I’ve tried raw fish and raw beef, but raw chicken? That’s unchartered territory for me… until this visit to Dolgogae Garden in Haenam.
From what we know, this is the only place you can (or should) try raw chicken sashimi in South Korea, with locals coming to this region in Jeollanam-do just to dine at this restaurant.
We Tried Raw Chicken in South Korea
Located within Chicken Town (닭요리촌) in Haenam is Dolgogae Garden. This restaurant specializes in a Korean native chicken course meal, which costs 80,000won and is great for 4 pax. This means the entire meal only boils down to nearly $20 per pax. There’s also an alternative course meal that focuses on Marinated Grilled Duck.
The meal comes with an entire table of side dishes, from the classic kimchi to slices of tofu, hard-boiled eggs, and even rice cakes.
It begins with a serving of raw chicken, that’s been tossed in a sauce that’s mainly sesame oil, sesame seeds, and spring onions. And yes, they’re not hiding the fact that it’s raw chicken as it retains the classic, pink colour. On the side is a brighter red option, which we assume were slices of raw chicken gizzards.
To be very honest, apart from the fact that the chicken was raw, this was not disgusting in terms of taste and texture. It reminded us of raw fish slices, much like sashimi, and the sesame oil taste covered most of the chicken smell – nothing gamey here.
The course meal is followed by a huge plate of Chicken Bulgogi, which had a nice balance of spice, sweetness, and umami. The chicken was tender and the grill provided a nice char to it. Great on its own, but we enjoyed making lettuce wraps with it.
Just as you’re about to feel stuffed, the meal continues with a whole chicken that’s been boiled/steamed. This is most likely what’s left of the chicken after the bulgogi and chicken sashimi. There was also a serving of glutinous rice along with it, which was slightly on the tougher side.
A serving of porridge was also served because Koreans love ending meals with carbs. It had a combination of grains and maybe black sesame, but it was highly moreish despite our filled stomachs.
While we do not recommend trying raw chicken as there’s a high possibility of Salmonella, this spot in Haenam is probably the best place in Korea to try out this rare dish. However, if you’re uncomfortable trying, skip the raw chicken and try their bulgogi instead – super delicious.
Dolgogae Garden (돌고개가든)
전남 해남군 해남읍 고산로 287
287 Gosan-ro, Haenam-eup, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do
Mon-Sun, 11am-8:30pm
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