Gam Ro Dang (감로당) is a restaurant famous for serving sachal (사찰), Korean Buddhist temple cuisine. It is located near the Five Grand Palaces. Although the house-turned-restaurant is a tad plain, one will be mesmerized by the creative, exotic, and beautiful dishes. Buddhist cuisine is primarily vegetarian due to the Buddhist belief of ahimsa, non-violence.
Reservations are nearly required, as the restaurant is very popular. There are four course options. We chose the third most elaborate, Suryeon, for ₩30,000 per person.
We had a cup of white lotus leaf to start.
Pink cabbage kimchi with cactus. This was crunchy, refreshing, and slightly sweet.
Germinated brown rice porridge with pine mushroom. This was very subtle in flavor. Korean porridge is known for its health benefits.
A delightful salad of greens, cherry tomatoes, lotus root, yellow bell peppers, and purple cabbage. It was tossed in a sweet herb and apple dressing.
Grilled king oyster mushroom, grilled lotus root, and grilled yam served on a bed of pine needles, with bamboo salt for dip. The grilled items were mild in taste but very distinct in texture. The fresh pine needles provided much fragrance, and the savory egg-flavored salt added much flavor. This dish seemed to emphasize experiencing the same flavor with different textures.
Fried tofu coated in hot pepper paste. This was a table favorite! The lightly deep-fried tofu was packed with savory, spicy, and sweet flavors.
Wolgwachae, vegetables wrapped in rice pancake. The savory pancakes were basically very thick and sticky tteok. The vegetables were a mix of bean sprouts, matsutake mushrooms, squash, red bell pepper, and peanut. The delicate combination was surprisingly very tasty!
A salad of perilla leaves, sliced lotus root, and chopped peanuts in a spicy dressing. The strong flavors were a bit too exotic for me.
Deep-fried pyogo mushrooms in a zesty citrus sauce.
Jeon, assorted vegetable pancakes served with glasswort sauce. This dish was fantastic! There was a pink cactus jeon, a white potato jeon with dried jujube, a carrot jeon, and a black seaweed jeon with gingko seed. All of them were delicious: savory, soft, and slightly crisp. I think the cactus and potato jeon were my favorites. The seaweed jeon tasted just like gim, dried seaweed.
Spicy wild root, Korean pear, cucumber, and pine nuts in a mustard sauce, served on a perilla leaf. This was juicy, light, and refreshing. Delicious.
Steamed pumpkin topped with candied walnuts and dubu sobaegi, stuffed tofu. Both of these were delectable. The creamy, mild pumpkin paired well with the crunchy, sugary walnuts. The tofu sandwiches were filled with Korean mushrooms--tasty and cute.
Rice, wild vegetables, pickled veggies, and condiments to make our bibimbap, a signature Korean dish meaning "mixed rice." This was accompanied with hot soup.
Traditional purple multigrain rice, known for its health benefits.
Doenjang jjigae, a traditional stew made with soybean paste. This one contained dried cabbage.
A variety of wild greens and pickled veggies for our bibimbap.
The wild veggies, pickled veggies, and rice are stirred with sesame oil and gochujang, hot pepper paste before enjoying. This was standard, though plain compared to other bibimbap with egg or meat.
Last but not least was dessert!
Susubukkumi, fried glutinous millet pancakes, and candied ginger cookies. The chewy little pancakes were filled with acacia and honey. I really enjoyed the delicate flavors and textures. I believe this was the only non-vegan (honey) dish on the menu.
We capped off our meal with a cup of
sikhye, a traditional sweet rice beverage with pine nuts. It is made by boiling malt water with cooked rice, then boiling the liquid with sugar water. The result is refreshing and mildly sweet beverage. I love sipping iced sikhye in the summer.
I recommend Gam Ro Dang to every epicurious tourist or local. Although a few dishes were a bit exotic for my taste, most of the dishes were divine. For me, it was an adventurous way to try vegan cuisine for the first time. The great service completed the refreshing experience.
Directions: From Exit #3 of Gyeongbokgung Station, walk straight past Dunkin Donuts. Turn right at Starbucks. Gam Ro Dang is located in the alley right behind Starbucks. The restaurant used to be a house, so the location is a bit random.
Gam Ro Dang
Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit #3
35-106 Tong Uidong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, South Korea
02-3210-3397
www.sachalfood.com
