Some of you who visited Korea before would have heard of this Korean porridge chain restaurant 본죽. I am not sure how you guys get to know about it but I get to know about it when I was watching "꽃보다 남자 Boys Over Flowers" back in year 2009. The main actress, Jan-di (starred by Gu Hye-sun) was a student working part time at this chain restaurant with her best friend. In the drama, the owner of the shop (starred by Kim Ki-bang) told Jan-di how food like porridge should be treated with respect because it heals people. It is a holy food. Well, it is true. I always eat porridge when I am sick because it has more liquid than rice, which helps our digestion and appetite.
There were a lot of scenes in the drama that were filmed in the porridge restaurant
When I was living in Korea, I was sick for a few days near the end of semester. I wanted to eat porridge so badly. I had some fresh ingredients that I have bought from the Lotte Mart opposite my place, so I made my own porridge. It has kimchi, tofu, mushrooms, cherry tomato and Korean rice. It was the first time I've ever cooked porridge and it was the best!
My favourite kimchi octopus porridge 본죽
In the drama, they have lots of different porridge and it always look so good. One thing I like about Korean porridge is that the texture of it is thicker than the porridge I always have in Malaysia. Maybe because of the type of rice grain they use or the just the way Koreans like to cook it. Normally, after eating porridge, you will feel hungry in no time because it is digested faster than other food. However, it was fulfilling to eat Korean porridge as it really fills up your stomach.
I tried 본죽 at Myeongdong. It was a small restaurant located at the 1st floor. I have tried it in Sinchon and they both tasted the same. So I guess you can just visit any chain and still get the best flavor! However, over at Myeongdong, you cannot order only one potion of porridge and share by 2 person. It's the rule!
I've ordered the Kimchi octopus porridge (낙지김치죽) and also the Shredded beef seaweed porridge (쇠고기미역죽). Both came with 4 side dishes. They have different categories of porridge to choose from. The prices also varies with the ingredients in it. They have the special dish menu, the healthy menu and the nutritious menu.
Shredded beef seaweed porridge
Kimchi octopus porridge
As expected, the Kimchi octopus porridge is slightly expensive because of the ingredients used. However, they are not stingy with the octopus at all. Here is a close up of the beautiful shot of the octopus. They were cut into small pieces so you can eat it together spoonful by spoonful with the porridge.
I wasn't paying much attention to the side dishes when I first tried this porridge. But it absolutely blew my mind! This marinated shredded beef is one of the best side dish you could ever have with porridge. It is so flavorful. I had to go for a second serving everytime. The kimchi was cold, so I put them in my pipping hot porridge to warm it up.
Beef seaweed porridge on the other hand was slightly bland compared to the kimchi octopus. It being bland, you can actually taste the original sweetness of the rice. You can always eat with the kimchi and other side dishes if you like it more salty. However, having seaweed with porridge is very good for your digestion.
If you cannot finish it, like me, you can always ask for a take away. The packaging that comes with it is so beautiful I thought they gave me presents. The container was beautiful and the paper bag was trendy too. This is how you know your food is of high quality.
The store at Sinchon is actually a specialize store for bibimbap too. Not all stores offer the same thing so you can actually eat different porridge at different places. I never had the chance to try out their bibimbap but I might one day.
So here is how to go to 본죽명동점!
Address: 서울특별시 중구 충무로2가 65-2
Phone: 02-755-3562
Operating hours: 9am - 10pm (everyday)
Website: https://www.bonif.co.kr/bonJuk/home
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