Kim Ji-soo joined The Korea Times in 2006, and worked on such desks as culture and politics and is currently a member of the Editorial Board. Previous workplaces include The Korea Herald and the Korea JoongAng Daily.
Jinokwha Halmae Wonjo Darkhanmari
A whole chicken is boiled along with bits of leek, slices of potato and puffy rice cakes in a large brass bowl.
By Kim Ji-soo
By Kim Ji-soo
The scenes, the smell and the make-up of traditional outdoor markets are different all over the world, each featuring distinctive charms.
The larger Jongno area in Seoul has the Gwangjang Market that retains the atmosphere of old Seoul — perhaps as it was back in the 1970s and 1980s when food was sparse and bargains aplenty as well as the Dongdaemun area, where things are sold more on a wholesale level.
Located between Gwangjang Market and Dongdaemun is a famous chicken place that appeared in the Michelin Guide Green, South Korea. Called “Jinokwha Halmae Wonjo Darkhanmari” (which means Grandma’s One Whole Chicken), the place offers a large brass bowl in which a whole chicken is placed along with bits of leek, slices of potato and puffy rice cakes. At 18,000 won, the chicken dish itself is stylized as a portion for two. But there are side dishes such as rice cakes, noodles, and more potatoes to further enlarge and diversify this seemingly simple dish.
As the bowl starts to boil, the rice cake and the pre-cooked chicken is ready to eat with garnishes of ground garlic, red pepper, soy sauce, vinegar and mustard. One dip into the ground red pepper, and I knew the meal was going to be great. There was a genuine feel of food and effort that is now almost gone in Korean dishes in restaurants but linger in the meals prepared by our grandmothers and mothers.
When the soy sauce, vinegar and the mustard is added, the soup turns slightly sour similar to the soups of Southeast Asia.
The taste reminded me of the 1970s and ’80s era, when food was simple but hearty. That’s not surprising as the restaurant first opened in 1978, and grew into a three-storied star restaurant amid the hustle-and bustle of nearby Dongdaemun and Gwangjang Market.
When the chicken arrives, the customer also gets a big pair of scissors that will be sorely needed as it’s challenging to cut into the full-boned chicken. There are servers ready to help out with cutting, but customers are recommended to do it themselves if possible because “too much cutting of the chicken can wear down the servers’ joints.”
In freezing Seoul weather, the bowl boils on, slowly metamorphosing into white chicken noodle soup for some or red kimchi chicken noodle for others. It all depends on one’s taste. A bowl of rice is available for 1,000 won if all the chicken, rice cakes and noodles were not enough. When the meal is finished, the bill you get seems light compared to the feast that you ate.
But the real beauty of “darkhanmari” is not only that it’s fresh and hearty, but in that you want to go back the next day.
It was heartening — belated though — to discover such a place still existed at a reasonable price in the ever-changing, “palli palli” (fast) Seoul.
The place also has a website with the history of how the restaurant was started by Jin Ok-wha, prompted by the pure instinct to survive in hard times yet didn’t shortchange on the freshness of the ingredients.
There is a range of Korean drinks — soju, beer, cheongha, baekseju, sansachun — at prices ranging from 3,000 through 7,000 won.
There is no parking available here. However, there are large standing heaters near the front entrance suggesting how long the line to come in can get sometimes even in a three-storied building.
There are no rooms, just Korean style sitting as well as tables available on all floors.
The restaurant is located at Jongno 5-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Call (02) 2275-9666 for further inquiries.
A chicken leg with garnishes and a bowl of kimch / Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo