유라 - Yura - "Meat" Buffet at the Novotel Doksan

I went to dinner tonight with my family to a great buffet. It's a little depressing that I seem to only be writing about buffets lately, but those seem to be where we've been going :)

유라 (Yura) is a "Meat" buffet at the Novotel Doksan (SW Seoul). This is a relatively small restaurant (public tables), but does have a large number of private rooms. The tables are great, stylish grilling tables (Korean-type with round grill in the middle). If you go, try to get one of the marble tables...really nice.

This is really a meat buffet. There are about 12 different kinds of meats available. All the usual suspects (inc. beef/pork ribs and bulgogi), plus some. I liked the "tenderloin," thick, tender, and juicy. Good stuff. We were also able to get the hanwoo (Korean) beef, which was fantastic. Obviously, not part of the buffet, but worth it for anyone looking to splurge.

The rest of the buffet is primarily sides and not very extensive. They have some different soups, rices, and jeon. There is also a small fruit and ddeok section, with traditional drinks. If you haven't gotten the picture yet, it's really very Korean :)

I really do recommend this place if you are in the mood for a good meat-fest. It's really good quality meat, a great atmosphere, and great service. The price is reasonable, I think. I hedge there because my wife paid and I can't remember whether it was 31,000 or 39,000. You could certainly get Korean BBQ for less, but there's no way that you could get it for less in this amount, with this quality.

Good place for Mandoo guk

Went to a good place for Mandoo Guk (만두국) today with my wife, near her workplace.
합흥에 겨울냉면 has really good Mandoo Guk with huge, tasty mandoo for W7,000, but the Nangmyun (in the restaurant's name) is not very good, at least the bibim nangmyun.

It's a short walk from Danguk University station (line 3). I can't remember the exit number, but it's the exit next to #1 (should be #2, but not sure). Walk about 300 meters and it's on the left side.

Toe Soek Choen Samgaetang - Korean, stuffed, whole-young-chicken soup

Samgaetang is a Korean chicken soup that contains a whole young chicken stuffed with sweet rice, ginseng, garlic, chestnuts, jujubes, and some other possible ingredients.



Toe Soek Choen (토속촌) is probably the most well-known, yet unknown, samgaetang place in Seoul. It is one street north of Kyoungbuk Palace in a side alley (subway line #3--orange line--not sure which exit). Google maps doesn't get in close enough to pinpoint the location, but the map below gets you to the area. When you get there just look for the line (there is always a line).


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I've had samgaetang dozens of times. I've been to places that I really like (most that I don't know the names of), but Toe Soek Choen is certainly the best that I've had so far. I've even had fresh-killed chicken in a little country restaurant outside Ilsan, which was my favorite up until now. This place was better. The broth was light, but not bland. It was flavorful, but not overpowering. The Chicken fell apart, perfectly cooked. The stuffing was simply amazing.

The service was quick and efficient. No frills. Order soup, get soup fast, eat soup, pay, leave. However, all of this is in a traditional Korean house in the middle of Seoul. Not an old, small house mind you, but a large house that likely belonged to someone of significant wealth at some point. Of course, all of this is lost when you are packed into rooms, shoulder to shoulder with other samgaetang connoisseurs.

If you're in Seoul and haven't tried this yet, get there and get some. They also serve Dakdoeritang (spicy chicken stew), which I'll definitely try next time.