Key takeaways
The first dried-pollack-soup restaurant in Samgakji is said to have opened in 1979, and roughly four restaurants eventually formed the alley. Fact Soldiers from the nearby Republic of Korea Army Headquarters and other military facilities became its main regulars, and as those soldiers rotated to postings across the country, word of mouth is said to have carried the alley's reputation nationwide. Fact
Even after the Samgakji Rotary was demolished in 1994, the soup alley survived — in fact, it has outlasted the rotary itself as the defining feature of this neighborhood's identity.
What to look for on site
- The cluster of dried-pollack-soup restaurants near Samgakji Station
- The contrast between the vanished rotary and the surviving alley
- Signage and histories of long-running restaurants that started with soldiers as regulars
Visiting responsibly
Don't treat these long-running, family-run restaurants as mere "nostalgia" to consume. Be mindful of wait times and table turnover at restaurants that are actively operating.