Songjeong samgyetang restaurant in Busan with seafood: Namhwajeong

When you head to Songjeong in Busan for a meal, you usually think of raw fish, seafood, or meat first. This time, though, I wanted something heartier and warmer during my trip, so I visited Namhwajeong. What I ordered was a bit different from regular samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup): seafood scorched-rice samgyetang. It's a dish where a whole chicken is simmered down and served alongside seafood and nurungji (scorched rice), so it had a different appeal from the samgyetang I usually eat.

If you're looking for somewhere to eat with family around Songjeong Beach, I think this place is worth a visit. Having tried it myself, I could see why people searching for the best samgyetang in Songjeong end up choosing this kind of dish.

Why I chose Namhwajeong in Songjeong

Namhwajeong is a Korean set-meal restaurant at 56 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, 1st floor, Haeundae-gu, Busan. Songjeong has so many good restaurants that every time I visit, I end up agonizing over where to eat. This time I was looking for something that wouldn't feel like a lot to eat with my parents or family, and that's how I landed on Namhwajeong.

Samgyetang is a dish with relatively few dislikers and a filling one, so it's fine for a family meal. What was interesting here was that seafood and nurungji were added on top. The seafood scorched-rice samgyetang at Namhwajeong lives up to its name — you get to enjoy not just chicken but seafood and scorched rice together, which made it feel distinct from regular samgyetang.

What goes into the seafood scorched-rice samgyetang

Namhwajeong's seafood scorched-rice samgyetang had mushroom, shrimp, octopus, abalone, corn, and bok choy in it. The first thing I noticed when the dish arrived at the table was how generous it looked. Samgyetang alone is already enough for a full meal, but with seafood added on top, the whole thing felt even more abundant.

With so many different ingredients inside — mushroom, shrimp, octopus, abalone, corn, bok choy, and more — the broth itself tasted different, and working through the ingredients one by one really filled me up.

Is Namhwajeong a good meal with parents?

Namhwajeong's seafood scorched-rice samgyetang wasn't too intense in flavor, so it suited a meal with my parents well. Samgyetang has long been a go-to dish for family meals or as a tonic food. Especially when planning a Busan trip with parents, sometimes a dish with warm broth and tender chicken, rather than something too strongly seasoned, is just more comfortable.

On that front, Namhwajeong's seafood scorched-rice samgyetang suited a family meal well. You get chicken as well as seafood, and finish with nurungji, so the meal felt a bit more substantial overall. If you're planning to visit Songjeong with your parents, I think it's worth adding to your list of best samgyetang spots in Songjeong.

The broth flavour and the nurungji finish

Tasting the broth first, I could feel both the deep, savory flavor from the chicken and the clean, refreshing character unique to seafood. Compared to regular samgyetang, the broth felt a bit more layered.

After eating the chicken, sipping the broth, and then adding seafood on top, I could enjoy a range of flavors within a single dish.

The part I was personally most looking forward to in the seafood scorched-rice samgyetang was the nurungji. Enjoying warm scorched rice after the samgyetang made the end of the meal feel just as satisfying. The nutty, plain flavor unique to nurungji went well with the samgyetang broth, and it wasn't too heavy, so it was easy to eat without feeling weighed down. After filling up on chicken and seafood, finishing with nurungji gave me the sense of having had a proper, complete meal. So if you're looking for the best samgyetang in Songjeong to visit with family, I think this kind of composition is worth considering.

Namhwajeong in short

If you're looking for samgyetang in Songjeong, Busan, I'd recommend Namhwajeong's seafood scorched-rice samgyetang over a plain samgyetang, since you get to enjoy seafood and nurungji together. It's especially good for families traveling together or meals with parents — there's less pressure over what to order, and you can enjoy a hearty spread at one table.

If you want a warm, filling meal after spending time around Songjeong Beach, remember Namhwajeong as one of the best samgyetang spots in Songjeong. The refreshing flavor of the seafood, the plain richness of the chicken, and the nutty nurungji finish all come together in one dish, giving it a different appeal from regular samgyetang. This visit left me feeling Namhwajeong is worth recommending to anyone looking for the best samgyetang in Songjeong, and it's a place I'd like to revisit with family on my next trip there.