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Dept · FOOD — 23 guides live

Food & drink

Korean food is one of the best reasons to visit Seoul on its own. This department is a growing map of what to eat, where, and how it actually works.

FOOD

Seoul Street Food

The Korean street food dishes worth seeking out in Seoul, what they actually are, and where to find the best versions.

FOOD

Korean BBQ 101

A first-timer's guide to Korean BBQ in Seoul — what to order, how the grilling and side dishes actually work, and basic etiquette.

FOOD

Seoul's Cafe Culture

Seoul's cafe scene is dense, design-obsessed, and worth planning around — here's how to think about it as part of your trip.

FOOD

Chimaek

Chimaek — Korean fried chicken paired with beer — is one of Seoul's defining food-and-drink rituals. Here's how to order it properly.

FOOD

Temple Food in Seoul

Korean Buddhist temple food is a distinct, plant-based culinary tradition worth experiencing in Seoul beyond the city's meat-heavy BBQ reputation.

FOOD

10 Classic Korean Dishes to Know Before You Go

Beyond BBQ and street food, here are the everyday Korean dishes worth knowing the names and basics of before you arrive.

FOOD

Vegetarian and Vegan Travel in Seoul

Korean food is heavily meat- and fish-sauce-based, but vegetarian and vegan travel in Seoul is more workable than it first appears — here's how.

FOOD

Korean Convenience Store Culture

Korean convenience stores are a genuine dining category of their own — in-store seating, hot food, and a surprisingly good meal for the price.

FOOD

Soju and Korean Drinking Culture, Explained

Soju is Korea's defining spirit and drinking culture comes with its own etiquette — here's what visitors should actually know.

FOOD

Korean Bakery Culture

Korean bakeries have their own distinct pastry culture, blending French technique with Korean flavors and ingredients — here's what to look for.

FOOD

Noryangjin Fish Market

Noryangjin is Seoul's biggest seafood market, where you can buy fresh fish downstairs and have it prepared at an upstairs restaurant the same day.

FOOD

Fine Dining in Seoul

Seoul has a serious, internationally recognized fine dining scene — here's how to think about it as part of a trip otherwise built around street food and BBQ.

FOOD

Haejangguk

Haejangguk (literally 'hangover soup') is a whole category of Korean food built specifically to cure a night of drinking — here's what to order.

FOOD

Jang

Gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang — the three fermented sauces that form the backbone of nearly every Korean dish — explained.

FOOD

Tosokchon Samgyetang — Honest Overview

An independent overview of Tosokchon, a long-running Seoul institution near Gyeongbokgung known for ginseng chicken soup.

FOOD

Myeongdong Kyoja — Honest Overview

An independent overview of Myeongdong Kyoja, a long-standing Myeongdong institution known for knife-cut noodle soup and dumplings.

FOOD

Korean Fruit Culture

Korean fruit is often premium-priced and treated as a genuine gift item — here's why, and where visitors encounter it.

FOOD

Tongin Market's Brass Coin Lunchbox

Tongin Market in Seochon runs a distinctive brass-coin lunchbox system letting you assemble your own meal from different market stalls — here's how it works.

FOOD

Jungsik — Honest Overview

An independent overview of Jungsik, a modern Korean fine dining restaurant with international recognition, including a New York location.

FOOD

Byeokje Galbi — Honest Overview

An independent overview of Byeokje Galbi, a long-established, large-scale Korean BBQ institution known specifically for premium galbi.

FOOD

Anthracite Coffee — Honest Overview

An independent overview of Anthracite, a Seongsu-dong roastery credited as one of the anchors of the district's transformation into a cafe destination.

FOOD

Makgeolli

Makgeolli is a milky, lightly fizzy traditional rice wine — older and very different from soju, and worth trying on its own terms.

FOOD

Banchan

Banchan — the small shared side dishes that accompany nearly every Korean meal — explained, including the etiquette around refills and sharing.

New food & drink guides are added most weeks as part of the build toward 1,000+ pages.

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