One of the most common questions I get is… “Chef Chris, where do you eat when you’re in Korea?” And honestly, I do two things:
- I check out the neighborhood
- I follow my family and friends
When you go to Korea, best believe the neighborhood usually has some sort of place to eat. Whether it be fried chicken, Korean BBQ, pojangmacha (street food tent), jjigae (stew), or baekban (set meal) shops—there will always be a thing or two nearby, and it wouldn’t hurt to try. Usually, they would serve decent food, and some are even delicious.
In Korea, most restaurants are specialty shops where they serve a few specific items only. Don’t be surprised by the limited options, but this also means that some shops are really good at the food they serve because they have specialized in it for years. That thought alone makes it exciting to explore nearby places even without online recognition.
Aside from that, whenever I’m in Korea, we meet up with family, and they are the ones who host us and bring us to places. I just follow along, enjoy, and whether I liked the restaurant or not, it doesn’t matter because I’m home babyyy and I’m spending time with my family!
In my most recent trip, however, I made sure to meet up with some of my best friends, and I asked them to bring me to places that they recommend. Hence, this list! It’s a combination of trendy restaurants and neighborhood spots. I trust that as locals there, they can vouch for the hidden gems, and I really had fun trying them out.
Geumdwaeji Sikdang or Gold Pig Restaurant
Michelin Bib Gourmand
Address & How to Get There:
- 370-69 Shindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Yaksu Station in Line 2 and Line 6 Exit 2
Operating Hours:
- 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM
- Digital waitlist on the door starts at 10 AM. Wait time usually takes 1-2 hours.
What They Offer:
- High-quality cuts of pork neck, pork cheek, pork belly, and pork skin. They have bundles that include pork set with an assortment of vegetables, kimchi stew, noodles, and rice, which is the perfect combo when eating Korean BBQ.
- They also offer different types of alcohol that go perfectly with the pork.
Honest Opinion:
Koreans love pork, and this restaurant does it right. Here, they cook the pork on cast iron grill over charcoal briquettes for that perfectly smoky flavor. The staff also cooks them with precision and timing so it stays in their optimal juiciness and tenderness. Pair it with their scallion soy sauce and ssamjang—perfect!
Not just that, most servings are less than 20,000KRW so it’s really value for money. It’s probably the reason why we had 8 servings for just 2 people. Kakaka~
My friend Paul Blanco recommended this and made sure we’ll get a spot. It’s a great place to have good food & good conversation with friends! I understand why they have long lines everyday and why K-pop artist frequent this place. Highly recommend it too!
Muguok
Address & How to Get There:
- 1F, 11 Achasan-ro 11-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
- Seongsu Station in Line 2 Exit 2
Operating Hours:
- 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Break time at 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Registration starts at 10:30 AM for lunch & 4:30 PM for dinner. Wait time usually takes 1-1.5 hours.
What They Offer:
- North Korean-style Samgyetang (Samgye Baekban), Spicy Braised Chicken (Inspired by angujjim or spicy braised monkfish), Spicy Chicken Stew with Cheonggukjang, Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad; These are big portions, good for 2-3 people, so order accordingly
- They also offer soju and beer to accompany the meal.
Honest Opinion:
This place is recommended by my friend, and as far as I know, it’s also trending for a while now. When you get inside, a giant Anseong cauldron is just simmering the soup for hours in the middle of the shop, so you just know it’s going to be good.
They serve a deconstructed samgyetang comprising a rich & thick soup, tender chicken, and soft rice. It basically went against everything we know about samgyetang, but they did it really well. The set meal was served with radish kimchi, pickled greens, soy sauce, white pepper, scallion-ginger sauce, and more ginseng, and the staff will kindly explain how you can enjoy the soup.
It was also my first time to eat spicy braised chicken, and it had a mountain of soybean sprouts on top, which made it really good with some soju. However, the dakdoritang surprised me the most because I don’t like cheonggukjang, but the soup was formulated perfectly, so that it was not overpowering to the whole stew; instead, it was light, sweet, and savory.
Overall, the main dishes did not disappoint. They reinvented the classics, so it elevated the flavor profiles and the whole experience. If you’re looking for a hearty comfort food, this is definitely the place to go.
Wonjo Dakhanmari
Address & How to Get There:
- 13 Nonhyeon-ro 10-gil, Gaepo 4(sa)-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
- Guryongsa or Guryong Intersection in Bus Stops
Operating Hours:
- 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Break time at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Walk-in only, but usually packed in the evening and during winter.
What They Offer:
- Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup), Dakhanmari (One Whole Chicken Soup), Dakdoritang (Spicy Chicken Stew), and Chicken Feet
- They also offer soju and beer to accompany the meal.
Honest Opinion:
This restaurant was recommended by my good friend JAYALLDAY—it’s a longstanding, famous neighborhood spot and it’s one of his faves. As someone who doesn’t really like samgyetang or boiled chicken, I wanted to see what dakhanmari is all about.
Honestly, it’s a very simple dish. Imagine one whole chicken boiled with a light seasoning, aromatics, and potatoes. However, what elevates this is the crack sauce made from a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, gochugaru, onion, and chives. Hands down, this made all the difference, and it complemented the moist and tender chicken so well.
Dakhanmari is simply boiling in the middle of the table, keeping your food hot, all the while reducing to prepare for the kalguksu and congee. So after you’ve eaten the chicken, a little soup and the hand-cut noodles will be added—just imagine all that flavor being soaked by the fresh, chewy noodles. Afterwards, when the soup is further reduced, comes the rice, and now you have an extremely flavorful congee with all the remaining shredded bits of chicken in it.
It’s one whole chicken, no herbs, no stuffing, no nothing, but elevated in many different ways. And yes, Koreans sometimes eat noodles and rice in one sitting, and it’s because you simply can’t put all that flavor to waste. Overall, it was a soulful experience, and I enjoyed my time and conversation with my good friend so much that we literally had 4 bottles of soju. Lol~
Bonjeon Dwaeji Gukbap
Address & How to Get There:
- 13 Nonhyeon-ro 10-gil, Gaepo 4(sa)-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
- Busan Station Exit 6
Operating Hours:
- 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Walk-in only, but packed during peak hours. Wait time usually takes 30 minutes.
What They Offer:
- Pork, Soondae, Tripe, Offal, and Mixed Meat Gukbap, paired with Rice, and Suyuk
- They also offer soju and beer to accompany the meal.
Honest Opinion:
In Korea, this is one of our hangover soups—gukbap, which literally means “soup rice” and it features clean-tasting pork broth, topped with pork slices or innards. This is served in a stone pot to keep it hot. It’s usually unseasoned, so you need to taste it, soak it in, then season with shrimp paste, salt, and/or chili paste afterwards. The soup goes perfectly with the soy-marinated onion, chives kimchi, and napa cabbage kimchi.
After tasting, seasoning, and eating some of the meat, you need to dunk that freshly steamed rice in the soup to make it a “gukbap”. Every sip will surely refresh and heal whatever you are feeling. It was definitely a meal worth getting after you get off the long train ride or to cap your Busan trip since it’s just next to Busan station.
They also offer suyuk on the side, which are super tender and make the meal more filling. Can’t get enough of those slices together with their buchu kimchi, honestly! Such a simple, satisfying, and affordable meal, I will surely come back next time I’m in Busan!
Andongjip Son Kalguksu
Address & How to Get There:
- B1, 3, Gosanja-ro 36-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
- Jegidong Station at Line 1, Exit 2
- Located at the basement floor of Gyeongdong Market, the staircase down is a bit hidden so you have to look for it.
Operating Hours:
- 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Break time at 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Closing time on weekends may be earlier
- Walk-in only, wait time may take 1-2 hours during peak hours.
What They Offer:
- Kalguksu, Bibimbap, Suyuk (Boiled Pork), Baechujeon (Napa Cabbage Pancake), and Buchujeon (Chives Pancake)
Honest Opinion:
This is the famous restaurant of Chef Lee Mi Ryeong aka Immokase aka Auntie Omakase, from the Netflix show Culinary Class Wars. Her nickname is literally a combination of these two words—auntie, representing her and everyone who works in the shop, and omakase, which comes from the Japanese culture of trusting the chef to serve his/her choice menu. And to be honest, her food did not disappoint. The shop has bar-style seating, and it was amazing to witness how fast they all move, yet they were super attentive to orders.
The kalguksu had thin, chewy noodles made from a combination of soybean and wheat flour, which sets it apart from other kalguksus. It’s in a light but hearty anchovy broth, and is accompanied by fresh kimchi and an assortment of seasonings like fresh garlic, chili peppers, and special soy sauce. If you don’t like noodles, they also have bibimbap on the menu, which is served on a big bowl, very simple, but also very delicious. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed both!
To accompany the mains are Suyuk and North Gyeongsan-style Napa Cabbage Pancake and Chives Pancake. The pork was tender and moist, and it was even more elevated when you make the ssam or wrap—imagine fresh lettuce, a slice of pork, a little bit of millet rice, salted shrimp, makjang soybean paste (which was deeply savory yet super clean tasting), chili powder, and fresh garlic all in one big bite. The jeons, on the other hand, were very lightly battered, aiming only to make the veggies stick together. She says with a thin batter, the real flavors of the vegetables shine, and it did!
In my honest opinion, some places advertised on Netflix were only okay, but this one is LEGIT. Every element from the mains, to the sides, and the sauces were handmade and well-thought out, which makes this place very special. I think it deserves the hype. Eating here feels like coming home to your eomma. Besides that, Gyeongdong Market is the most authentic Korean market I’ve visited so far. It’s big, filled with a wide variety of fresh and dry goods, and less touristy things inside. Both the shops and the eats were worth a visit.
Other Recommendations on Where to Eat:
If you can’t come to any of these places, here are my other recommendations:
- Make sure to try sidewalk seafood shops that have aquariums in their storefront. Try the different kinds of sashimi, fish bone stew, and seafood stir fry, which I can guarantee are super fresh!
- If you are on the more bougie side and looove seafood, try out Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul or Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan.
- Neighborhood BBQ shops should also be decent as Koreans LOVE their pork. Even as simple as pork belly, the quality is often good, and they know how to cook it right, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
- Don’t skip pojangmachas or pocha (red street food tents) for the real Korea vibes. Check out Jongno 3-ga and jump from one stall to another as each stall offers different food—some offer muchies, some meals, some soups, but the most important thing is to have a good time.
- If you ever pass by any local markets, there are usually food alleys, and you can check them out too. If you are ever in Namdaemun Market, do not forget to pass by Kalguksu alley, my ultimate favorite!
Lastly, if you’re not that risky and want to ensure the best experience in your meals, simply download Naver app. The app will provide real restaurant reviews from locals, and it also has a function that provides recommendations based on your interests and location. That said, I hope you enjoy Korea!
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