5길 5 (체부동)
ㆍSamgye-tang (ginseng chicken soup)
ㆍOgol Samgye-tang (ginseng Silkie chicken soup)
ㆍOtgye-tang (chicken cooked in a Chinese sumac broth)
ㆍDak-bokkeum-tang (braised spicy chicken)
ㆍTongdak (roasted chicken)
ㆍHaemul Pajeon (green onion pancake with seafood)
They serve a few dishes in their menu but I already choose the samgyetang since I really wanted to try this Ginseng chicken that is originally found in Korea.
The samgyetang soup tastes healthy but I liked it. The clear chicken broth is refreshing and the chicken meat is chewy and tastes fresh. The portion is a lot so I think it is good for 3 people.
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| Haemul Pajeon (green onion pancake with seafood) |
I paid 12,000 won. I shared the Samgyetang with a friend.
By the way, the place is big so you don't have to worry that you can't eat here because of the line. There is just that volume of customers who eat here during lunch time.
It was an unforgettable experience since this is my first time to try this Korean dish in its homeland. Korean food is tasty and I think healthier because they always include vegetables in their cuisine.
Gyeongbokgung Palace: A must visit place in Seoul (for the first time)
By Jamie - November 10, 2016
It has been just weeks since I have been to Korea and I already miss it. One of the places in our first day in our itinerary was the Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Getting there
By Subway, Gyeongbokgung Station Line 3, get off at Exit 5.
Admission Fees
Adults (ages 19-64) 3,000 won / Group 2,400 won (10 or more people)
Youths (ages 7-18) 1,500 won / Group 1,200 won (10 or more people)
Age 6 and under – FREE.
Opening Hours
March to October 09:00-18:00 / November to February 09:00-17:00.
Closed on Tuesday
Oh we were lucky when we visited because the admission was free :)
Yes, I agree that it is the grandest of all five palaces.
The place was majestic. I felt walking there was surreal. It was really nice to visit this palace.
According to the online sources
"This is also called “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace).
The name of the palace, Gyeongbokgung, translates in English as “Palace of Shining Happiness.”
Lastly, you can watch the ceremony of the palace guards. They are actually still practicing this old ceremony and it looks awesome to watch.
I just found out that the premises were destroyed by fire at the time of Japanese occupation from 1592-1598, but all of the palace’s 7,700 rooms were later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong.
Well, they did a great job restoring the palace. This is really a must place to visit if you opt for a relaxing activity in your itinerary in Seoul, Korea.
One of my dream countries to go to is Korea. I have been a fan of the Korean culture just by watching Korean dramas. Finally, I was able to visit and tour Korea for 7 days this last week October.
I want to highly recommend the guesthouse where we stayed which is Duriworld Guesthouse in Hongdae and how to go there from the airport.
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| The day after I arrived in Seoul the night before |
WHY SHOULD YOU STAY AT DURIWORLD GUESTHOUSE
-It is very affordable. I spent 90,000 won for staying from Oct 25 to Nov 1,2016.
-The place is highly accessible since it is situated in Hongdae and the train station is a 5 to 7 minute walk. Even at night, you can easily walk around Hongdae to eat, shop, or just sightsee. We went several times to Hongdae to eat since they have shops open even late at night.
-Breakfast is included in the accommodation. It is buffet style so you can prepare your own sandwich, cook your eggs the way you want, and make your food your own style.
-The staff are very accommodating, friendly, and helpful. Here is Grace, who is one of the staff, with us who posed for our last day in Seoul.
-The place is highly accessible since it is situated in Hongdae and the train station is a 5 to 7 minute walk. Even at night, you can easily walk around Hongdae to eat, shop, or just sightsee. We went several times to Hongdae to eat since they have shops open even late at night.
18 August 2015
HERMANOS
I can't believe it's been a year since we ate in Hermanos and I'm only just blogging a short post about it now. It was late at night and it was near the closing time of the place so we were the only customers but every time I noticed that there are several cars parked outside when we are in the gasoline station near the place.
I always wanted to try this restaurant since we get to pass by this when my mom gases up her car. It was a great timing after our yoga session, we decided to eat here since it was nearby.
I was hungry. We were all hungry. And we ordered more than the usual but it was worth it for the four of us. Although, I think that definitely our food outweighed our exercise. Just a tip, I think Mexican food is best eaten at lunch time.
It was late so we were the only customers at that time so I got to take a good picture of the place.
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| This is the big version of their menu |
We had our Dumaguete to Siquijor and Oslob trip last year. I want to share how to go to Siquijor the safest and comfortable way when you are Dumaguete.
We arrived in Dumaguete at around 7 am and had our breakfast at Sans Rival. We checked in at our hotel in Dumaguete. We ate our lunch somewhere near Rizal Boulevard. From there, we took a tricycle and it took us less than 10 minutes to arrive in Dumaguete port.
There were several boats going to Siquijor but we opted for the faster option which was Ocean Fast Ferries which uses a fastcraft and is air-conditioned.
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| Schedule of Trips |
They only have one schedule going to Siquijor which is 12:50 pm.
The fare is 210 pesos only.
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| 210 pesos regular fare |
It was the first time for us to try eating in Chinatown so we were glad we had the chance.
We tried three food places that we read from blogs which had good reviews. We went to Café Mezzanine. Dong Bei Dumplings, and Ying Ying Tea house.
Our first stop was Café Mezzanine. This restaurant is located on the second floor just above Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli.
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| Café Mezzanine interior, very spacious and clean. This is located on the popular street which is Ongpin street |
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| Poster of Café Mezzanine being featured in CNN Travel |
If you're craving for Chinese food, check out my list of affordable restaurants that serve Chinese.
Last year, I have been eating out a lot and found out that I ate in several Chinese restaurants in Metro Manila that are worth recommending.
