Stone-pot samgyetang for two near Dongtan Station: Dream Samgyetang

With the weather lately, I found myself craving some proper boyangsik (body-nourishing food). Looking for a spot near Dongtan Station to recharge, I ended up at Dream Samgyetang.

Samgyetang is one of those dishes I crave every so often, and this time my husband and I decided to fill up on it together.

Where is Dream Samgyetang, and is there parking?

Dream Samgyetang is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Dongtan Station. It's right next to Dongtan District Office, so it was easier to find than I expected.

Best of all, the parking facilities were solid, so it was a good choice even if you're driving.

Inside Dream Samgyetang: a wide, clean hall with a private room

Walking in, the interior was bigger than I expected.

Natural light poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the whole place a bright feel, and it was clean throughout.

The tables were spaced generously, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about the table next to us.

I noticed families dining there too, and it seemed like a place you could comfortably bring kids. There's also a private room on one side of the restaurant, which looked good for family gatherings or work dinners.

What's on the menu at Dream Samgyetang?

Dream Samgyetang has more than just the basic samgyetang.

Besides samgyetang, there's jjimdak (braised chicken), seafood pancake, chicken noodle soup, and more, so if you're visiting with a group it seems like a good idea to order a spread and share.

Here's what we ordered that day.

• Herbal samgyetang
• Perilla samgyetang

First off, I loved how they looked arriving in the stone pots. They really were bubbling away, still boiling when they hit the table haha.

Watching it simmer away in the hot stone pot made me feel like I was already recharging before I'd even taken a bite.

Side dishes: kimchi, radish kimchi, chili peppers and pickled radish

Side dishes matter a surprising amount at a samgyetang place, and here we got kimchi, radish kimchi, peppers, and pickled radish. The kimchi and radish kimchi in particular were pretty tasty.

Topping the clean, rich samgyetang broth with a piece of kimchi added a spicy-tangy kick that really woke up my appetite. Personally, I'd call Dream Samgyetang's kimchi and radish kimchi excellent in their own right haha.

The ginseng wine served before the meal

Along with the side dishes, we got pre-meal ginseng wine. This was such a nice surprise haha — it's rare these days for samgyetang restaurants to serve ginseng wine, which made it even more welcome.

Since my husband had to drive, both glasses were mine. I took a sip and the deep ginseng aroma hit immediately. Having a glass of ginseng wine before the samgyetang even arrived already made me feel warmed up.

What does the herbal samgyetang taste like?

We started with the herbal samgyetang my husband ordered. Dream Samgyetang apparently simmers it for a long time with 10 different herbal ingredients.

The herbal aroma hit right from the broth — like someone poured in an entire bottle of ssanghwatang (herbal tonic drink) haha.

That said, it wasn't overwhelmingly bitter — it had a deep, weighty flavor instead. One spoonful was nutty and rich at the same time, and it paired cleanly with the chicken.

It was the kind of broth that kept pulling me back for another spoonful.

The perilla samgyetang and its thick, nutty broth

Next up was the perilla samgyetang I ordered. Personally, I find perilla samgyetang disappointing when the broth is too watery, but here the thick perilla powder blended beautifully with the broth.

The nutty perilla flavor matched well with the clean taste of the chicken.

If the herbal samgyetang was rich and deep, the perilla samgyetang leaned nutty and mild.

The two dishes went in completely different directions, so it seems like a great pick depending on your mood.

Hot to the last spoonful in the stone pot

Best of all, we could eat it piping hot all the way to the end.

After finishing a hearty bowl of samgyetang, my stomach felt comfortable and I genuinely felt like I'd properly recharged.

The herbal one is deep and rich, the perilla one is nutty and mild — easy to pick between depending on your taste. I think I'll be back here whenever I'm near Dongtan Station craving something hearty. Thanks for the meal~ ^^