“Sundae,” Korean-style pork sausage at restaurant Cheolsanjib
/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia



By Min Hee-young
Korea Times Intern

Sundae, the Korean blood sausage, is the sort of dish that elicits immediate judgment from novices. Those who can stomach the fact that sundae is made by boiling or steaming pig's intestines in pig's blood are in for a savory delight.

Already acquainted with, and won over by sundae, I was not expecting any surprises at "Chul San Jib," a tiny six-table restaurant located in an alleyway in Namdaemun market.

But the dishes served at Cheolsanjip imparted to me a bloody revelation: Sundae can get porkier.

The sundae I am accustomed to, the type rife on Seoul streets, is pork-intestine casing stuffed with glassy noodle barley, pig's blood, glutinous rice, bean sprouts, green onion, and garlic.

Serving a porkier variety, the restaurant has additional pork stuffed inside the natural casing, befitting for sundae aficionados seeking an exceptionally hearty meal, or perhaps after a night of heavy drinking to soak up the alcohol.

We each ordered ``sundaeguk'' (5,000 won), which is sundae and steamed rice immersed in broth. We also shared a dish of assorted sundae meat (12,000 won), a generous platter of sundae and pork offal, accompanied by coarse sea salt and shrimp sauce for dip.

The sundae's meaty stuffing is too heavy for a lunch break, especially during the hot August weather. But what you can take in, you will relish; the sundae possessed the crucial combination of warmth and moistness, and a divine chewy consistency.

The broth was my favorite part of the meal, once I flavored it with salt and heaps of red chili pepper flakes; its spicy tang tempered the strong and deep pork flavor.

The accompanying side-dishes, bursting with garlicky savor, likewise helped mitigate the intense pork taste.

The rickety ambiance of Cheolsanjip is well matched with its traditional food: It embodies the hole-in-the-wall dining experience, making it a worthwhile destination for a cultural excursion, even if you are less than smitten by pork. After all, although related, eating is not synonymous with dining.

With the restaurant boasting half-a-century of staying power, the owner was, unsurprisingly, deft at developing customer rapport. He was not overtly friendly, but as we were leaving he took a look at the leftovers at our table and said amicably, "Next time you could order just the parts you like."

The next time will probably be a wintry day when the only thing steamy is the sundae.

Heeyoung331@gmail.com