South Korea: Seoul - Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup and "JUMP" show

Something horrible was happened! 

I was uploading photos just now and blogspot pop up saying the photo storage has reach the max, mean i can no longer upload more photos, unless i upgrade and pay $3 per month which i will never do!

But very soon i find out if i resize to smaller pixel i can upload with without limit, phew.

But i might consider to pay for upgrading the storage and everything in order to keep my blog alive, so please reader, click my ads and help me raise money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok come back to this post topic. 

Remember the last post about Gyeongbokgung? I suggested to put few places in a day trip if you're not ready to spend a whole day in the palace, which if you're interested you can absolutely spend a single day in it, that is huge. 

For us, the plan as below:

* Subway to Kwanghwamun (because we wanna see the gate of palace, you can also stop in Gyeongbokgung station.) for changing of guard (about 11am, right in front the gate and its free)

* Brunch in Tosokchon, the famous ginseng chicken soup.

* Back to Gyeongbokgung 

* Walk to Insa-Dong for souvenir shop

* Go to Seoul Cinema in Jongno-3 Ga for "Jump"'s evening show (4pm)

We skip Sam Cheng Dong, which is few blocks away from the palace too because our flight is at the same night and we have to leave earlier to the airport. 

If i've absolutely one full day, i'll add Sam-Cheng Dong after Insa-Dong or the palace, and make the show in the night time, which is 7pm or something like this. 

But this post isn't follow the flow of the plan, i just pick something interesting and blog the info. 

I'm going to intro and review the famous ginseng chicken soup and Jump in this post.

Tosokchon known as the creator of ginseng chicken soup in Seoul, which you can see selling everywhere in the city today. 

I'm not sure what is the most origin ginseng chicken soup suppose to be, but what tosokchon sold is chicken that stuffed with ginseng and sticky rice, and slow cook with rice wine.

I'm dislike herb smell but i like this soup very much. 

So where is tosokchon?

Red circle is where the Tosokchon restaurant located. 

2 blocks away from the palace, if you stop in Gyeongbokgung station, take the exit number 1, 2 and 3, walk down to the street, when you see the G25, the convenience store, then you should see tosokchon billboard with chinese word. 

This is not difficult to find, as long as you keep your eye on this traditional Hanok, and long q. 

I suggest to go before lunch hour, make it your brunch as sooooooooo damn crowed during lunch hour. 

We had it before 12nn and we got the seat immediately, but i think almost full. When we done and leave, about 1pm, there are at least 10 people q-ing outside. 

Not a big restaurant but very eye catching, as this is the only hanok among those modern building

Waitress brought us to hanok, which you have to take off your shoes

Tosokchon mainly serve ginseng chicken, but there are several dishes as well, eg roasted chicken that we don't have the chance to taste.

There are 2 types of ginseng chicken soup, the main different is the chicken, either normal chicken or the black chicken.

We ordered 2 white chicken and 3 black chicken, and i strongly recommend the black one, better meat texture, the white one is too soft for me.

Both type of soup cost 15000kw (equal to about RM45), i think this is reasonable, because you found thick ginseng like your finger size in the soup.

You will be given this card cum the menu. Make order to the waitress and take this card to the cashier when you leave. 

The menu. 

The soups show. 

Rich taste soup, chicken, ginseng and the sticky rice. 

Reservation number. 

Me and lynn

I haven't try the other ginseng soup in Seoul except Tosokchon, thus no comparison i could make.

As tosokchon's dishes, price, service and environment, i think this is worth to try and fairly reasonable. So why not spend your brunch here before or after palace visit?

My Advice to Dine in Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup Restaurant: 
1. Avoid lunch or dinner time, crowed and long q.
2. One portion of soup can serve 2 ladies. We are 5 and ordered 5 portions, we cant finished.
3. If you're foreigner and never seen black skin chicken, do not afraid and order a black one to compare. Trust me, the black one is chicken but not any other funny meat.
4. Enjoy the soup but do not take the seat for chit-chatting, do consider the people q outside with the wind.

==========================================

Next review, JUMP show.

Korea famous with musical show, eg Nanta show that perform around the worlds few years ago.

I wanted to watch Nanta when the team came to Malaysia last time but that time i'm only a student and the ticket price is too expensive.

When Seoul trip was confirmed, to watch a show is one of my must-do in my life. Simply because the show is available everyday and the ticket is a lot cheaper in Seoul.

But we met some backpackers and new friends was telling us that Nanta is not as interesting as the newer show named "Jump".

I done a simple research on the internet, Jump has higher review and present in story basic, this attract me and we finally decided to watch Jump instead of Nanta.

Again, i did not watch any other show so i cant compare, but Jump is a good show. Fun, interesting, attractive, i almost cant move my eyeball away from the stage.

The detail like the ticket price and show time please link to the official website of Jump.  

FYI there are few ticket prices, based on the seat actually.

We got the middle high seat with 50000kw (about RM150) per person. Although a bit far from the stage and make we missed the interaction part with the performer, but i consider good enough as we can glance the whole stage.

Ok, to make JUMP show in the same day of Gyeongbokgong, because the cinema is not too far away from the palace. 

Big red circle is Jongno-3ga station, small red circle  is the cinema. 

Insa-Dong is just below the palace, i forget to circle it up.

So we went to the palace, then insa-dong, then take subway in Anguk station to Jongno-3ga. 

Enlarge map. Stop in Jongno-3ga, take the exit 14 or 12, walk down the street and you will see the cinema beside 7-11. 

I think you can get the ticket on the spot, but you might have limited choice on the seat.

For us, we get it from Hostel Korea, the receptionist called and booked for us. We get the reservation number, be there 30 minute before the show start for the tickets.

Oh yea we pay on the ticket counter.  

You will see the banner on the street and you cant missed it. 

The ticket 

The stage.

We managed to snapped only one photos and people quickly come and stop us, i think because of the copyright or something.

The show last for one and half hour, not long but every second is interesting, if you've extra from shopping and you've 2 hours time, why not pay for the world famous show?

Alright i got to go, next post still Korea, but i think that will be the last post. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

20121022, 1151am
Rach in wanna vomit mood.