Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Wondering what to eat in Korea? I spent the day with a local friend to discover the authentic Korean food spots that you won't find in the guidebooks. From hidden BBQ gems to the best street food, here is my local-approved Korean food guide.
We ate EVERYTHING our local friends recommended in South Korea! From hidden hanok alleyway bakeries in Seoul to legendary seafood spots in Myeongdong and the viral mega-dessert parks of Gangnam, this is the ultimate South Korea food tour checklist. If you are planning a trip to Seoul or Busan and want to know what to eat in Korea, we are bypassing the tourist traps to bring you the ultimate, local-approved food guide!
๐ THE ULTIMATE SOUTH KOREA FOOD TO-EAT LIST ๐
๐ Samcheong-dong Sujebi (์ผ์ฒญ๋์์ ๋น)
Google Maps: Samcheong-dong Sujebi
What We Had: Hand-torn noodle soup (Sujebi), potato pancakes, bulgogi, and Mul-naengmyeon.
The Inside Scoop: Officially recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant! They keep historic culinary traditions alive with a deep, rich anchovy broth that locals willingly line up down the block for.
๐ Samcheong Bingsu (์ผ์ฒญ๋น์)
Google Maps: Samcheong Bingsu
What We Had: Mountain-high Strawberry Bingsu (๋ธ๊ธฐ๋น์) and Mango Bingsu (๋ง๊ณ ๋น์).
The Inside Scoop: Tucked inside a gorgeous traditional Hanok house, this spot shaves milk and cream into microscopic strands that mimic freshly fallen powder snow, melting instantly on the tongue.
๐ Soha Salt Pond (์ํ์ผ์ )
Google Maps: Soha Salt Pond Ikseon
What We Had: Premium artisanal Salt Bread (์๊ธ๋นต).
The Inside Scoop: Located in the historic alleyways of Ikseon-dong, this trendy bakery styles its entire space like a traditional Korean salt farm, complete with a working waterwheel and decorative mounds of sea salt.
๐ Butter Haus (๋ฒํฐํ์ฐ์ค)
Google Maps: Butter Haus Ikseon
What We Had: Premium Butter Tteok and Macadamia Brulee Butter Tteok.
The Inside Scoop: A viral dessert spot that reinvents traditional Korean rice cakes (tteok) by baking them with premium French butter into smooth, chestnut-like shapes that are crispy outside and incredibly chewy inside.
๐ Jayeondo Sogeum-ppang (์์ฐ๋์๊ธ๋นต)
Google Maps: Jayeondo Sogeum-ppang Ikseon
What We Had: Freshly baked salt bread paired with signature Hanrabong Juice.
The Inside Scoop: Famous for serving hot salt bread straight out of the oven next to a giant salt cauldron. Their refreshing juice is pressed from sweet, premium Hanrabong citrus native to Jeju Island.
๐ HBAF Almond Store (ํ๋๋ฒํฐ์๋ชฌ๋ ๋ช ๋์ )
Google Maps: HBAF Almond Store Myeongdong
What We Had: The iconic Honey Butter Almonds and Wasabi Almonds.
The Inside Scoop: A massive flagship souvenir paradise in Myeongdong packed with dozens of wild flavor variations that completely revolutionized South Korea's snack scene.
๐ Sweet Park - Shinsegae Gangnam (์ค์ํธํํฌ)
Google Maps: Sweet Park Shinsegae Gangnam
What We Had: Specialty loaves from Standard Bread, premium madeleines from Le Soleil, egg tarts from Eastwood, and fresh strawberry cream cakes.
The Inside Scoop: A luxurious 5,300-square-meter dessert theme park on level B1F curated with over 40 elite global and domestic patisseries.
๐ Odarijip (์ค๋ค๋ฆฌ์ง)
Google Maps: Odarijip Myeongdong
What We Had: Premium Ganjang Gejang (Soy Sauce Marinated Crab) and fluffy Gyeran-jjim (steamed egg soufflรฉ).
The Inside Scoop: The ultimate "rice thief" feast. Plump raw blue crabs packed with rich orange roe, marinated in a legacy fruit-infused soy sauce meant to be mixed directly inside the crab shell.
๐ 1984 Choryang Milmyeon - Gwangan Branch (์ด๋๋ฐ๋ฉด ๊ด์์ )
Google Maps Link: Choryang Milmyeon Gwangan
A beloved coastal location of a historic Busan noodle institution, situated right by the scenic Gwangalli Beach. The restaurant features a comfortable, lively atmosphere where you can look out toward the ocean while enjoying ice-cold, refreshing noodle bowls and massive steamed dumplings.
Signature Dish: Mul-milmyeon (๋ฌผ๋ฐ๋ฉด - Cold Wheat Noodles) & Wang-mandu (์๋ง๋ - Giant Steamed Dumplings) โ Their signature wheat noodles are served in a partially frozen, intensely savory broth infused with traditional medicinal herbs, topped with a bright, sweet-and-spicy gochujang sauce paste. It is traditionally paired with their house-made, giant pork-and-vegetable dumplings that come steaming hot to the table.
Wondering what to eat in Korea? I spent the day with a local friend to discover the authentic Korean food spots that you won't find in the guidebooks. From hidden BBQ gems to the best street food, here is my local-approved Korean food guide.
We ate EVERYTHING our local friends recommended in South Korea! From hidden hanok alleyway bakeries in Seoul to legendary seafood spots in Myeongdong and the viral mega-dessert parks of Gangnam, this is the ultimate South Korea food tour checklist. If you are planning a trip to Seoul or Busan and want to know what to eat in Korea, we are bypassing the tourist traps to bring you the ultimate, local-approved food guide!
๐ THE ULTIMATE SOUTH KOREA FOOD TO-EAT LIST ๐
๐ Samcheong-dong Sujebi (์ผ์ฒญ๋์์ ๋น)
Google Maps: Samcheong-dong Sujebi
What We Had: Hand-torn noodle soup (Sujebi), potato pancakes, bulgogi, and Mul-naengmyeon.
The Inside Scoop: Officially recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant! They keep historic culinary traditions alive with a deep, rich anchovy broth that locals willingly line up down the block for.
๐ Samcheong Bingsu (์ผ์ฒญ๋น์)
Google Maps: Samcheong Bingsu
What We Had: Mountain-high Strawberry Bingsu (๋ธ๊ธฐ๋น์) and Mango Bingsu (๋ง๊ณ ๋น์).
The Inside Scoop: Tucked inside a gorgeous traditional Hanok house, this spot shaves milk and cream into microscopic strands that mimic freshly fallen powder snow, melting instantly on the tongue.
๐ Soha Salt Pond (์ํ์ผ์ )
Google Maps: Soha Salt Pond Ikseon
What We Had: Premium artisanal Salt Bread (์๊ธ๋นต).
The Inside Scoop: Located in the historic alleyways of Ikseon-dong, this trendy bakery styles its entire space like a traditional Korean salt farm, complete with a working waterwheel and decorative mounds of sea salt.
๐ Butter Haus (๋ฒํฐํ์ฐ์ค)
Google Maps: Butter Haus Ikseon
What We Had: Premium Butter Tteok and Macadamia Brulee Butter Tteok.
The Inside Scoop: A viral dessert spot that reinvents traditional Korean rice cakes (tteok) by baking them with premium French butter into smooth, chestnut-like shapes that are crispy outside and incredibly chewy inside.
๐ Jayeondo Sogeum-ppang (์์ฐ๋์๊ธ๋นต)
Google Maps: Jayeondo Sogeum-ppang Ikseon
What We Had: Freshly baked salt bread paired with signature Hanrabong Juice.
The Inside Scoop: Famous for serving hot salt bread straight out of the oven next to a giant salt cauldron. Their refreshing juice is pressed from sweet, premium Hanrabong citrus native to Jeju Island.
๐ HBAF Almond Store (ํ๋๋ฒํฐ์๋ชฌ๋ ๋ช ๋์ )
Google Maps: HBAF Almond Store Myeongdong
What We Had: The iconic Honey Butter Almonds and Wasabi Almonds.
The Inside Scoop: A massive flagship souvenir paradise in Myeongdong packed with dozens of wild flavor variations that completely revolutionized South Korea's snack scene.
๐ Sweet Park - Shinsegae Gangnam (์ค์ํธํํฌ)
Google Maps: Sweet Park Shinsegae Gangnam
What We Had: Specialty loaves from Standard Bread, premium madeleines from Le Soleil, egg tarts from Eastwood, and fresh strawberry cream cakes.
The Inside Scoop: A luxurious 5,300-square-meter dessert theme park on level B1F curated with over 40 elite global and domestic patisseries.
๐ Odarijip (์ค๋ค๋ฆฌ์ง)
Google Maps: Odarijip Myeongdong
What We Had: Premium Ganjang Gejang (Soy Sauce Marinated Crab) and fluffy Gyeran-jjim (steamed egg soufflรฉ).
The Inside Scoop: The ultimate "rice thief" feast. Plump raw blue crabs packed with rich orange roe, marinated in a legacy fruit-infused soy sauce meant to be mixed directly inside the crab shell.
๐ 1984 Choryang Milmyeon - Gwangan Branch (์ด๋๋ฐ๋ฉด ๊ด์์ )
Google Maps Link: Choryang Milmyeon Gwangan
A beloved coastal location of a historic Busan noodle institution, situated right by the scenic Gwangalli Beach. The restaurant features a comfortable, lively atmosphere where you can look out toward the ocean while enjoying ice-cold, refreshing noodle bowls and massive steamed dumplings.
Signature Dish: Mul-milmyeon (๋ฌผ๋ฐ๋ฉด - Cold Wheat Noodles) & Wang-mandu (์๋ง๋ - Giant Steamed Dumplings) โ Their signature wheat noodles are served in a partially frozen, intensely savory broth infused with traditional medicinal herbs, topped with a bright, sweet-and-spicy gochujang sauce paste. It is traditionally paired with their house-made, giant pork-and-vegetable dumplings that come steaming hot to the table.
