Ginseng chicken octopus hot pot with porridge finish in Gwacheon

I've always liked eating tonic foods that are good for the body. Funnily enough, after eating one my body seems to notice right away and just feel happy about it. When you're raising kids, mom and dad tend to get put on the back burner, and I felt like that's exactly when you need to fill yourselves up properly — so I went looking for Gwacheon Haesintang, known as a Gwacheon must-visit restaurant.

What is haesintang?

Haesintang literally means "tonic soup blessed by the sea god." It's said to be made by simmering chicken, duck or black-boned chicken with about ten kinds of medicinal herbs into a broth, then adding live abalone, octopus and other seafood, plus cordyceps mushroom — famed as a mysterious elixir of longevity — making it one of the best tonic foods around.

Location and parking

• Location: 203, 2F Jeil Sangga, 31 Byeoryangsangga1-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Closed every Monday
• Parking (paid): nearby public parking lots

It's about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Government Complex-Gwacheon Station, on the 2nd floor of Jeil Sangga. It seemed like a great spot for a hearty meal after hiking Gwanaksan or Cheonggyesan, or after a visit to Seoul Land. Parking is at a nearby public lot — ₩3,000 for the first 60 minutes and ₩250 per additional 5 minutes, free on public holidays and after 7pm on weekdays.

Exterior and interior atmosphere

You could feel the experience of a restaurant that's been preparing tonic food with wild stone flower octopus and cordyceps broth for 22 years, right from the entrance.

It's also been featured on several broadcasts like KBS Saengsaeng Jeongbo, SBS Happy Today, JTBC, and KBS News Square.

The interior had a spacious main hall — there were other customers so I couldn't photograph everything, but the seating was generous enough for family gatherings or group dinners.

There's also a separate private room where you can dine comfortably, which felt like it would suit a parents' birthday, a formal family meeting before a wedding, or a wedding invitation gathering — the menu itself has that treated-to-something-special feel. The room is available for 6 or more people, and group dinners can accommodate anywhere from 4 to 66 people.

Menu and prices

There were premium, value, and basic options. The menu was varied — haesintang with black-boned chicken, native chicken, stone flower octopus and long-arm octopus; cordyceps herbal samgyetang; cauldron-cooked nutrition rice; octopus bibimbap; live octopus yeonpotang; stir-fried octopus; seafood stew; abalone pancake; boiled stone octopus; and live octopus tangtangi.

They even seem to make their own cordyceps liquor, which pairs well with haesintang!!

Samgye-dak nakji haesintang for two: the review

Today's order

• Samgye-dak nakji haesintang for two, ₩59,000
• Porridge noodle add-on, ₩3,000

The long-arm octopus, octopus and other seafood were so fresh! They say they only use live, fresh seafood.

The side dishes came out clean and neatly arranged too. Apparently even the kimchi, chojang (vinegar-chili sauce), soy sauce and various sauces are made in-house using cordyceps broth. You could feel the care put into details that aren't even that noticeable.

When the samgye-dak nakji haesintang came to the table, the visual was really something.

The plump octopus was placed on a shell as soon as it was lightly cooked, so it was perfect to eat while still tender.

The fresh abalone had its mouth removed and was already sliced. The ingredients themselves were so fresh it was almost too good ㅠㅠ.

We happily fished out fresh, healthy ingredients one after another — octopus, scallops, mushrooms, shrimp, and cordyceps.

After fishing things out for a while, we'd almost forgotten about the chicken, until it appeared! Need I say more... the chicken was slow-cooked in the broth until soft and delicious ㅠ. Tonic food on top of tonic food, on top of more tonic food — it felt so satisfying, hearty and like the ultimate tonic experience 🙊.

You could feel the good-for-you ingredients steeped deep into the broth with every spoonful — like your body was being filled up bit by bit as you drank it. This might really be genuine medicine...

Finishing with porridge noodles instead of kalguksu

We debated between kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and porridge noodles, and ended up adding the porridge noodles. The subtle broth soaked in so well that the porridge was delicious too. A hearty, satisfying finish all the way to the end 👍🏻.

Final thoughts

With fresh seafood, a carefully made broth, ample seating, and even a private room, this place was more than fitting for a family gathering or a special occasion. Given the nature of tonic food, the price isn't exactly a light everyday meal, but it's clear you get a proper tonic experience for it. For anyone who needs a hearty pick-me-up, I'd recommend Gwacheon Haesintang as a Gwacheon must-visit restaurant.