Have you been to Dongdaemun Market? Today, I'll tell you a place where you can visit to appease your hunger while you look around Dongdaemun Market. It is 'Myeongdong Dak Hanmari(One Chicken)'.
Isn't the name 'Dak Hanmari' strange? Actually it was known as 'Dak Baeksuk(Chicken boiled in water)'. However, the name changed a long time ago when there was a terminal near the market. The people who had to go quickly for the bus said, "Give me Dak Hanmari(One Chicken)" and the name changed 'Dak Hanmari' from 'Dak Baeksuk(Chicken boiled in water)' since then.
If you order 'Dak Hanmari', a large brass bowl with a chicken, potatoes, green onions, and meat juice will be served. They're all cooked, but we boil it again with some bar rice cakes and chicken's large intestines.
And one of the important points of this restaurant is 'sauce'. Sauce is made when you mix mustard, garlic, grinded red pepper, soy sauce, vinegar and some leek. Remember to mix them by turning them around in one direction. If the bar rice cakes float in the meat juice, you first eat it with the sauce. And if the chicken is cooked(If the potato is cooked so is the chicken), you also eat it with the sauce you made. I've tasted it before, and the sauce is sourish and peppery and the chicken was gooey. They made a great harmony^^ Plus, the sauce was also moreish thanks to leek.
If you ate the whole chicken, you put some noodles in the meat juice and make chopped noodles. You can also put some Kimchi if you like. It also tastes good if you eat the noodles with the sauce. I really ate a lot there, too.
It is also famous just like it is delicious. Last spring, it was introduced in 『Michelin Guide: Korea』(a world-wide restaurant evaluation). Also it was introduced on TV programs like KBS and MBC. The reporter from KBS was interviewing the visitors when I visited there.
Do you want to visit? I'll tell you.
First, take Line 1 or Line 4 Dongdaemun Station and take exit number 8. Then you can find a building named as, 'Dongdaemun Composite Market'. Turn right and if you walk more, you can find an alley with fish smell and smoke. There are a lot of restaurants with 'Dak Hanmari(one chicken)' and baked fish. You should stand the allurement of baked fish to eat 'Dak Hanmari'.
