From Korean BBQ and late-night fried chicken to market snacks and the best convenience store in the world. Korean food is one of the most underrated cuisines on the international travel circuit, which is strange given how popular it has become globally.
What you get in Korea is the real thing – properly fermented kimchi, charcoal-grilled pork belly, hand-pulled noodles, and street food markets that run until 3 am. This guide covers what to eat, where to find it, and how to navigate Korean food culture as a visitor.
The Essential Dishes
Korean BBQ – Samgyeopsal and Galbi
Grilling meat at the table is Korea’s most celebrated eating ritual. Samgyeopsal is thick-cut pork belly, grilled on a cast-iron plate or charcoal grill, wrapped in perilla or lettuce leaves with garlic, sliced green onion, ssamjang paste, and kimchi, and eaten in one large, messy bite. Galbi is short beef ribs, marinated in soy and pear and grilled until caramelized.
The ritual is as important as the meat: the banchan side dishes arrive first (kimchi, spinach, bean sprouts, egg, fish cakes), the grill is lit, the meat is ordered, and then someone at the table becomes the unofficial designated griller. A full dinner for two at a good neighbourhood KBBQ restaurant costs 40,000 to 70,000 won, including drinks.
Where to go: Avoid the tourist strips. In Seoul, the Mapo and Sangam areas have excellent samgyeopsal restaurants that are primarily used by locals. The Sinchon and Hongdae areas have good budget options popular with university students.
Bibimbap
Rice topped with seasoned vegetables, a fried egg, sliced beef, and gochujang (fermented chilli paste), served in a stone bowl that keeps everything sizzling. Mix everything with a spoon before eating. The crust of rice that forms against the hot stone bowl is the best part. Jeonju, a city in the southwest, is considered the bibimbap capital of Korea and is worth a visit specifically for the food.
Tteokbokki
Chewy rice cakes in a spicy, sweet gochujang sauce with fish cakes and boiled eggs. The quintessential Korean street food is available from pojangmacha tents and market stalls for about 3,000 to 5,000 won. Gwangjang Market in Seoul is the most famous place to eat tteokbokki, but almost every market and street-food area in Korea has a tteokbokki stall.
Fried Chicken and Beer – Chimaek
Korean fried chicken is a distinct category from its Western counterpart: double-fried for extraordinary crunch, available in soy-garlic, spicy, and plain versions, and served with pickled radish and beer. The combination of chicken and beer is called chimaek (chicken plus maekju) and is one of Korea’s great evening rituals. Have your order delivered to your hotel room or eat at a local chicken-and-beer restaurant.
Sundubu Jjigae and Other Jjigae
Jjigae are Korean stews – rich, bubbling, and served in stone pots so hot that they are still cooking when they arrive at the table. Sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew with egg, vegetables, and seafood or pork) is the most widely available internationally. Doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew with tofu and vegetables) is the everyday comfort food version. Both cost 8,000 to 12,000 won at a neighbourhood restaurant and come with rice and banchan.
Naengmyeon
Cold buckwheat or sweet potato noodles in an icy beef broth, topped with pickled radish, cucumber, sliced pear, and a hard-boiled egg. Counterintuitive in appearance but deeply refreshing in hot weather. Pyongyang naengmyeon (originally from North Korea) is the most famous variety. Eulji Myeonok in central Seoul is one of the most respected restaurants for it.
Japchae
Glass noodles (made from sweet potato starch) stir-fried with beef, spinach, mushrooms, and carrots, seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. Translucent, slightly sweet, and served warm or at room temperature. Available as a main dish or as one of the banchan side dishes at most traditional Korean restaurants.
Korean Street Food
Korean street food culture is among the best in Asia – diverse, cheap, available late into the night, and deeply embedded in daily life. The best places to experience it:
Gwangjang Market, Seoul
The most authentic large traditional market in Seoul, with a covered food hall serving bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), mayak gimbap (tiny sesame rice rolls), yukhoe (raw seasoned beef), and tteokbokki from stalls that have been in the same family for generations. Arrive hungry, sit on a stool at a counter, and point at what looks good.
Myeongdong Street Food Strip, Seoul
The tourist-friendly version: hotteok (sweet pancakes filled with brown sugar and cinnamon), tornado potatoes spiralled on a skewer, tteokbokki, grilled skewers, and fruit candy. More expensive than market food, but convenient and good. Best at night when the stalls are fully lit, and the street is packed.
Jagalchi Market, Busan
Korea’s largest seafood market. Buy fresh sea urchin, abalone, or live octopus from the market floor and take it upstairs to one of the restaurants to have it prepared. Alternatively, eat at the outdoor stalls for raw oysters, haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), and grilled shellfish directly on the harbour.
Pojangmacha – Tent Stalls
Orange canvas tent stalls appear at night around parks, busy streets, and near bars. They serve tteokbokki, eomuk (fish cake broth), boiled eggs, and soju. Sitting at a pojangmacha eating spicy rice cakes and drinking cheap soju in the cold is one of the most local experiences you can have in Korea.
Korean Drinks
Soju
Korea’s national spirit, made from rice or sweet potato, is cheap. A 350ml bottle at a convenience store costs about 1,800 won. It is drunk neat from small glasses, refilled constantly, and goes with almost everything. Do not refuse a pour from an older person. If you want to slow down, mix it with beer (somaek) or the yogurt drink (Yakult yaksoju) for a sweeter version.
Makgeolli
Traditional rice wine – milky, slightly fizzy, mildly sweet, and about 6 to 8 percent alcohol. Served in a bowl rather than a glass, and drunk with savoury pancakes (pajeon) in the classic pairing. Markets and traditional restaurants are the best places to drink it. A litre bottle costs around 5,000 won.
Banana Milk
Binggrae banana-flavoured milk, sold in a distinctive yellow barrel-shaped container, is one of Korea’s most beloved drinks. Available in every convenience store for about 1,000 won. Worth trying for the cultural reference alone.
Korean Convenience Stores
GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and Emart24 are on every corner in Korean cities, open 24 hours, and are significantly better than convenience stores in most other countries. Fresh gimbap rolls, ramyeon cooked in-store with hot water dispensers, triangular kimbap, banana milk, fried chicken, and an entire ready-meal section are all available. Korean convenience stores are a genuine food destination, not a fallback option. A full convenience store meal costs 5,000 to 8,000 won.
