Meat Meets Korean Sool : Pork and Chicken at ‘SanGol(산골)’

It’s my first visit since 2021. Back then, the place was so popular there was always a line—even outside of meal times.
These days, it’s a bit quieter, though I’ve heard it still gets busy around 7 PM.

Prices have gone up over the past four years, but it’s still a great deal.
It’s hard to find prices like this anywhere else in Seoul.
In the past, pork was simply listed as a mixed platter, but now each cut and part is clearly specified.

Pork Platter(돼지고기 모듬)

First, a plate with lean meat is served, followed shortly by another plate with offal.
Together, these two plates make up the full assortment.
The owner explains that everything is boiled fresh to order.

The lean meat plate includes head meat, pig tongue, and cheek.
Since everything is freshly boiled, each cut is tender and juicy.
It goes well with salt, fermented shrimp sauce, or ssamjang.

The offal plate features soondae (blood sausage), uterus, liver, and lung.
Like the lean cuts, most parts have little to no porky smell—except for the uterus, which has a noticeably strong aroma.
It’s a flavor that might be challenging for first-timers.

Sulguk(술국)

The soup, known for its nutty aroma from perilla seed powder, is filled with various pork offals.
It’s called ’sulguk’, literally “alcohol soup,” because it’s meant to be enjoyed with drinks.
Back in the day, Korean drinkers fondly called it “the never-drying spring,” since the bar ladies would refill it as soon as the bowl was empty.
It’s the same here—the lady takes your pot, reheats it, and brings it back topped off.

With each sip, the deep, nutty flavor of the perilla seed is followed by a hint of perilla leaf, completely masking any strong pork scent.

Chiken(닭고기)

Just as much as the pork assortment, the chicken is one of the main reasons I keep coming back to Sankoal.
It’s a bit of a hidden gem on the menu—often overlooked because everyone goes straight for the pork.

Half a chicken is trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
It’s gently warmed in a light chicken broth, with scallions added during the heating process.