TUESDAY 21 MAY 2019
Where to Eat in Seoul: Restaurants and Cafes Guide
I've said it before, but I'll say it again, my Korea trip last year was so great because I got to see my old friends again. They took me out to see Seoul and to eat at local places, their families cooked unbelievably amazing Korean homemade food for me, my friends guided and translated and we talked and caught up on the two years we spent apart.
I remember one of my friends was somewhat disappointed that she couldn't take me out to eat a lot of typically Korean food because I don't eat meat. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed too, I felt a huge sense of FOMO because I was missing out on eating what Korea is so famous for - eg. their fried chicken and KBBQ! I always had this exaggerated idea that Korean food in Korea was all about KBBQ with no other alternatives, but my trip proved otherwise. Thinking back, I noticed that eating out in Korea was relatively healthy as most meals came with banchan or small side dishes and of course no meal was complete without some sort of kimchi. There was always vegetables involved, not just carbs and protein like most meals I have eating out when travelling.
Besides from the privilege of getting to eat homemade food with my friends' families, here are some places my friends took me to while in Seoul. The addresses of some of these eateries are missing as they don't pick up on Google Maps (pro-tip: forgo Google Maps and download a local map app like Kakao Map or Naver Map when travelling in Korea), some places were so local (no English available) and were hard to trace when writing up this post, so please forgive me if there are details lacking. But with this list, you'll be able to get a glimpse of what there is to eat in Seoul besides KBBQ and the usual meat dishes. The list contains a variety of typically Korean eateries as well as cafes. Apparently cafe and coffee culture is a huge thing in Seoul, my friends took me to a couple of great ones, but I can't wait to go back to Korea again and do more cafe hopping.
I remember one of my friends was somewhat disappointed that she couldn't take me out to eat a lot of typically Korean food because I don't eat meat. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed too, I felt a huge sense of FOMO because I was missing out on eating what Korea is so famous for - eg. their fried chicken and KBBQ! I always had this exaggerated idea that Korean food in Korea was all about KBBQ with no other alternatives, but my trip proved otherwise. Thinking back, I noticed that eating out in Korea was relatively healthy as most meals came with banchan or small side dishes and of course no meal was complete without some sort of kimchi. There was always vegetables involved, not just carbs and protein like most meals I have eating out when travelling.
Besides from the privilege of getting to eat homemade food with my friends' families, here are some places my friends took me to while in Seoul. The addresses of some of these eateries are missing as they don't pick up on Google Maps (pro-tip: forgo Google Maps and download a local map app like Kakao Map or Naver Map when travelling in Korea), some places were so local (no English available) and were hard to trace when writing up this post, so please forgive me if there are details lacking. But with this list, you'll be able to get a glimpse of what there is to eat in Seoul besides KBBQ and the usual meat dishes. The list contains a variety of typically Korean eateries as well as cafes. Apparently cafe and coffee culture is a huge thing in Seoul, my friends took me to a couple of great ones, but I can't wait to go back to Korea again and do more cafe hopping.
Restaurants
Seasons Table
Area: Insadong
If you're looking for a place to try all sorts of Korean food at a decent price, look no further than Seasons Table a buffet restaurant with several locations around Seoul. The thing I loved about Seasons Table was that the menu had seasonal changes. It was like they knew I was coming to Seoul, as they had just changed the seasonal menu from featuring meat to prawns! There were so many options to chose from (mains, desserts and drinks), I went for typical Korean food such as kimchi fired rice, tteokbokki and mini kimbap. They also had this delicious raw marinated prawn. I didn't get a good picture of it sadly, but it was marinated raw prawns on top of rice with quail eggs and seaweed. You mix it all together in typical Korean style and eat, it was super tasty!
Area: Insadong
If you're looking for a place to try all sorts of Korean food at a decent price, look no further than Seasons Table a buffet restaurant with several locations around Seoul. The thing I loved about Seasons Table was that the menu had seasonal changes. It was like they knew I was coming to Seoul, as they had just changed the seasonal menu from featuring meat to prawns! There were so many options to chose from (mains, desserts and drinks), I went for typical Korean food such as kimchi fired rice, tteokbokki and mini kimbap. They also had this delicious raw marinated prawn. I didn't get a good picture of it sadly, but it was marinated raw prawns on top of rice with quail eggs and seaweed. You mix it all together in typical Korean style and eat, it was super tasty!
Sanchae Jip
93 Sopa-ro, Pil-dong Jung-gu, Seoul
Area: Namsan
Before walking up to the peak of Namsan, we stopped by Sanchae Jip for lunch. I had the best vegetarian bibimbap, the rice was perfect and it was topped with so many kinds of veggies. The bibimbap sauce was also self serve, so we could make it to our liking. Our meal also came with Korean soybean soup, kimchi and chillies with soybean paste. The chillies were similar to capsicums with a slight spicy kick.
93 Sopa-ro, Pil-dong Jung-gu, Seoul
Area: Namsan
Before walking up to the peak of Namsan, we stopped by Sanchae Jip for lunch. I had the best vegetarian bibimbap, the rice was perfect and it was topped with so many kinds of veggies. The bibimbap sauce was also self serve, so we could make it to our liking. Our meal also came with Korean soybean soup, kimchi and chillies with soybean paste. The chillies were similar to capsicums with a slight spicy kick.
Taeng-taeng Odeng 탱탱오뎅
Area: Suwon
I wrote a post about things to do in Seoul back in April that mentions Taeng-Taeng Odeng and drinking soju. I love going to bars like Taeng-taeng Odeng with close friends, because it's the kind of place where you're able to just talk and talk, eat good food and drink alcohol. There were several baths of hot soup with different kinds of fish cake along the bar for self service. We also ordered grilled shishamo and three different types of soju to share. Taeng-Taeng Odeng is in the city of Suwon, outside of Seoul. But I put it in this list because it's an example of a typical drinking bar in Korea. I highly recommend checking out Korean nightlife and drinking soju.
Area: Suwon
I wrote a post about things to do in Seoul back in April that mentions Taeng-Taeng Odeng and drinking soju. I love going to bars like Taeng-taeng Odeng with close friends, because it's the kind of place where you're able to just talk and talk, eat good food and drink alcohol. There were several baths of hot soup with different kinds of fish cake along the bar for self service. We also ordered grilled shishamo and three different types of soju to share. Taeng-Taeng Odeng is in the city of Suwon, outside of Seoul. But I put it in this list because it's an example of a typical drinking bar in Korea. I highly recommend checking out Korean nightlife and drinking soju.
Samcheongdong Sujebi
101-1 Samcheong-ro, Samcheong-dong, Jogno-gu, Seoul
Area: Bukchon Hanok Village
Located near Bukchon Hanok Village, my friend took me to eat sujebi. Sujebi is a soupy hand-torn noodle dish, the perfect thing to eat during overcast and cold days. We also shared a potato pancake. I can't tell you enough how much of a good combination this was, hot soup with chewy hand-torn noodles, crispy and oily potato pancake, and crunchy, tart and cleansing kimchi. It was super cheap too, from memory it didn't cost us more than $10 per person.
101-1 Samcheong-ro, Samcheong-dong, Jogno-gu, Seoul
Area: Bukchon Hanok Village
Located near Bukchon Hanok Village, my friend took me to eat sujebi. Sujebi is a soupy hand-torn noodle dish, the perfect thing to eat during overcast and cold days. We also shared a potato pancake. I can't tell you enough how much of a good combination this was, hot soup with chewy hand-torn noodles, crispy and oily potato pancake, and crunchy, tart and cleansing kimchi. It was super cheap too, from memory it didn't cost us more than $10 per person.
Myeonguyeon
Station: Hyehwa Station
I met up with a group of old study exchange friends at this little restaurant near Sungkyungkwan University. It doesn't come out on Google Map and I had trouble finding it on the Korean equivalent KakaoMap or Naver Map, but it was located in a alleyway near Hyehwa Station. The restaurant's focus was on homemade health so everything was nutritious and so delicious. It wasn't typically Korean food, although it was set up in a typical fashion: rice, soup, banchan and main. They had things like pumpkin curry, fried chicken and salmon with clams.
Station: Hyehwa Station
I met up with a group of old study exchange friends at this little restaurant near Sungkyungkwan University. It doesn't come out on Google Map and I had trouble finding it on the Korean equivalent KakaoMap or Naver Map, but it was located in a alleyway near Hyehwa Station. The restaurant's focus was on homemade health so everything was nutritious and so delicious. It wasn't typically Korean food, although it was set up in a typical fashion: rice, soup, banchan and main. They had things like pumpkin curry, fried chicken and salmon with clams.
Ttottok
Area: Hongdae
Another one that I had trouble tracing. Ttokttok was a chain with several locations around Seoul, and what they specialised in was tteokbokki stew. It was a really local place with Korean menus. The inside was filled with kitsch posters and Disney/Pixar and cartoon paraphernalia making it a lively and youthful place. We shared a tteokbokki stew with lots of veggies and crunchy fries with creamy garlic sauce. My friend and I both agreed that the combination of greasy-garlickly-creamy fries and hot and spicy stew was one of the best food combinations ever. I remember that particular day, the temperature had dropped to -5 degrees (even though it was sunny and during the day), which made eating at Ttottok even better. There are many tteokbokki stew places around Seoul, it's popular among the locals and I'd say it's a must when visiting Korea.
Area: Hongdae
Another one that I had trouble tracing. Ttokttok was a chain with several locations around Seoul, and what they specialised in was tteokbokki stew. It was a really local place with Korean menus. The inside was filled with kitsch posters and Disney/Pixar and cartoon paraphernalia making it a lively and youthful place. We shared a tteokbokki stew with lots of veggies and crunchy fries with creamy garlic sauce. My friend and I both agreed that the combination of greasy-garlickly-creamy fries and hot and spicy stew was one of the best food combinations ever. I remember that particular day, the temperature had dropped to -5 degrees (even though it was sunny and during the day), which made eating at Ttottok even better. There are many tteokbokki stew places around Seoul, it's popular among the locals and I'd say it's a must when visiting Korea.
Gwangjang Market
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno 4(sa)-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: We walked from Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Markets are one of the best places to eat when travelling. It's cheap, local and usually features traditional food. After checking out Dongdaemun Design Plaza, we walked to Gwangjang Market for an after dinner snack. I had mentioned wanting to try makgeolli - a milky and slightly sparkling rice wine and my group of friends decided to show me the market and seek out makgeolli. Gwangjang Market is one of the oldest and largest covered traditional markets in Seoul. There were so many stalls! Fresh produce as well as makeshift food stalls. As we were a rather big group, we headed into one of the restaurants inside the market and shared traditional makgeolli and as well as chestnut makgeolli and mung bean pancake. The atmosphere was great, it was jovial and busy, the whole market was a sensory explosion. Vendors calling in new customers, the clink of alcohol filled glasses, metal clangs of utensils and makgeolli cups, steam rising in quick succession, the sizzle and dash and pop and chop of food frying, boiling, steaming. Every sort of colour and texture in the produce, bright lights strung around, illuminating the food we were eating and the hundreds of international flags hung on display. Seriously such a cool place with unlimited things to see and eat.
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno 4(sa)-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: We walked from Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Markets are one of the best places to eat when travelling. It's cheap, local and usually features traditional food. After checking out Dongdaemun Design Plaza, we walked to Gwangjang Market for an after dinner snack. I had mentioned wanting to try makgeolli - a milky and slightly sparkling rice wine and my group of friends decided to show me the market and seek out makgeolli. Gwangjang Market is one of the oldest and largest covered traditional markets in Seoul. There were so many stalls! Fresh produce as well as makeshift food stalls. As we were a rather big group, we headed into one of the restaurants inside the market and shared traditional makgeolli and as well as chestnut makgeolli and mung bean pancake. The atmosphere was great, it was jovial and busy, the whole market was a sensory explosion. Vendors calling in new customers, the clink of alcohol filled glasses, metal clangs of utensils and makgeolli cups, steam rising in quick succession, the sizzle and dash and pop and chop of food frying, boiling, steaming. Every sort of colour and texture in the produce, bright lights strung around, illuminating the food we were eating and the hundreds of international flags hung on display. Seriously such a cool place with unlimited things to see and eat.
Mangwon Market
7 Mangwon-ro 8-gil, Mangwon 1(il)-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Hongdae
Mangwon Market was similar to Gwangjang Market, but more lowkey, less busy and smaller. I got to try out stingray - it was dense and chewy, but tasted pretty good with a dollop of gochujang and wrapped in a shiso leaf. We stopped by a corner stall and bought some doughnuts!
7 Mangwon-ro 8-gil, Mangwon 1(il)-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Hongdae
Mangwon Market was similar to Gwangjang Market, but more lowkey, less busy and smaller. I got to try out stingray - it was dense and chewy, but tasted pretty good with a dollop of gochujang and wrapped in a shiso leaf. We stopped by a corner stall and bought some doughnuts!
Cafes
Valuto
1524-5 Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Gwanak
Ok, so Valuto wasn't exactly in Seoul, but I couldn't leave it out of my list because it was a great place. A multi-storey cafe and a coffee bean roaster, it was located in Gwanak-gu, slightly outside of Seoul. We visited after dinner for dessert and coffee, the cakes were delicious and they had a wide range of different coffees available, all roasted in-house. Valuto is also mentioned in an older post of mine if you want to read more of my ramblings about the place!
1524-5 Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Gwanak
Ok, so Valuto wasn't exactly in Seoul, but I couldn't leave it out of my list because it was a great place. A multi-storey cafe and a coffee bean roaster, it was located in Gwanak-gu, slightly outside of Seoul. We visited after dinner for dessert and coffee, the cakes were delicious and they had a wide range of different coffees available, all roasted in-house. Valuto is also mentioned in an older post of mine if you want to read more of my ramblings about the place!
Paulin Pancake
342-11, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Area: Hongdae
Souffle pancakes, what more is there to say? There are a few Paulin Pancake branches around Seoul, we went to their Hongdae branch and had to wait awhile. We had their earl grey souffle pancake with earl grey tea! The pancakes were airy and light, the earl grey sauce was velvety and sweet, it was too easy to eat.
342-11, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Area: Hongdae
Souffle pancakes, what more is there to say? There are a few Paulin Pancake branches around Seoul, we went to their Hongdae branch and had to wait awhile. We had their earl grey souffle pancake with earl grey tea! The pancakes were airy and light, the earl grey sauce was velvety and sweet, it was too easy to eat.
Gelati Gelati
12 Wausan-ro 17-gil, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Hongdae
Hongdae was my favourite area of Seoul. There were so many things to see, a lot of shops and so many kind of places to get food. My friend took me to her favourite gelato shop Gelati Gelati who are famous for their rice gelato. I had never tried rice gelato before Gelati Gelati, it was subtly sweet with a distinct creamy rice flavour with bits of rice in it and now I sometimes crave it late at night. I matched my rice gelato with my ultimate go-to flavour pistachio. We ate our dessert while it was 7 degrees or so outside, gelato or ice-cream always tastes better when the weather is cold.
12 Wausan-ro 17-gil, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Area: Hongdae
Hongdae was my favourite area of Seoul. There were so many things to see, a lot of shops and so many kind of places to get food. My friend took me to her favourite gelato shop Gelati Gelati who are famous for their rice gelato. I had never tried rice gelato before Gelati Gelati, it was subtly sweet with a distinct creamy rice flavour with bits of rice in it and now I sometimes crave it late at night. I matched my rice gelato with my ultimate go-to flavour pistachio. We ate our dessert while it was 7 degrees or so outside, gelato or ice-cream always tastes better when the weather is cold.
Sulbing Café
21 Cheongmyeongnam-ro, Yeongtong-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Area: Suwon
Sulbing or bingsu is finely shaved icy milk that comes in a variety of flavours. It's similar to Japanese kakigori, the biggest difference being that sulbing is made from the finest shaved milk making it this wonderfully icy albeit creamy dessert. My friend, her boyfriend and I went to the Suwon branch which is outside of Seoul but Sulbing Cafe is a popular chain with many locations around Korea. We shared a matcha sulbing and their limited edition cookies and cream oreo sulbing.
21 Cheongmyeongnam-ro, Yeongtong-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Area: Suwon
Sulbing or bingsu is finely shaved icy milk that comes in a variety of flavours. It's similar to Japanese kakigori, the biggest difference being that sulbing is made from the finest shaved milk making it this wonderfully icy albeit creamy dessert. My friend, her boyfriend and I went to the Suwon branch which is outside of Seoul but Sulbing Cafe is a popular chain with many locations around Korea. We shared a matcha sulbing and their limited edition cookies and cream oreo sulbing.
Tas' Cafe
117 Dongsung-gil, Dongsung-dong, Jogno-gu, Seoul
Station: Hyehwa Station
The atmosphere was everything you'd want in a cafe, calm and quiet with soft jazz music and coffee making in the background. There was space to study or read a book or engage in conversation or observation. It was a great place to wait as well, as we did for my friend before dinner. It was near Sungkyungkwan University, hence the amount of students studying.
117 Dongsung-gil, Dongsung-dong, Jogno-gu, Seoul
Station: Hyehwa Station
The atmosphere was everything you'd want in a cafe, calm and quiet with soft jazz music and coffee making in the background. There was space to study or read a book or engage in conversation or observation. It was a great place to wait as well, as we did for my friend before dinner. It was near Sungkyungkwan University, hence the amount of students studying.
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