A team of chefs representing Chinese and Japanese cuisine visited a Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant located in the heart of Gangnam.
In the Channel A variety show ‘Kitchen Interference Chefs’ Open Run’ aired on the 24th, Chefs Lee Moon-jung, Jung Ji-sun, and Jang Ho-jun visited a Samgyetang specialty restaurant in Gangnam to help with everything from daily business preparations to developing new menu items.
As soon as the chefs entered the tidy kitchen, they were amazed by the subtle scent of traditional herbal medicine filling the air. The restaurant uses only male ‘Ongchu’ chickens, known for their firm meat due to high activity levels. The chefs dove straight into kitchen duties, from boiling the Samgyetang broth and prepping the chicken to making the perfect side dish, Geotjeori (fresh kimchi).
In particular, same-age chefs Jung Ji-sun and Jang Ho-jun, who were in charge of prepping the chicken, showed off their “frenemy” chemistry by bickering throughout the process.
When Chef Jang Ho-jun showed excessive confidence early on, the charismatic Chef Jung Ji-sun shut him down with a sharp “Do it yourself,” leaving him deflated. Despite the grumbling, they became a perfect team the moment they started cooking, showing great synergy while prepping the chickens’ legs and stuffing them with garlic.
Afterward, eight types of herbal Samgyetang, including Neungi mushroom and perilla seed versions, were revealed. After tasting the deep, rich broth simmered with care, the chefs momentarily forgot their roles and went on a total eating spree.
The chefs worked together to create a special sauce using chili seeds, chili oil, and Lajo-jang to complete a Mala Herbal Samgyetang. The restaurant owner praised it, saying, “It’s delicious. The chicken and vegetables blend perfectly. I wondered if it would work, but the combination of Samgyetang and Mala flavor is great and breaks all stereotypes.”
The owner was also satisfied with the side dish, a chilled chicken breast salad, noting, “The crunchy texture and sweetness go so well with the dressing. It’s a flavor that will pair perfectly with Samgyetang.”
The owner couldn’t hide their joy over the successful recipe development, adding, “I’ve often thought it would be great to have a salad menu for the occasional foreign customers. This dish is just perfect.”
Meanwhile, Channel A’s ‘Kitchen Interference Chefs’ Open Run’ airs every Sunday at 10:30 AM.
