Hanam ginseng chicken soup spot with a garden view: Baekheukdam

I went to Hanam for samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) and ended up falling harder for the broth than anything else. This time I visited Baekheukdam. I always thought the most important thing about samgyetang was how tender the chicken was, but here, it was the broth of the perilla seed samgyetang that stuck with me before the chicken even did. If you like a rich, nutty perilla broth, this is a Hanam samgyetang spot worth trying.

Where is Baekheukdam, and is parking easy?

Visiting by car was really convenient. There's a wide parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so there was no need to circle around looking for a spot. Parking is always a low-key concern when dining out as a family, and this place handled that well. It also seemed like a solid choice for bringing your parents for some Hanam comfort food.

• Address: 93 Misa-dong-ro, 1F, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: 11:00-21:00
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Parking available

Inside Baekheukdam: garden views through floor-to-ceiling windows

Inside, the dining room was much bigger than I expected. Everything felt clean, and with the high ceilings, there was almost none of that cramped feeling you sometimes get in samgyetang restaurants.

What I liked most, though, was the garden view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Eating while looking out at all that greenery really set the mood. It felt less like a quick stop for a meal and more like a place to sit back and enjoy a relaxed meal with your parents or family.

Ordering the perilla seed samgyetang at Baekheukdam

Baekheukdam offers several types of samgyetang — clear, black sesame, and perilla seed among them — and I went with the perilla seed samgyetang, listed as their best menu item. I've always liked broths with perilla seed, or perilla seed sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup), so this was an easy pick over the other options.

Ordered: Baekheukdam Perilla Seed Samgyetang

How does Baekheukdam's nutty perilla broth taste?

First came the side dishes: kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi), and pickled onions. Not a huge variety, but all three paired well with the samgyetang and tasted good. Alternating bites with the geotjeori or pickled onions kept the rich perilla broth from feeling heavy.

Extra side dishes were available at a self-serve bar, which was also kept clean and well-stocked.

And then the perilla seed samgyetang finally arrived. The broth is really the star here. It's nutty and quite hearty, but never chalky, and you can really taste that distinct, deep perilla flavor. Honestly, I think I could have happily eaten a whole bowl of just this broth with rice, no chicken needed.

The chicken was cooked through and the meat pulled apart tender and soft.

The big stone bowl also comes with about half a bowl of rice already mixed in, so the portion was just right without needing to order extra rice.

The broth was so good that I ended up soaking every last bit of rice in it and finishing the whole thing.

Review event: chocolate ice cream at Baekheukdam

There was also a review event where you could choose between ice cream or a drink. I went with the chocolate ice cream, and it turned out to be surprisingly good, haha.

I expected just a plain chocolate ice cream, but it had little chocolate chunks studded throughout, giving it some texture to bite into — the perfect dessert after a rich bowl of perilla seed samgyetang.

Looking for a rich perilla samgyetang in Hanam?

If you're looking for a good samgyetang restaurant in Hanam, I'd definitely recommend Baekheukdam. Between the spacious parking lot, the comfortable dining room, and the garden view through the windows, the overall atmosphere was great — but what stuck with me most was still the perilla seed samgyetang broth. If you like a rich, nutty broth, I think you'll be pretty satisfied here. Next time I visit, I'll probably order the perilla seed samgyetang again over anything else on the menu. The chicken was good, but the broth was so good that this is one place I definitely want to bring my parents back to.