Dalrae Haejang 달래해장 @ Seoul

The Google translate for its menu was hilarious. The proper translation of the restaurant name 慰劳解酲 is “soothing” and not “pleasuring” oneself 🙂

Haejang-guk 해장국/解酲국 or hangover soup refers to every kind of guk (soup) eaten as a hangover cure in Korean cuisine. Dalrae Haejang (달래해장/慰劳解酲) or “Soothing Hangover” specialises in soups for every form of hangover imaginable. They can be found in locations where bars and pubs prevail, like this branch in Bukchang-dong, a square block of F&B establishments between Namdaemun and Myeongdong.

한우육회비빔밥 Korean Beef Yukhoe Bibimbap

Seasoned raw beef or yukhoe 육회 can be added to the perennial favourite, bibimbap 비빔밥, to give some meat protein to a vegetarian dish.

I like to take out the fried egg before mixing the ingredients and rice together with a liberal amount of gochujang. Here, the rice came as a separate portion, so I can put as much or as little as I want in the bibimbap.

The bibimbap was delicious with the right amount of sauce and generous portion of beef and vegetable. The rice given was the healthy brown rice which I only added half a bowl into the mix. I guess if I have used the whole bowl, I would need more sauce for the mix.

Served a side of kimchi as always, the bibimbap is a complete meal on its own. It came with a bowl of hot soup which tasted like instant noodle soup powder.

달래내장탕 Dalrae “Soothing” Organ Soup

This is one of the variation of a haejang-duk or hangover soup. 달래내장탕 Dalrae “soothing” organ soup comes with beef tripes and other bovine organs, and a tofu made from soy bean mixed with cow blood.

Usually when I eat duck or pig’s blood tofu, they are soft in texture. The cow blood tofu was much harder in texture than I thought – they were like the old style blood tofu we used to get in Singapore and not like those in Taiwan or China. I loved the tripes and other offals in the spicy soup; the waitress warned me about the spiciness during the ordering.

차돌편육과 어리굴젓 Boiled Beef Brisket with Salted Oysters

I have a rice dish, a soup, how can I not complete the meal with a side dish. And for a delicious side dish, I ordered 차돌편육과 어리굴젓 boiled beef brisket with salted oysters.

어리굴젓 Salted oysters are fresh raw oysters marinated in gochujang. They are very salty and need to be eaten as a condiment to something bland, like white rice.

The beef brisket was simply boiled and slightly chewy and tasteless. The taste will come from the salted oysters or the chinchalok-style salted shrimps. Delicious.

If you like a good laugh, go to their website and Google translate it English. Like its name, it’s perfect for the after-dinner hangover cure. The price is highly friendly to the wallet, and the quality is really good. Highly recommended if you need a supper place or just a simple meal.

Dalrae Haejang Bukchang-dong 달래해장
20 Namdaemun-ro 1-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Tel : +82 50-71363-3550

Visited Aug 2024