By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Traditional restaurant Hansoban is all about ``dotori muk,'' or acorn starch jelly.
Strange as it may sound, this light brown jiggling recipe is more than a dessert here in Korea; it is an actual meal, all by itself.
Dotori muk is made with acorns, which are low in calories, easy to digest and easy to mix with other ingredients. Koreans have enjoyed acorn jelly for a long time, either as a simple snack or a properly prepared side dish. The acorns are first cleansed in water three to five times, and then soaked in clean water for three days. Then the delicate acorns are ground up and filtered. The ground acorns are boiled and finally left until they become firm.
Hansoban offers various dishes using the jelly, or ``muk,'' including ``mukbap,'' or acorn jelly with rice and warm soup, the ``muksabal,'' acorn jelly served in an icy cold brisket broth, and various pancakes.
We ordered mukbap (6,000 won) and the ``dotori haemulpajeon,'' or seafood acorn jelly pancake (8,000 won).
The mukbap came in a large bowl with various toppings: two types of mushrooms, marinated kimchi, small pieces of seaweed, crown daisies and sesame seeds. Once you dig in with your spoon, you can find small rectangular muk. The steamy anchovy broth was soothing and delicious, and it went well with the overall ingredients. The dotori muk was soft and tender, yet still had the signature bitter taste. The kimchi gave the soup a slightly spicy flavor, but it did not overpower the dish.
Considering it being summer, many guests also tried the icy cold dish, but the owner recommended the warm one for beginners, as it is better to feel the essence of muk.
The pancake was a surprise, both in size and taste. Placed on a large plate, the dish includes the rectangular pancake, a small helping of muk marinated with a sweet and sour soy sauce and bean sprouts mixed with a spicy vinaigrette red pepper sauce. The pancake was delicious and interesting, as the inside was soft and very much like ordinary muk, but the outside was warm and crunchy. The pancake, based on acorn and glutinous rice flower, was filled with various vegetables and seafood, including shrimp, squid and clams.
For those who want to try different dishes based on acorns, try the acorn cold noodles (6,000 to 7,000 won) or the seasoned salad with acorn jelly (10,000 won), which are also some of the most popular choices on the menu.
The restaurant also sells a fairly large piece of acorn muk right after it's been made (3,000 won). Visitors can buy a couple and mix up a recipe themselves.
Hansoban is located near exit 3 of Daechi Station on subway line 3. Opening hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is also one near Mt. Cheonggye. For more information, visit www.hansoban.co.kr or call (02) 515-1164.