March 1, 2023
In general, Koreans like to eat boiling-hot soup and sweat when they are sick. In Geoje, we’ve found that a hearty bowl of blowfish soup is the best remedy for all our ills.
Saeng Dae Bok, A Live Giant Blowfish Restaurant in Geoje
With a strong recommendation from a new friend from Geoje, we visited a restaurant called Saeng Dae Bok (meaning “Live Giant Blowfish” 생대복 in Korean) on a spring day when we were not feeling well. Saeng Dae Bok is an old Korean restaurant that serves a specialty dish of blowfish soup. The friend told us that it has a long history of being a favorite among the locals in Geoje.
The interior of the restaurant is decorated in a traditional Korean style (far from modern), with floor seating instead of chairs. The walls are adorned with pictures of blowfish and a list of Korean rice wines and spirits like soju and makgeolli to complement the soup. The lighting is soft and warm, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
Healing and Delicious!
The blowfish soup was made with live or fresh blowfish and served in a hot stone pot. The broth was infused with a variety of spices, particularly garlic, which added a unique and complex flavor. The blowfish was blended with fresh watercress and soybean sprouts, enhancing its flavor and tenderness. It came with a bowl of rice and a few small side-dishes (Banchan in a Korean language) that were so delicious and fit perfectly with the blowfish soup.
The soup was boiling-hot. But despite its high temperature, it seemed to have a cooling effect on our stomach, making it an ideal choice for us who needed a comforting and healing meal. While eating we could not stop saying, “OMG! This soup is so delicious. It really hits the spot.” I felt like it could be a satisfying meal to enjoy on any day, whether it be a sick day, a sweltering summer or a freezing winter. # In fact, we have become regular visitors of this restaurant and often brought our guests from Seoul.
Other delicious Bok dishes…
As you know, Blowfish (or pufferfish) is a species of fish that is known for its deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin in its internal organs. But it is considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, including Korea (Bok in Korean) and Japan (Fugu in Japanese). In these countries, blowfish dishes are carefully prepared only by licensed and specially trained chefs who can surely remove the poisonous parts of the fish to ensure the customers’ safety. There are several dishes made from blowfish. Of course, I love a hot boiled bok soup. But my favorites include ‘bok sashimi’ (sliced raw blowfish) and ‘bok suyuk (steamed bok sashimi). I plan to try bok suyuk together with a traditional alcohol at the Sang Dae Bok very soon.