[Busan, Korea 2024] Day 1: Lunch at Jangsusam 장수삼 (Samgyetang) + BIFF Square + Dinner at Nampo Jjukkumi 남포쭈꾸미 (Webfoot Octopus)
By Elin Chow - Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Photo By: Elin Chow
After a horrendously long flight (due to rescheduling and delays), we finally arrived in Busan at 6.30 am in the morning. Once we collected our luggage, we made our way to the nearest subway station - Gimhae International Airport Station. We planned to drop our luggage at the hotel so that we can travel around the city empty handed.
For this trip, we were staying at Avani Central Busan Hotel, a relatively new 4-star hotel located about 5 minutes walk from Busan International Finance Center - Busan Bank subway station. To get to the hotel from the airport, we took the Busan-Gimhae light rail transit to Sasang station. At Sasang station, we changed to Busan metro line 2 and got off at Busan International Finance Center - Busan Bank station. The entire journey takes about 50 minutes.
The path leading to the hotel was lined with cherry trees. However, majority of them have not reached full bloom yet.
It was around 10 am when we arrived at Avani Central Busan Hotel. As there were no rooms available for early check-in, we dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed out to explore the city.
JANGSUSAM 장수삼
After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we decided to head to Jangsusam for lunch. Jangsusam is a small family-run restaurant specializing in Samgyetang 삼계탕, or Ginseng Chicken Soup. I thought it would be a good idea to eat Samgyetang after a long tiring flight. It is considered a very nutritious dish that can help increase blood circulation, restore energy and appetite.
To get to the restaurant, we took the subway to Millak Station (Line 2) and head to Exit 4. The restaurant is located just 6 minutes walk from the subway station.
The restaurant has a traditional floor seating where diners sit cross-legged on cushions on the floor and eat at low tables. To keep the floor clean, you will need take your shoes off at the entrance before entering the premise. Don't worry, the heated floor will keep your feet and butt warm during the colder months.
Upon stepping into the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed by the lady owner. She was incredibly friendly and made us feel like home.
The restaurant only serves two types of Samgyetang - Samgyetang (17,000 KRW/ pax) or Mungbean Samgyetang (18,000 KRW / pax).
Both of us ordered the normal Samgyetang, which arrived at our table with the soup still bubbling, along with various side dishes.
The side dishes include freshly made Kimchi, Kkakdugi (cubed radish Kimchi), fresh green peppers, and onions. All of the side dishes are delicious, but my favorite is definitely the freshly made Kimchi.
A complimentary shot glass of ginseng infused wine is also served with the Samgyetang. The wine is pretty strong and will warm you up from the inside. If you are a non-drinker, you can also pour it into the soup to enhance the flavor. The wine will evaporate with the heat and add sweetness to the soup.
Despite speaking little English, the lady owner patiently taught us how to flavor and eat the dish like a local. The dish consists primarily of a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, gingko nuts, ginseng, garlic and jujube. The soup is clear white and cooked unseasoned. You can season the soup with salt and pepper at the table based on your preference.
A sip of the soup instantly warmed us up from the inside. It was light and comforting. The meat is cooked till melt-in-the-mouth tender and fall off the bones easily. You can easily tear the chicken apart into small pieces.
The portion was generous and we struggled to finish every single bit of it. After we finished our meal,
the lady owner even treated each of us a cup of instant coffee. She even sent us off personally like a mother, and gave us some ginseng candies when we were leaving the restaurant. This was the first time I have experienced such warm hospitality while traveling in a foreign country.
AVANI CENTRAL BUSAN HOTEL
After lunch, we took the subway back to the hotel as it was almost time for check-in. We booked a Deluxe Mountain View Room. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable.
BIFF SQUARE
After a short rest, we decided to visit the BIFF Square, a 428-metre long street known for its bustling movie district, street food, restaurants and shops.The nearest subway to BIFF Square is Jagalchi Station (Line 1). From Jagalchi Station, the BIFF Square is located just 5 minutes walk away from Exit 7
The square is lined with street food vendors and dining tents selling everything from tteokbokki and dumplings to kimbap and hotteok. It is usually crowded with both locals and tourists. There are also a lot of shops, cafes and restaurants around the square.
Price: 2,000 KRW / Each
One of the most popular specialties at BIFF Square is Ssiat Hotteok, which is a golden fried sticky sweet pancake filled with brown sugar syrup, and stuffed with crushed sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, almonds and peanuts. It is best eaten piping hot off the grindle. The hotteok has a light and crispy texture on the outside, and a pleasantly chewy, mochi-like texture on the inside. The syrupy filling oozes out as you bite into it, while the nut filling gave the hotteok wonderfully crunchy texture. This is a must try street food if you are ever in Busan.
NAMPO JJUKKUMI 남포쭈꾸미
For dinner, we decided to visit Nampo Jjukkumi, a small family-run restaurant specializing in stir-fried Jjukkumi, or webfoot octopus. Jjukkumi is a species of octopus that are smaller in size, but enjoyably chewy.
The par boiled baby octopus is marinated in spicy gochujang (spicy red pepper sauce) and stir-fried on a metal grill with fresh chives and soy bean sprouts. The lady owner did all the cooking, and all we have to do was to wait for the Jjukkumi to cook fully. To be honest, the mouthwatering sight and aroma made the wait difficult.
A bowl of rice mixed with seasoned laver is added to the pan and stir-fried with the remaining Jjukkmi sauce. The sizzling sound of it being cooked on the pan makes our mouth water.
Price: 9,990 KRW
If you are interested to know more about our trip, you may want to check out my 8D7N Busan Itinerary + Overview post. Be sure to follow me on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get the latest updates on my blog! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.
