December 20th, 2009 by Dawn

With all the festivities this holiday season, one is surely bound to experience a little (ahem) excess. So with head pounding and all organs screaming for hydration, I chugged back a glass of water, donned a pair of dark sunglasses, slipped on my big coat and toque to hide the mess, and found my way to Koreatown for one of my favourite hangover remedies, kam ja tang.

Kam ja tang is Korean pork bone soup. Traditionally it’s a home-style meal with each family having their own preference of spice combinations. Nowadays kam ja tang can be found in many diner-like settings around the world. I have to be honest that I’m not quite sure of its history so more research is in order.

It’s often served with an assortment of banchan which are little dishes that accompany most Korean meals, such as kimchi (fermented vegetables) or namul (steamed or fried vegetables seasoned with any combination of sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions or chili peppers) amongst other goodies.

My current favourite for kam ja tang in Koreatown south is Corean Chilli pictured below, located on the south side Bloor Street between Clinton Street and Manning Avenue. The irony is that kam ja tang goes extremely well with cold beer or soju and an abundance of appreciation for this combination the night before could be the very reason why you need kam ja tang the next day in the first place.

Corean Chilli provides a lot of vegetables in their soup and the pork almost melts off the bone the way it should after a long, slow simmer. The spice combination is just right for my taste – hot – with enough flavourful heat to get the toxins out. Haha! The Owl of Minerva used to be at the top of the list but in the past year their kam ja tang recipe has changed resulting in thin soup lacking depth. Corean Chilli deserves a visit if you haven’t given them a try yet. Their menu offers a wide variety of options if kam ja tang is not for you. On a day like today, when my head is in the clouds, Corean Chilli is a sure bet that I can rely on to awaken my snoozing spirit with a tasty bowl of hot, spicy goodness called kam ja tang.