Food & Drink in South Korea - What to Try?

[SmokeBreak]

Hey everyone,

I'm getting excited to take a trip to South Korea next year. As a foodie, I'm really looking forward to experiencing all the delicious Korean cuisine. What are some dishes or local specialties I absolutely have to try while I'm there?

I know kimchi, barbecue and bibimbap will be on the list. Anything else I shouldn't miss? Any regional specialties worth seeking out? Or cool markets/street food I need to check out beyond what's offered in restaurants?

Also interested if anyone has recommendations for restaurants or areas of Seoul known for great homestyle cooking. Hoping to get a real taste of Korean flavors.

Let me know if you have any food and drink tips for my Korea adventure! Looking forward to your suggestions.

 

[bullet08]

Street foods are good. Sea squirts with red pepper paste/vinegar/sugar dipping sauce. If you are into organ meat, go to "soon dae" place and try Korean blood sausage. Cow small intestine is also delicious. They are either grilled with red pepper paste mix, mixed in soup, or in big pan cooked with noodles. Raw marinaded crabs in hot sauce is awesome. Cold noodle and beef bul go gi is good. Best bet is going to big street market and hit every joint at the place.

 

[canucklehead]

 

[SmokeBreak]

Street foods are good. Sea squirts with red pepper paste/vinegar/sugar dipping sauce. If you are into organ meat, go to "soon dae" place and try Korean blood sausage. Cow small intestine is also delicious. They are either grilled with red pepper paste mix, mixed in soup, or in big pan cooked with noodles. Raw marinaded crabs in hot sauce is awesome. Cold noodle and beef bul go gi is good. Best bet is going to big street market and hit every joint at the place.

Thanks so much for the recommendations! Street food is definitely something I'm looking forward to checking out. Cow small intestine and raw marinated crab both sound super intriguing. I'll have to wander around the markets and try a little bit of everything. Really appreciate you giving me some less common things to seek out besides the typical dishes. Gives me more excitement for the adventure. That cold noodle and beef bulgogi too, yum! Looks like I'll have plenty to snack on along with enjoying meals at restaurants too.

 

[SmokeBreak]

Thanks for sharing that wild video of eating a live octopus! I do love some seafood, but not sure I could handle eating it while it's still moving haha.

After getting some suggestions here and doing some additional research on the tourism stats for Seoul Seoul Tourism Statistics 2023: The Ultimate Guide - https://gowithguide.com/blog/seoul-tourism-statistics-2023-the-ultimate-guide-5535 and in Busan, I saw that seafood is definitely big there. Looks like I'll have a lot of choices from raw crab to different preparations of octopus.

Really appreciate you all giving me so many food options to check out - my trip to Seoul is really shaping up to be a delicious adventure exploring all the local flavors.

 

[Egg Shen]

Your explorations will go better if you are with or can make some Korean friends. I always let them do the ordering and menu reading. Whatever that deal where they bring out broth and then like 10 bowls of soup ingredients is great. You dip the hot shaved beef in the broth to cook it, add all kinds of sprouts and whatnot. It’s amazing. Had this way up in some skyscraper that looks down into a soccer stadium.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Seek out a well regarded fried chicken place.
As a Kentucky boy, Korean Fried Chicken is some of my favorite.

 

[WhiteCrown]

Seek out a well regarded fried chicken place.
As a Kentucky boy, Korean Fried Chicken is some of my favorite.

I was just in Busan a few months ago, Mom's Touch is a good fried chicken chain there. This place was my favorite though:
Lol. Also their family restaurants were really good, as well as their sushi. And the steak houses. I ate a LOT haha, explore and you wont go hungry.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

Your explorations will go better if you are with or can make some Korean friends. I always let them do the ordering and menu reading. Whatever that deal where they bring out broth and then like 10 bowls of soup ingredients is great. You dip the hot shaved beef in the broth to cook it, add all kinds of sprouts and whatnot. It’s amazing. Had this way up in some skyscraper that looks down into a soccer stadium.

Shabu-Shabu, I think is what you're describing. It's one of my favourites.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

@SmokeBreak , Looks like you're set for the food element.
So I'll add something about the drinks.

There are several domestic beers available here. None of which I like, still haven't got used to them after 8 years. But certainly try them all, but I find they leave a weird after taste. Makju, pronounced Mekchoo. Eating chicken and drinking beer, ChiMek.

Soju, is of course extremely popular, just be careful, it'll knock yer socks off. This can be bought in any grocery stores and bars and restaurants. The quality can vary, from a couple of bucks for a bottle to 20 bucks a bottle (KW2000 ~ KW20,000). The cheap stuff is made predominantly from chemicals, the more expensive stuff is distilled from rice and is usually stronger and a much higher quality.
A favourite thing to do is to mix a shot of Soju with a glass of beer, thereby calling it "So-Mek".

Bokbunja, is very drinkable. It's made from raspberries and other berries, quite sweet but delicious.

Makgeoli, is a fermented rice wine. Very refreshing in the summer time. You'll need to gently up-turn the bottle to allow for the sedimentation, don't shake it, it'll go everywhere, as its very lively.

Try everything at least once.
As an aside regarding food, dog restaurants do exist. We used to run a hiking club where I am located and we would often times end up walking past the occasional dog farm.
I have never eaten dog, nor do I have any notion of eating dog, but each to their own.

BTW, I've only been to Seoul a couple times and have no idea about where or what to do. I'm located way down south on an island just off the mainland, called Geoje.
Enjoy!

 

[jpberg]

I lived in Seoul for a couple years in the late eighties.
From what I’m reading here, the menus have changed.

 

[bullet08]

I lived in Seoul for a couple years in the late eighties.
From what I’m reading here, the menus have changed.

Tell me about it. I left Korea in 1980. Things are so different now.

 

[bullet08]

@SmokeBreak , Looks like you're set for the food element.
So I'll add something about the drinks.

There are several domestic beers available here. None of which I like, still haven't got used to them after 8 years. But certainly try them all, but I find they leave a weird after taste. Makju, pronounced Mekchoo. Eating chicken and drinking beer, ChiMek.

Soju, is of course extremely popular, just be careful, it'll knock yer socks off. This can be bought in any grocery stores and bars and restaurants. The quality can vary, from a couple of bucks for a bottle to 20 bucks a bottle (KW2000 ~ KW20,000). The cheap stuff is made predominantly from chemicals, the more expensive stuff is distilled from rice and is usually stronger and a much higher quality.
A favourite thing to do is to mix a shot of Soju with a glass of beer, thereby calling it "So-Mek".

Bokbunja, is very drinkable. It's made from raspberries and other berries, quite sweet but delicious.

Makgeoli, is a fermented rice wine. Very refreshing in the summer time. You'll need to gently up-turn the bottle to allow for the sedimentation, don't shake it, it'll go everywhere, as its very lively.

Try everything at least once.
As an aside regarding food, dog restaurants do exist. We used to run a hiking club where I am located and we would often times end up walking past the occasional dog farm.
I have never eaten dog, nor do I have any notion of eating dog, but each to their own.

BTW, I've only been to Seoul a couple times and have no idea about where or what to do. I'm located way down south on an island just off the mainland, called Geoje.
Enjoy!

Soju. God, I hate that stuff. Don't get me wrong. I love drinking it. The problem comes when I'm low on coins and getting the cheap stuff. My friend, an US Army diver, got me a cheap bottle. I couldn't lift up my head next morning.

Try dong-dong-ju. Clean, refreshing and goes down easy.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

@jpberg , Yup they most definitely have.

But so have so many things, since the 80's.

I flew into Seoul in '91, few years after the Olympics. It was not good!

 

[Honkytonk Man]

@bullet08 , for sure the cheap soju is wicked, real nasty shit.

Dong-dong-ju sounds familiar. Is that the plum wine liquor?

 

[kcghost]

The street foods in S. Korea are really delectable.

 

[bullet08]

@bullet08 , for sure the cheap soju is wicked, real nasty shit.

Dong-dong-ju sounds familiar. Is that the plum wine liquor?

Not sure what dong dong ju is made out of. It's light body clear alcohol beverage. It's been 40+ years since I've been in Korea, so my memory isn't that good.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

@kcghost
Delectable? not a word I'd use to describe Korean street food.

 

[Buddiece]

Don't miss out on ""Jeonju bibimbap"" if you happen to visit Jeonju. And for street food, Myeongdong in Seoul is a hotspot. You'll find all kinds of treats like ""hotteok"" (sweet pancakes) and ""odeng"" (fish cake skewers).For homestyle cooking in Seoul, head over to Bukchon Hanok Village – it's known for traditional Korean dining experiences. And speaking of Asian cuisine, I recently had a great time at an Asian restaurant Auckland CBD. The flavors were spot on, so if you ever find yourself there, it's worth a visit

 

[SmokeBreak]

Your explorations will go better if you are with or can make some Korean friends. I always let them do the ordering and menu reading. Whatever that deal where they bring out broth and then like 10 bowls of soup ingredients is great. You dip the hot shaved beef in the broth to cook it, add all kinds of sprouts and whatnot. It’s amazing. Had this way up in some skyscraper that looks down into a soccer stadium.

Thanks for the tip about traveling with local friends - that sounds like a great way to get authentic recommendations. A hot pot meal like the one you described with shaved beef and tons of veggies and sauces to mix in sounds absolutely delicious. I'll have to keep an eye out for places that serve something similar.