Jang Su Sam

Busan

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DESTINATIONS south korea busan Dining Jang Su Sam

Jang Su Sam

This compact hole in the wall serves one thing and one thing only: Korean 'samgye-tang' (ginger chicken soup). Servings come with a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and flavourful ingredients like garlic and ginseng. The soup is attributed all sorts of curative properties, and is considered to be a traditional warm-weather dish. The owner is exceptionally friendly to foreign visitors, and willingly demonstrates the proper way to eat the soup. Each serving is accompanied by an assortment of Korean pickles and followed by a glass of a special ginseng drink and instant coffee.

Dining

A substantial acquaintance with Busan's culinary offerings can easily take a few weeks, but if you only have a handful of days, try and work in a meal at the Jagalchi Fish Market, a traditional Korean barbecue session, and a snack on street food: fishcake ("eomuk" or "odeng") is a popular choice that holds somewhat of a cult status in Busan, and is followed closely by "hotteok", a stuffed fried pancake sold at multiple stalls across town. If you're feeling especially adventurous, try "sannakji": an octopus dish immortalised by the movie "Oldboy", which consists of chopped up tentacles that still squirm and stick to the plate (and possibly even the insides of your mouth) as you eat them.