Dak Han Mari with Kalguksu and Porridge for ₩40,000 near Sungshin

Sometimes when eating out these days, I don't want anything too spicy or heavy — I just want something healthy but still satisfying. That day I was craving something warm and filling, so I went out for dak han mari (whole chicken hot pot).

I visited Yesulgwan Sungshin Women's University Branch. I love dak han mari, but the price and portion size can make me hesitate sometimes. Here, the price includes kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and even chicken porridge at the end, so it looked like good value — I went in with high expectations.

The outdoor and indoor sections have completely different vibes

The place is split into outdoor tented seating (yajang) and indoor seating. I visited around 7pm, and the outdoor section was packed with what looked like groups of Sungshin Women's University students drinking together — pretty lively and loud.

The indoor area, on the other hand, had a completely different atmosphere. It was relatively quiet and comfortable for a proper meal, and the group tables had several parties dining together. If you want to drink and enjoy the vibe, go for the outdoor seats; if you want a quiet meal, choose indoors.

Kalguksu AND chicken porridge included, all for ₩40,000?

What we ordered was the herbal dak han mari! The price was ₩40,000, including the kalguksu noodles and the porridge at the end. Getting chicken, noodles, and porridge all in one order for ₩40,000 felt like a really solid deal.

We also added a rice cake (tteok) topping. From the start, the pot came out piled high with chives and enoki mushrooms — the visual alone felt generous. As it simmered and we ate the chicken and vegetables together, the broth kept getting richer and richer.

The chicken was hearty and satisfying

I started with the chicken I'd been most looking forward to, and it was really hearty and delicious. There was plenty of meat on the bone, which made it fun to pick apart, and eating it with the hot broth warmed me right up.

The broth was a bit salty when I first tried it. Personally, I think it would've been even better with a little less salt, but between the chicken, chives, and mushrooms, I kept reaching for more anyway. I especially loved the combination of loading up on chives and eating them with the chicken.

We love rice cakes, so we added the tteok topping too, and I'm glad we did. The chewy rice cakes soaked up the rich dak han mari broth, and I just kept picking at them nonstop.

After eating most of the chicken and vegetables, we finished it off by adding the kalguksu noodles. Even though I was already pretty full, the noodles still went down easy haha.

The final chicken porridge was a genuine masterstroke

Honestly, the best part for me was the chicken porridge. After finishing the dak han mari, you make porridge with the leftover broth — and it was genuinely delicious, I teared up a little.

The porridge, cooked in the broth infused with all the chicken and vegetable flavors, was rich and savory — I kept eating even though I was already full. Going for dak han mari and finishing it off properly with the chicken porridge felt like the perfect ending! Whoever the owner was who suggested eating it with chives was a genius haha.

When you're craving a filling, healthy meal

Overall, I loved being able to eat so generously — chicken, vegetables, rice cake, noodles, and porridge all in one meal. It seems especially good for groups, since you can share one order and still get to try a bit of everything.

I'd recommend this to anyone like me who's craving something warm, filling, and healthy rather than spicy food these days. The dak han mari itself was great, but I loved the final chicken porridge so much haha — I think I'll come back next time I'm near Sungshin Women's University. If you're looking for good-value dak han mari around Sungshin Women's University, give Yesulgwan Sungshin Women's University Branch a try!