Sojeokdu

Sojeokdu is the old Korean word for red bean, a traditional ingredient in Korean desserts. The owner of Sojeokdu loved the tradition of red bean desserts and decided to open a shop dedicated to the tasty ingredient in a renovated hanok home. There is a variety of options, but the red bean porridge with rice cakes and misutgaru (drink made from mixed grains) are most popular. Sojeokdu's porridge has thick and chewy injeolmi (rice cake coated in bean flour) inside instead of the usual, plainer rice cakes. It's neither too sweet nor too bland, so you can eat every last bite of porridge without your tastebuds being overpowered or bored. The shop’s pat-bingsu (shaved ice with red bean) is sprinkled with misutgaru and date chips for a healthy touch. Since "healthy" is part of Sojeokdu's mission, they are also very strict about their ingredients: Aside from commonly imported fruits like lemon, all ingredients are grown locally. Their main ingredient, the red bean, is all purchased from the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province. Since that region receives less sunlight, more nutrients are stored in the seed, making red beans from that region the best quality in Korea. Sojeokdu's desserts aren't just healthy, they're good to look at, too: dishes are served in beautiful Korean bronzeware.