Cheonan chicken stew salad bar meal for two: Sottture Dakdoritang

I hadn't had spicy dakdoritang (braised spicy chicken stew) in a while, and once the craving started, nothing else looked good. So my partner and I headed to a place we go to often in our neighborhood. This time it was Sottture Dakdoritang, the spot I turn to in Seongjeong-dong, Cheonan whenever I want dakdoritang. I've been many times and know exactly what it tastes like, but that rich, spicy broth still crosses my mind now and then. We ordered potato pancake and rolled omelet on top of the stew and had ourselves a proper feast.

A neighborhood regular spot: Sottture Dakdoritang

The exterior is easy to spot even from a distance. Seeing that familiar sign, I already felt good about my menu choice for the day. The reason I keep coming back here when a dakdoritang craving hits in Seongjeong-dong is that I can eat well without going far. Especially on gray days or when spicy food just sounds right, Sottture Dakdoritang is what comes to mind.

Inside the restaurant and the salad bar

Inside, there were plenty of tables, each set up so you can simmer dakdoritang right at your seat as you eat. Dakdoritang really is best hot, kept bubbling as you go. Once it's cooked through, you eat the chicken first, then keep it on low heat so the broth gradually thickens.

There was a separate salad bar off to one side, stocked with basic side dishes and salads that go well with dakdoritang — handy to grab as much as you need.

Dakdoritang plus potato pancake and rolled omelet

We ordered dakdoritang plus potato pancake and rolled omelet. At first I wondered if that was too much for two people, but since it had been a while since we ate properly, we decided to order everything we wanted.

As the basic side dishes and sides landed on the table one by one, the whole spread turned genuinely generous.

Soon after, the dakdoritang arrived in a big pot, and just looking at it made me want to start simmering right away. It was loaded with rice cake, potato, scallion, and plenty of chicken.

Even though I've had this dish many times, seeing it come out so generously portioned reminded me why it's the go-to dakdoritang spot for me in Seongjeong-dong.

Spicy broth that deepens the longer it simmers

We turned on the burner and waited, and the broth started bubbling in the pot. As the spicy aroma spread, I kept glancing over at the pot even mid-conversation with my partner. That fiery yet rich broth is exactly why I keep thinking of this place as my Seongjeong-dong dakdoritang spot.

Once it had simmered enough, I fished out a piece of chicken first. It wasn't tough at all — cooked tender, moist even at the center, and it paired well with the spicy seasoning. Rather than the broth alone being sharply spicy, the flavors from the chicken and vegetables blended in, giving it a well-rounded taste. What started as a thinner broth soaked into the chicken and vegetables and turned thicker and deeper the longer it went.

The rice cake cooked soft and soaked up all that broth — so good. The potato was cooked just right too, soft enough to break apart with a light press of the chopsticks.

Crispy-chewy potato pancake and a thick rolled omelet

The potato pancake we ordered came out golden on the outside. I started with the crispy edge, which had a nutty flavor, and the inside was chewy, so the texture contrast was great. Having a bite of potato pancake while eating the spicy dakdoritang briefly softened the heat in my mouth. It's tasty plain, but dipping just the edge into the dakdoritang broth is good too. Eating the warm, soft rolled omelet alongside the fiery broth, the two different flavors worked well together.

A satisfyingly full meal

At first I thought we might have ordered too much, but as we ate, we kept reaching for both the dakdoritang and the sides evenly. It's a familiar place so we visited without much thought, but once again we left well fed at Sottture Dakdoritang. The tender chicken and the fiery broth that only gets richer as it simmers still suit my taste perfectly. Whenever I'm looking for a good spot in Seongjeong-dong, Cheonan, or craving spicy dakdoritang, I'll be back here with my partner again :)