“Altang” usually refers to fish roe stew, but this version of the dish is made with chicken eggs. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate, as there are no eggs in the dish per se. The “chicken egg” here (“dagal” in Korean) refers to something else: unlaid eggs, or chicken eggs that have not yet been laid. In other words, it is not a fully formed egg.

The origin of this dish remains unclear, but it is believed to have originated in Incheon. Specifically, it is thought to date back to the time when meat was scarce and all parts of a chicken were used for cooking. In other words, it was an affordable and nutritious dish for the common people.

The dish may sound quite strange, but the flavor is quite familiar to lovers of Korean food. The soup is spicy and has that distinctive refreshing flavor associated with vegetable broths. The unlaid egg resembles an egg yolk, but the texture is quite different as it is chewy and firm without being crumbly like a fully cooked egg yolk. Its taste does not have the smell of chicken eggs, so it can be enjoyed by those who do not like that unique taste. The intestines, which are also used in the soup, are chewy and have no odor. The stew is complemented with seasonal vegetables such as sesame leaves and shepherd's purse, and you can even add noodles such as ramyeon and chewy noodles. If you have room for more, get some fried rice with the remaining stock to round out the meal. Once you get over the initial queasiness of eating the unlaid eggs and intestines, the flavor of the dish has something for everyone.

This particular dish is quite rare outside of Incheon, where an entire street is dedicated to it. A group of old restaurants that have been selling chicken egg stew for the last 30 to 40 years can be found in Hyeondae Market in Dong-gu, Incheon. Famous restaurants include the Pungcha Dalgaltang, Changseok Wonjo Dalgaltang, and Hyeondae Wonjo Dalgaltang. If you want to try something unique without breaking the bank, try Incheon chicken egg stew.

• AddressSaetgol-ro, Dong-gu, Incheon and the surrounding areas
• Opening HoursDepends on the restaurant

Meat is a popular ingredient for summer pick-me-ups, but you can do without it. Here, vegans and others who do not eat meat can enjoy something for the summer heat: The medicinal (yakseon) mushroom stew in Manisan Dangol Sikdang, which features nearly 20 kinds of mushrooms.

Located at the entrance of Manisan Mountain, Manisan Dangol Sikdang has been serving its delicious dishes for more than 50 years through two generations. Their signature dish, medicinal mushroom stew, was created by this generation’s couple who added healthy mushrooms to the traditional mushroom recipe used by their parents. The pot is piled high with mushrooms, from familiar ones like shingled hedgehog, lion's mane, wood ear, caterpillar fungus, golden oak, and king oyster to rarer ones like true morel, boletus, Caesar's mushroom, and straw mushroom. The types of mushrooms served may vary slightly depending on the season and availability, but the portions are always generous.

The stew also contains handmade bean curd made from Ganghwa mugwort and soybeans, which adds more nutrients and flavor. Notably, the restaurant does not use stock in its cooking, and not for convenience: After many attempts to create the perfect broth recipe, plain water emerged as the best way to preserve the flavors of the mushrooms. What’s more, the mushrooms themselves fill in the rest with their flavor. The fact that the soup is made with plain water means that the restaurant does not use the ubiquitous anchovy stock, so the dish is certainly vegan. Add the restaurant’s signature dish, mugwort and dried radish leaf rice, to complete this healthy and delicious meal.

• Address678, Manisan-ro, Hwado-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
• Tel. No.+82-32-937-1131
• Opening HoursMondays, Wednesday – Friday 10:30–18:00, weekends 09:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays

Cold buckwheat noodles and watermelon are two summer favorites in Korea, and they come together to create this dish: This sweet and savory dish beats the heat with its cool and refreshing flavor. To try this dish, head to the Hwapyeong-dong Sesutdaeya Naengmyeon Steet. The “sesutdaeya” part of the name comes from the fact that the cold noodles are served in large bowls that resemble buckets used to wash one’s face. The street dates back to the 1970s, and while the number of restaurants has dwindled over the years, many still serve extra-large bowls of noodles. The restaurants on the street have their secrets to ensure their flavor, and this particular bowl is served by Ilmi Hwapyeongdong Naengmyeon.

Each bowl of the cold buckwheat noodles here comes with half a watermelon, which forms the bowl on which the spicy buckwheat noodles are served. In other words, the watermelon serves as a sweet and cool bowl for the noodles. So, how do you eat this monster-sized dish? First, use the spoon to scoop out some amount of the watermelon into another bowl so that you have enough room to mix the noodles. Then, mix the noodles with the sauce and enjoy the noodles with watermelon! The watermelon adds a sweet note to the spicy and tangy noodles, while the sauce makes the watermelon seem even sweeter. Afterwards, you can enjoy the watermelon that you have scooped out before eating as dessert.

This dish is big enough for two, so if you are dining alone, you can enjoy the version without the watermelon half. You can choose between the soupy cold buckwheat noodles or spicy buckwheat noodles, both augmented with watermelon chunks. Cold buckwheat noodles with watermelon are only offered in summer, and the price depends on the price of watermelon.

[TIP] This restaurant accepts the Incheon Noodle Pass. The Incheon Noodle Pass is a ticket that allows you to enjoy a variety of noodle dishes in Incheon at affordable prices. It also includes tickets to museums and exhibition halls within the Incheon Open Port area.

• Address18, Hwapyeong-ro, Dong-gu, Incheon
• Tel. No.+82-32-772-0040
• Opening HoursTuesday – Sunday 10:00–20:00, closed Mondays