``Haven’t You Yet Eaten Samgyetang?``

The weather is so hot that one sweats by merely seating. When people sweat, the vitality seeps out leaving them exhausted. It is a season during which people are interested in healthy and nutritious foods. The most popular stamina food for summer is, by far, the Samgyetang. Since its main ingredients, jinsaeng, and the protein-rich chicken contain the amino acids and collagen, the samgyetang is very good for health and physical attributes. Here, three famous samgyetang restaurants are introduced. They are widely-known restaurants to the extent that even patrons from both China and Japan visit with great expectation. All three restaurants are open throughout the year.

▲ Korea Samgyetang (02-752-2734) = It is located across from the Shinhan Bank building in Seosomundong, Junggu. The building used to be old and rustic, but after a renovation this early spring, it is visually appealing hence easily recognizable. The founder Lee Sang Lim, a former chicken wholesaler at the Namdaemun market, first opened the restaurant in 1960 at Myungdong. Now, his son Lee Jun-Hee is running the business that has a 41 year tradition.

They only use jinsaeng from Kumsan that are aged appropriately to four years and chicken with low-fat chewy meat. After stuffing jinsaeng, garlic, and whanggi in a stomach of a chicken, it is boiled until its bone-marrow is marinated into the broth. They also put haedongpi, an herb that is good for neuralgia and arthritis, to remove the chicken’s bloody smell and to tenderize the meat. Although the restaurant is big enough to accommodate more than 300 customers, during the summer, people have to wait to be seated.

Samgyetang, and a roasted whole chicken : 10.000 won. Ogolgyetang : 18,000 won.

▲ Baekje Samgyetang (02-776-3267) = It is lacated on the alley adjacent to the Myungdong Police Box. The owner Lee Sang-Ryul is the younger brother of Lee Sang-Lim, the founder of the Korea Samgyetang. This restaurant boasts that its head-chef has been working at the restaurant for last 36 years. His daughter Lee Hyun-Seung, who inherited the restaurant, is running the business as well.

Their ingredients are provided by same suppliers of the Korea Samgyetang. The taste which is plain and healthy is also similar with the Korea Samgyetang. But, the owner Lee Hyun-Seung said, ``our side-dishes, kimchi and Kkacdukee taste better than my uncle’s restaurant.`` Japanese travelers, their key customers, even buy the kimchi to take it back to Japan.

Samgyetang : 10,000 won, Ogolgyetang : 17,000 won, a roasted whole chicken : 9,000 won, and Dakdoritang : 18.000 won.

▲ Tosokchon (02-737-7444) = located 120 meters away from the third line subway-station, Kyungbokgung Station, toward Hyojadong. Their broth is made by boiling the chicken with 30 different kinds of grains. And jinsaeng, sweat rice, pumpkin seed, black sesame, walnut, pine nut, domestic chesnut, jujube, gingko nut, and sunflower seed are added together into the broth as well. Its rich scent and luscious taste are really wonderful.

Otgyetang, for which the aroma from the lacquer tree and the plain taste of chicken are well mixed, and the Ogolgyetang are also very popular.

Samgyetang and Otgyetang : 10,000 won, Ogolgyetang : 16,000 won.

Chung Kyung-Joon news91@donga.com