Korean restaurants in Seoul
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A
Bonjuk
Big bowls of tasty and healthy rice porridge feature in this chain of small, neat restaurants - try ginseng and chicken, mushroom and oyster, seafood, sweet pumpkin, or red bean.
reviewed
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B
Tobang
A white sign with two Chinese characters above a doorway leads the way to this small nine-table traditional restaurant, where you sit on floor cushions under paper lanterns. Order the sundubu jjigae or doenjang jjigae for some Korean home-cooking flavour and excellent side dishes that include bean sprouts, fish, cuttlefish and raw crab in red-pepper sauce, plus a minimalist soup, rice and lettuce wraps. Authentic home cooking for W4000 – no wonder queues build up at lunchtime.
reviewed
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C
Tosokchon Samgyetang
Despite the crowds, the samgyetang arrives fast and still bubbling. Tip some salt and pepper together into a small saucer and use it as a dip. This 30-year-old icon is housed in a sprawling hanok (traditional house), and for many locals – and even ex-presidents – it’s the best in Seoul. Black chicken samgyetang is W19,000. Walk straight for 100m from Exit 2, turn left at the GS25 convenience store and it’s on your left.
reviewed
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D
Tosokmaeul
Are you ready for full-on, full-flavoured Korean peasant fodder? Gamjatang is served up in this cluttered diner. Pick out the chillies to make it less spicy. The uncompromising side dishes are salty-and-fishy-as-hell shrimps, radish and cabbage kimchi drenched in gochujang, raw onions and raw chillies. Thankfully the rice is plain, and there are plenty of paper tissues to deal with runny noses and sweaty brows.
reviewed
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E
Chilgapsan
This convivial, sit-on-floor-cushions restaurant’s specialty is excellent neobiani ( 너비아니 ), a beef patty the size of a small pizza. Meant for sharing, it comes with a dressed green salad. The barley and rice bibimbap is original – you mix in doenjang jjigae rather than gochujang. Look for a building with a white frontage covered with ivy.
reviewed
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F
Gio
The ladies in this shack serve up unique cheap food. There is no need to order as they only do two dishes that are both cooked at your table. First is a bowl of mushrooms and homemade noodles, which are the widest in Seoul. Remove some of the red pepper sauce if you want to make it less fiery and cook for 15 minutes. Next up is the pre-cooked rice, dried seaweed and herbs, which is mixed together in the same pot.
reviewed
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G
Nolboojip
Down the steps in front of Pizza Hut is this special restaurant that serves a reasonably priced banquet to the sound of live traditional music, played throughout the day. Sit on floor cushions in the large eating arena and order sangcharim (minimum two people), which includes 20 dishes including steamed egg, fish, chicken, octopus, japchae, galbi, soup, quail's eggs and burnt-rice tea.
reviewed
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H
Sadongmyeonok
This bright and breezy eatery is hidden away, but is usually busy and has a long menu. It’s famous for manduguk – because the dumplings are the largest you’ll see (three make a meal). Also famous is the platter of haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), known for its size, crispiness and the big chunks of octopus. Use the onion and soy sauce side dish as a dip for both.
reviewed
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I
Pyeongandochapssal Sundae
Squeeze yourself into this popular mouthful of a restaurant to take up the sundae challenge. We’re not talking fruit sundae, but Korean sundae, which is a black noodle sausage. It looks worse than it tastes – the flavour is bland although the skin is chewy. Order pyeongando jeongsik for a spicy soup and a plate of sundae and pork hocks (W9000).
reviewed
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J
Solmoemaeul
Sit on the floor or on chairs on the narrow balcony to enjoy an excellent multicourse meal for W20,000 that includes bulgogi. The gujeolpan is a speciality with pink radish wraps, as is the pajeon and the sprouty version of bibimbap. A bit of a walk from the subway but customers tend to need some exercise after this generous Korean feast.
reviewed
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K
Jirisan
A popular, authentic restaurant and a great place to try dolsotbap (hotpot rice, W10,000). Various ingredients are added to the rice, and you mix it all up in a separate bowl with the sauces and side dishes – a do-it-yourself bibimbap. Pour the weak burnt-rice tea from the kettle into the stone pot and put the lid on, then drink it at the end of the meal.
reviewed
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L
Hyangnamusegeuru
No English is spoken but if you dig pig then just say moksalsogeumgui!. This is pork barbecued at your table, wrapped in lettuce with sauces and side dishes; you can cut some of the fat off the pork with the scissors provided. It's a good deal, as is the doenjang jjigae (soy-bean paste stew). The restaurant is recently renovated and surrounded by trees.
reviewed
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M
Sannaedeullae
Hidden away on the 3rd floor (above Pho Hoa), this restaurant serves up royal court cuisine such as sinseollo (steam boat) and gujeolpan (eight tiny snacks wrapped in minipancakes). Although just a starter, gujeolpan comes with sweet pumpkin porridge, soup, a salad bar of healthy greens, rice cakes and tea, and makes a right royal light lunch.
reviewed
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N
Yongsusan
This stylish traditional restaurant is colourfully decorated with mother-of-pearl panels and serving staff wear hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). The food contains elements of royal cuisine and varies with the seasons but is always interesting from the dragon firepot to the five-grain rice cooked in bamboo and the always delicious omijacha tea.
reviewed
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O
Anjip
Sit on embroidered cushions in a traditional-style private room and enjoy a typical hanjeongsik of over 20 seasonal dishes. With so many plates to bring, the staff are often rushing around. The bulgogi, steamed egg, spicy cockles and pumpkin soup are particularly good, and fruit and cinnamon tea finish the feast off nicely.
reviewed
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P
Seojeong Restaurant
Tucked away off the beaten track, this traditional restaurant serves up a budget banquet of 14 dishes in private rooms decked out with scrolls, ceramics and paper-screen doors. Sit on legless chairs or cushions and enjoy japchae, pajeon, beans, anchovies, chives, pickled walnuts, fish, rice, salad, two soups and plenty of vegetables.
reviewed
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Q
Zen Zen
Eat inside or outside at this large establishment specialising in samgyeopsal, often eaten with naengmyeon. Dwaeji galbi (barbecued pork ribs) is another option. The special marinades and the choose-your-own-salad-wrappings are the special features in this modern Zen steel and glass box, hidden away on the 1st floor.
reviewed
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Sinsun Seolnongtang
This bright and clean restaurant with greenery is one of a chain that is famous for its seolleongtang (beef and vegie soup). But it also serves geranjjim, steamed egg with a spring onion and seafood garnish. In the lobby the vending-machine coffee is the cheapest in Seoul. There's another branch in Myeong-Dong.
reviewed
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R
Gogung
Authentic Jeonju bibimbap is the star attraction here, together with the cheaper dolsot bibimbap. Waitresses are dressed in hanbok, and upstairs is nicer than downstairs. Order moju, a medicinal homebrew that also comes from Jeonju. Another bright, new branch is in Insadong.
reviewed
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S
Cheongsachorong
This well-known restaurant caters to Japanese tour groups but you can join in if you make a reservation (maybe with the aid of hotel reception). The food is a good deal and the hanjeongsik includes royal cuisine such as gujeolpan and sinseollo. Traditional dancing and drumming starts at 7pm daily.
reviewed
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T
Seommaeul Milbatjip
This modern, clean restaurant offers a simple no-fuss meal of kalguksu – lots of baby clams in a soup with thick, hand-cut long noodles that represent long life. A minimalist meal with subtle flavours, this makes for a change from the usually spicy Korean fare – a fact appreciated by the restaurant’s many fans.
reviewed
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Eunhasoo Dinner Buffet
This long-running buffet is the perfect introduction to a wide variety of Korean food including beef ribs, barbecue pork, rice porridge, fish, oxtail soup, kimchi pizza, traditional desserts and tea. Some Western items are included and the green-themed classy surroundings add to the sense of occasion.
reviewed
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U
Samwon Garden
Popular enough to have its own multistorey car park, this galbi icon has a beautiful traditional garden and a sizeable waterfall. Samwon has been serving top-class galbi in this rural idyll for over 30 years, and plenty of business deals have been hatched in the private dining rooms.
reviewed
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V
Insadong Sujebi
Famous for sujebi, big dough flakes in a potato, seaweed and seafood broth, this rustic barn also serves up naengkongguksu, chewy noodles in cold soya milk, a popular summer dish, and oyster pajeon. Kimchi lovers can enjoy helping themselves from a large pot.
reviewed
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W
Nolboo
Come to this spacious 2nd-floor restaurant for budae jjigae (or Johnsontang ), which consists of baked beans, macaroni, rice cakes, ham, sausages, tofu, noodles and vegetable scraps, all thrown into a big wok, cooked at your table and served with rice and good side dishes.
reviewed
