Han Chu Korean Fried Chicken & Beer
Chimaek is a compound word for chi-cken and maek-ju, the Korean word for “beer”, so it refers to the popular duo of Korean fried chicken and beer.
Han Chu Korean Fried Chicken & Beer
Address: 68 Nonhyeon-ro 175-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Operating Hours: 4PM-2AM, daily
What to Order: Fried chicken, deep-fried green peppers
Expect to Pay: KRW 17,000 (fried chicken), KRW 15,000 (deep-fried green peppers)
Gwangjang Market
Established in 1905, Gwangjang Market is known to be one of the oldest traditional markets in South Korea. It’s also one of its biggest with over 5,000 shops under its roof. Apart from stalls selling fresh produce and seafood, the market is known for its prepared food section with vendors offering different types of Korean dishes like soondae (blood sausage), kimbap (Korean sushi rolls), and tteokbokki (rice rolls).
Gwangjang Market
Address: 88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Operating Hours: 8:30AM-6PM, Mon-Sat
What to Order: Soondae, tteokbokki, bindaetteok, kimbap
Expect to Pay: Anywhere between KRW 2,000-5,000 per plate
Tosokchon
Tosokchon is synonymous with samgyetang, a hot and nutritious soup made from a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, then boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng, jujube fruits, garlic, ginger, and various herbs and condiments. They’ve been open for over 30 years and are known for serving some of the best samgyetang in Seoul. In fact, the late Korean president Roh Moo-hyun was a frequent patron.
Tosokchon
Address: 5 Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, 서울특별시 South Korea
Operating Hours: 10AM-10PM, daily
What to Order: Samgyetang
Expect to Pay: KRW 15,000 (regular samgyetang), KRW 22,000 (black chicken samgyetang)
Si.Wha.Dam
If you’re interested in experiencing modern Korean cuisine, then Si.Wha.Dam is one of the best places in Seoul to try it. Si.Wha.Dam calls itself a “museum of Korean cuisine” which is apt since their food looks more like conceptual art pieces than actual food.
Address: 13, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Operating Hours: 11:30AM-10PM, daily
What to Order: Tasting menu
Expect to Pay: Starts at KRW 28,000
Manjok Ohyang Jokbal
Jokbal is a dish of pig’s trotters (feet) cooked in soy sauce and spices. It’s typically braised in a combination of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine, and can contain other ingredients like onion, leeks, garlic, cinnamon, and black pepper. The trotters are simmered until fork tender, then deboned and cut into thick slices. Jokbal restaurants typically offer the dish in regular or spicy versions. Manjok Ohyang Jokbal offers bossam as well, which is thinly sliced pork belly boiled in spices.
Manjok Ohyang Jokbal
Address: 18-77, Euljiro 6, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Operating Hours: 4PM-2AM
What to Order: Spiced pig’s trotters bossam set menu
Expect to Pay: KRW 36,100 for the spiced pig’s trotters bossam set menu (medium)
Food for the SEOUL 