South Korea Eats
Seoul, South Korea will fill your soul with foodie adventures at every corner. Literally, when you walk out of your place there will be hundreds of restaurants and places to eat and drink! Every ally is jam packed with street food vendors, cafes, bakeries, and so much more. Here is an ultimate food guide for your trip to Korea (from a Korean).
THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD EAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE KOREA
1. Chicken and Beer (ChiMek)
Koreans call chicken and beer ChiMek. Short for chicken and beer (in Korean). Chicken is so good in Korea because it is fried to perfection. You can get it without sauce or you can get it smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce. This is paired perfectly with pickled radishes and a nice tall glass of ice cold beer.
2. Gejang
Gejang is raw crabs marinated in soy sauce. This is a perfect thing to eat if you are feeling adventurous. I do have to say it is pricey and make sure you don't order too much of it because it can end up making you feel a tad sick. This is because the meat can feel a little slimy if you eat too much of it. Just order a small size and a bowl of rice to balance out the seasoning.
3. Street Food
When you are in Korea, you have to try street food! I would suggest getting sundae, dukbokki, and bean pancakes. The sundae is the black blood sausage on the far left hand corner. Dukbokki is a spicy rice cake and fish cake dish. The sundae tastes so delicious if you dip it into the dukbokki sauce! Ask the lady for extra sauce if you want. The bean pancake is made fresh and you can see the ladies grinding the beans right in front of you! The best place to get Korean street food is at Gwangjang Market!
4. Bibimbop
Bibimbop means mixed rice in Korean. Traditionally, in bibimbop, there are various vegetables, meats, and it's all mixed together with a spicy pepper paste. On top of the bowl there is a fried egg! You have to try this before you leave Korea. Below is a photo of two trays. The top tray is a bibimbop tray.
5. Grilled Eel
This is a must-have when you are in Korea! Seriously eel is my favorite dish and in Korea it is a thousand times better! I love how they have so many side dished with the eel and you can mix different flavors with the eel to make it all that special! Just a pro tip: Use the lettuce wraps to wrap the eel in and add toppings like garlic, bean paste, pickled veggies and so much more!
6. Pig Feet with Spicy Noodles
This was by far my favorite thing in Korea. The pig feet was so tender and seasoned to perfection. It was perfectly salty with a hint of sweetness. The pig feet paired perfectly with the spicy noodles. If you place a piece of the pig feet on top of the noodles and eat them all together, you will feel like you literally found a piece of Heaven on Earth.
7. Kimbap
Kimbap in Korea is a must. It is not only a cheap and fast meal, but it is also so delicious. Kimbap is rice with various fillings all wrapped up in nori (roasted seaweed paper). I ate my kimbap with spicy rice cakes and cheese. Kimbap is the perfect combination with spicy rice cakes. Just dip the kimbap into the sauce and get a layer of cheese with it and it will be the perfect bite.
8. Korean Pizza
Pizza in Korea is so unique and different. You have to give it a try when you are here. The pizza's crust usually has sweet potato or cheese as a filling. Also, they have so many different toppings for the pizza. We ordered a shrimp pizza which was slightly sweet and salty.
9. Naengmyun
Naegmyun is a cold noodle dish. It can come two ways. It can come in a cold soup or it can come mixed with a spicy hot pepper paste. I personally like the naengmyun that comes with the cold soup. I think it tastes really good on a hot summer day! This soup is vinegary and briny with a hint of sweetness. Also, some restaurants might serve this with a side of meat.
10. Korean BBQ
If you like meat, then you need to get yourself to a place where they serve up Korean barbecue. They cook the meat right in front of you and you can put the meat into a lettuce wrap and add different toppings in it. I love to eat the meat with pickled radishes and the green onions.
11. Jajangmyun
Jajangmyun is an essential when you are in Korea. This is a bean noodle dish with usually pieces of pork in it. It has a slightly sweet taste to it and it is really good! It is a cheap and easy meal to grab.
DESSERTS YOU SHOULD TRY IN KOREA
1. Bingsoo
Traditionally, bingsoo is served with sweet bean paste with various toppings like fruits and ice cream on it. All of the toppings go on top of a bed of shaved ice. However, now a days there are so many trendy versions of it that it is so hard to find an original bingsoo in the streets of Korea. Here are some pictures of different bingsooso I had during my trip to Korea. Pictured below are the following: a cantaloup bingsoo, a sweet bean paste bingsoo, and a citrus bingsoo.
2. Thirty-Two cm Tall Ice Cream
When you go to Myeong Dong, you can find a gigantic ice cream cone and it's so cheap and good! They have various flavors like strawberry, green tea, vanilla, and chocolate.
3. Sikhye
Sikhye is a Korean rice drink. It is very sweet and refreshing This is the perfect dessert for you if you are craving something to cool you down on a hot summer day.
CAFES YOU NEED TO VISIT
Korea is filled with some great cafes and it can get overwhelming trying to make it out to all of them. Luckily, here is a list of cafes that I think are worth traveling out to.
1. Stylenanda
This cafe is so cute. It's actually a clothing store that has a different themes for each floor. On the cafe level the theme is a swimming pool. It is so cute and Instagram-worthy. Not to mention, you can leave the place with a whole new outfit and you can feel rejuvenated after some time at the adorable cafe.
Address:
23 Wausan-ro 29da-gil
Mapo-gu, Seoul South Korea
2. Old Ferry Donut
This place is a good cafe to come to if you are in the mood for donuts. They have some cute donut themed drinks and the cafe is very clean and peaceful.
Address:
산10-206 Hannam-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
3. Zapangi
You have to go to Zapangi for two reasons. First of all, the entrance to this place is through an adorable pink vending machine and also the desserts and drinks here are so delicious. I was not expecting the cakes to be that great, but they are so moist and fluffy. CLICK HERE for more information and more photos of this cute cafe.
Address:
400-2 Mangwon-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD EAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE KOREA
1. Chicken and Beer (ChiMek)
Koreans call chicken and beer ChiMek. Short for chicken and beer (in Korean). Chicken is so good in Korea because it is fried to perfection. You can get it without sauce or you can get it smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce. This is paired perfectly with pickled radishes and a nice tall glass of ice cold beer.
Gejang is raw crabs marinated in soy sauce. This is a perfect thing to eat if you are feeling adventurous. I do have to say it is pricey and make sure you don't order too much of it because it can end up making you feel a tad sick. This is because the meat can feel a little slimy if you eat too much of it. Just order a small size and a bowl of rice to balance out the seasoning.
When you are in Korea, you have to try street food! I would suggest getting sundae, dukbokki, and bean pancakes. The sundae is the black blood sausage on the far left hand corner. Dukbokki is a spicy rice cake and fish cake dish. The sundae tastes so delicious if you dip it into the dukbokki sauce! Ask the lady for extra sauce if you want. The bean pancake is made fresh and you can see the ladies grinding the beans right in front of you! The best place to get Korean street food is at Gwangjang Market!
Bibimbop means mixed rice in Korean. Traditionally, in bibimbop, there are various vegetables, meats, and it's all mixed together with a spicy pepper paste. On top of the bowl there is a fried egg! You have to try this before you leave Korea. Below is a photo of two trays. The top tray is a bibimbop tray.
This is a must-have when you are in Korea! Seriously eel is my favorite dish and in Korea it is a thousand times better! I love how they have so many side dished with the eel and you can mix different flavors with the eel to make it all that special! Just a pro tip: Use the lettuce wraps to wrap the eel in and add toppings like garlic, bean paste, pickled veggies and so much more!
This was by far my favorite thing in Korea. The pig feet was so tender and seasoned to perfection. It was perfectly salty with a hint of sweetness. The pig feet paired perfectly with the spicy noodles. If you place a piece of the pig feet on top of the noodles and eat them all together, you will feel like you literally found a piece of Heaven on Earth.
Kimbap in Korea is a must. It is not only a cheap and fast meal, but it is also so delicious. Kimbap is rice with various fillings all wrapped up in nori (roasted seaweed paper). I ate my kimbap with spicy rice cakes and cheese. Kimbap is the perfect combination with spicy rice cakes. Just dip the kimbap into the sauce and get a layer of cheese with it and it will be the perfect bite.
Pizza in Korea is so unique and different. You have to give it a try when you are here. The pizza's crust usually has sweet potato or cheese as a filling. Also, they have so many different toppings for the pizza. We ordered a shrimp pizza which was slightly sweet and salty.
Naegmyun is a cold noodle dish. It can come two ways. It can come in a cold soup or it can come mixed with a spicy hot pepper paste. I personally like the naengmyun that comes with the cold soup. I think it tastes really good on a hot summer day! This soup is vinegary and briny with a hint of sweetness. Also, some restaurants might serve this with a side of meat.
If you like meat, then you need to get yourself to a place where they serve up Korean barbecue. They cook the meat right in front of you and you can put the meat into a lettuce wrap and add different toppings in it. I love to eat the meat with pickled radishes and the green onions.
11. Jajangmyun
Jajangmyun is an essential when you are in Korea. This is a bean noodle dish with usually pieces of pork in it. It has a slightly sweet taste to it and it is really good! It is a cheap and easy meal to grab.
1. Bingsoo
Traditionally, bingsoo is served with sweet bean paste with various toppings like fruits and ice cream on it. All of the toppings go on top of a bed of shaved ice. However, now a days there are so many trendy versions of it that it is so hard to find an original bingsoo in the streets of Korea. Here are some pictures of different bingsooso I had during my trip to Korea. Pictured below are the following: a cantaloup bingsoo, a sweet bean paste bingsoo, and a citrus bingsoo.
When you go to Myeong Dong, you can find a gigantic ice cream cone and it's so cheap and good! They have various flavors like strawberry, green tea, vanilla, and chocolate.
Sikhye is a Korean rice drink. It is very sweet and refreshing This is the perfect dessert for you if you are craving something to cool you down on a hot summer day.
Korea is filled with some great cafes and it can get overwhelming trying to make it out to all of them. Luckily, here is a list of cafes that I think are worth traveling out to.
1. Stylenanda
This cafe is so cute. It's actually a clothing store that has a different themes for each floor. On the cafe level the theme is a swimming pool. It is so cute and Instagram-worthy. Not to mention, you can leave the place with a whole new outfit and you can feel rejuvenated after some time at the adorable cafe.
23 Wausan-ro 29da-gil
Mapo-gu, Seoul South Korea
2. Old Ferry Donut
This place is a good cafe to come to if you are in the mood for donuts. They have some cute donut themed drinks and the cafe is very clean and peaceful.
산10-206 Hannam-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
3. Zapangi
You have to go to Zapangi for two reasons. First of all, the entrance to this place is through an adorable pink vending machine and also the desserts and drinks here are so delicious. I was not expecting the cakes to be that great, but they are so moist and fluffy. CLICK HERE for more information and more photos of this cute cafe.
400-2 Mangwon-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
BARS YOU NEED TO VISIT
1. Urban Space
This is a good bar to come to with a group of girlfriends to make all your Instagram dreams come true. It has different sections in the bar with different themes for various photo opts. Not to mention, they have a ball pit with different floaties and stuff animals in it. Also, they have some really adorable drinks too! We all got a drink in a tea pot with flowers in it! So pretty and cute.
Address:
301-16 Seongsu 2(i)-ga 3(sam)-dong
Seongdong-gu, Seoul Korea
（서울 성동구 성수동 2가 301-16）
2. Fountain Bar Lounge in Itaewon
This is a good bar to go to at night. At some point in the night the bar changes to a club where people dance and drink. There are also places to just chill and eat if that's what you want to do instead.
Address:
116-6 Itaewon-dong
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
I hope this guide will keep your stomachs full and happy!
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