Established in 1986, Seowonjuk (瑞源粥) is a legendary name in Seoul known as 'The Source of Auspiciousness,' and after visiting their second branch, it is easy to see why. After checking out of our accommodation to continue our adventure, Kitty and I had a sudden urge for a traditional porridge breakfast. While searching Google Maps, we stumbled upon this humble, charming establishment. The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful. Some of them speak simple English and Chinese, they guided us through their time honoured menu with great care. They recommended the signature Ginseng Chicken Porridge and the Abalone Porridge, suggesting we add a fresh egg to each, a classic Seowonjuk touch that adds a wonderful creaminess to the dish. The Abalone Porridge was truly exceptional, rich in flavour and certainly one of the best versions available in this area. Furthermore, the Ginseng Chicken Porridge was equally impressive. Prepared with authentic, thick ginseng roots, there were actually two full roots in the bowl, both of which I ate for a healthy energy boost. For nearly 40 years, this shop has clearly maintained its high standards. With reasonable pricing and a vast variety of options, we highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a nourishing, high quality Korean breakfast in Seoul.

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Ordered the chicken ginseng, abalone, oyster and mushroom. Abalone was ok, the oyster and mushroom was good however the chicken ginseng was really delicious. It’s like the porridge was infused with chicken flavor. Great service and very polite. Just be aware we had four people, they made us order three or more dishes plus one beverage.

I’ve heard a lot about this porridge place and decided to try. There are two outlets, one is by the main road near the subway exit and this outlet is just around the corner. This looks newer and it’s located on level one. There isn’t an area for waiting so if there is a long queue, you’ll need to wait by the road outside. The menu is quite simple, a few selection of porridge. We ordered one abalone porridge and one mushroom porridge. I feel it’s on the saltier side and it tastes just like how it’s expected to be. Nothing fancy and the price for porridge is rather pricey. Worth trying once but probably won’t return again.

Incredible authentic Korean porridge. I ordered the Chicken and Ginseng Porridge and it was worth every penny—hearty, tender, and so comforting. The depth of flavor from the ginseng was perfect, and the dish felt incredibly nourishing. The side dishes, especially the homemade salted squid (*jeotgal*), are a total game-changer. It’s a wonderful, legendary spot with over 30 years of history. We visited as a group and had a wonderful breakfast—the staff were friendly and made us feel very welcome. I'll definitely be back!

This was our first meal in Seoul and it was well worth the wait. All of the juk were delicious we tried everything but the shrimp juk. I really enjoyed the oyster and egg juk and the abalone juk. The gingseng and chicken juk was good but not my cup of tea. The inhouse kimichi and pickled squid/octopus was delicious. We came to the second branch because the original one on the main street adjacent to this restaurant was super packed on a saturday morning. I will definitely come back when I am in Korea.

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