What to Eat in Seoul: 15 Must-Try Korean Dishes

Flying to Seoul in a few days, but still have no idea what Korean dishes you should be trying beyond Kimchi and Korean Barbecue? Don’t worry, I’ve got you!

As cultural travelers, we’re not okay with just scraping the surface and calling it a day. So while Korean barbecue is a must and is wildly delicious, we’re gonna have to dig a little deeper.

After 17 visits and more than 20 years of learning about Korean culture, here’s my list of exactly what to eat in Seoul, from what you’ve heard of before to what locals actually enjoy.

Samgyetang may not be my favorite (sorry), but it is on the list as well for its importance in the local food scene. But we also have the beloved Soft Tofu Stew (Soondubu), and the local favorites like Gukbap and Naengmyeon.

I highly recommend reading this during the day. If this is nighttime for you, please bookmark it for tomorrow. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 😅

The Cozy Food Culture of Seoul

Eating anything in Seoul is a cozy experience, even chugging on Soju. Snacking on street food and sharing a meal with friends and colleagues make up a massive part of Seoul’s culture.

This is why you’ll notice street vendors everywhere as soon as you arrive, and once you visit restaurants, you’ll find menu items reserved for 2 people and above.

Of course, many dishes are eaten individually, too. I’ll mention how the dishes are usually enjoyed as we go, so you know exactly what to expect.

What You’ll Always Find on a Korean Dining Table

Let’s get the basics out of the way before we look at the dishes.

A few things remain constant on the table, no matter which restaurant you’re in and what you’re ordering: Kimchi and its band of side dishes.

Kimchi (김치)

Believe it or not, there are roughly 200 types of Kimchi. My favorite is the Kkakdugi, or the Cubed Radish Kimchi. Most widely known is the traditional Cabbage Kimchi.

There are also Green Onion Kimchi (Pa Kimchi), Baek Kimchi, and many more.

Regardless of the dish you’re ordering, rice or noodles, Kimchi is likely the first thing that gets served, usually in a small plate, and is always on the house.

Banchan: The Side Dishes (반찬)

In most restaurants, other side dishes accompany the Kimchi and are on the house, too. These can be seasoned spinach, steamed eggplants, spicy cucumbers, spicy octopus salad, fried fish, etc.

Now that you know what to expect at every dining table, let’s get this Seoul food party started!

The 15 Dishes to Try in Seoul

I’ll start the list with the foreigners’ favorites, ones you would have heard of a million times if you’ve been interested in K-dramas at all.

This includes the Korean Barbecue, Bibimbap, Soft Tofu Stew, Samgyetang, and Kimbap. These staple dishes will be delicious in most restaurants you enter.

Later down the list are the more low-key dishes Koreans enjoy in their daily lives. I’ll include the place I recommend for each dish, so you get to try the best of them.

Street and traditional snacks are also included. Find them towards the end!

1. Korean Barbecue (구이)

This dish is the most well-known, but also the most confusing. Basically, if there’s a pan or grill over a stove, it’s a barbecue.

There are several types of Korean Barbecue, not just the LA ribs you’re probably used to.

The LA ribs’ Korean counterpart is called Galbi, or, more specifically, Beef Galbi. In Korea, they’re eaten with garlic, chilis, and rice, wrapped in lettuce.

The two most talked about among locals and foreigners are Bulgogi, the thinly-sliced meat, and Samgyeopsal, or the pork belly barbecue.

Another popular type of Barbecue dish is Dak Galbi. This Chuncheon delicacy involves pan-frying marinated chicken meat with cabbage and other vegetables in a spicy sauce.

Lesser known to tourists but beloved by locals for special occasions is the Gobchang Barbecue. Gobchang means the small intestine. Don’t skip this one just because you’re skeptical. It is delicious.

2. Bibimbap (비빔밥)

Bibimbap is one of the most well-known Korean dishes outside of Korea, thanks to overseas Korean restaurants and their Bibimbap-packed menus.

There’s nothing much to be said about this dish except this: Mix it before you eat.

Bibim means “to mix.” When you’re served Bibimbap, with meat, egg, and a myriad of vegetables on top of rice, pour in the chili paste and mix it well!

3. Soondubu: Soft Tofu Stew (순두부찌개)

I like to think of this as Kimchi Stew’s less sour sibling.

While it lacks the sour taste of Kimchi that I love, Soondubu Jjigae makes up for it with the creamier taste and a slightly more aggressive spice.

I personally can’t stand the taste of white tofu, so I usually mash the blocks of soft tofu to bits, almost blending in with the soup, before I eat. To fellow tofu haters, it helps a ton.

Soondubu is usually served in a personal-sized stone pot with rice and tastes best with another stir-fried dish. In Korean pubs, they’re served in a big hot pot for the whole party to share.

(Not me having it so many times that I completely overlooked it and never took any photos… Sorry.)

4. Samgyetang: Ginseng Chicken Soup (삼계탕)

Ginseng Chicken Soup, or Samgyetang, is my least favorite Korean dish. I’m not sorry for saying that. It is a hit or miss for many people. I know friends who love it, too, so try it once if you can.

A whole chicken is stuffed with rice, vegetables, and a piece of Ginseng, then boiled in quite flavorless broth. The dish is served boiling hot in a stone pot, to be enjoyed with the side dishes.

5. Kimbap (김밥)

Despite how similar it looks to hand-rolled sushi, Kimbap contains zero shreds of raw fish, and hence is NOT sushi.

It is not Korean sushi, either, and for historical reasons, I think it’s extremely insensitive to call it that. So avoid doing it at all costs!

Kimbap means “seaweed rice.” It’s made of Korean rice, rolled into seaweed with spinach, kimchi, eggs, and other vegetables. There are various types of Kimbap, too, depending on what goes into it.

While you’ll find Kimbap in most street food tents, there are Kimbap specialty restaurants, too.

Fun fact: Kimbap is the go-to snack for school field trips and picnics!

6. Naengmyeon: Korean Cold Noodles (냉면)

Naengmyeon means cold noodles, sometimes served with crushed ice floating in the broth.

There are many types of Naengmyeon, distinguished by what the noodles are made of (buckwheat, potato starch, flour, etc) and where they originated.

The most common type, Mul-Naengmyeon, came from Pyeongyang, the capital of North Korea. Of course, it came to Seoul before the Korean War, but it remains popular in South Korea today.

You’ll also find Bibim-Naengmyeon, an umbrella term for Naengmyeon dishes topped with spicy sauce.

Best Place to Eat: Wooraeok

Explaining all the Naengmyeon types in detail would take up this entire post. READ HERE for all the information you need on the dish!

7. Gukbap: Korean Rice Soup (국밥)

This subtle rice soup originated in Busan, but is enjoyed by Koreans all over the country.

There’s an inside joke that Gukbap is an old man’s favorite dish. The fact that I like it too means it’s okay for you to try! 😂

Have you watched a lot of Joseon-period K-dramas? Anytime two male characters meet to catch up over a meal, it’s 99% a bowl of Gukbap. It is that yummy, nice, and cozy, though!

To eat it, you take the meat out of the soup, dip it in sauce, and eat it with rice and side dishes, and then drink the remaining soup in the bowl like a child. I promise it’ll heal your soul.

Best Place to Eat: Choonpoong or Gwanghwamun Gukbap.

8. Kalguksu: Knife-Cut Noodles (칼국수)

Nothing screams motherly love in a bowl like steaming hot Kalguksu. Why?

The name of the dish literally means “Knife noodles.” They’re cut by hand with a knife, so the texture is slightly bumpy, sometimes noticeably uneven.

Its broth is next-level healing, especially when you can smell the faint hint of black pepper and seaweed as you slurp.

Have it with a side of Mandu (Korean dumplings) and Kimchi for the best experience.

Best Place to Eat: Biwon Kalguksu, Gohyang Kalguksu

Extra Tip: If you like a nutty taste in food, try the Perilla Seeds Kalguksu, best at Myeongmun Makguksu.

9. Bindaetteok: Mung Bean Pancakes (빈대떡)

Not to be confused with Pajeon, Bindaetteok is made of Mung Bean flour and is much thicker than Pajeon. The best way to enjoy a piece of Bindaetteok is with a side of onions in soy sauce.

For those over the age of 18, let me recommend another “side.” Bindaetteok is the best dish to have with Makgeolli (Korean rice wine). While many things go well with Makgeolli, this one tops them all.

Best Place to Eat: Gwangjang Market, any stall or shop you see first.

10. Korean Fried Chicken (치킨)

There’s no need to compare Korean fried chicken to KFC because KFC won’t stand a chance. I’m American, and I’m not walking that comment back.

I’m not sure how they do it, but it’s so crispy on the outside and yet juicy on the inside, regardless of which part it is. Forget the dry chicken breasts nobody wants. There is no such thing here.

The fried chicken tastes best with a side of white pickled radish, also called Chicken Radish, not Kimchi.

Best Place to Eat: Any branch of BB.Q Chicken, Suwon Chicken Street

11. Jjajangmyeon (짜장면)

This noodle with a black sauce is one of the most popular Chinese-Korean dishes.

It is also one of the cheapest dishes you can get in a restaurant, costing around KRW 7,000. Anything cheaper than this would be sold at a street food cart.

The key point of the dish is the cozy aroma that rises from the fried black bean sauce, which gets even better as you mix it with the noodles. Jjajangmyeon is best enjoyed with yellow pickled radish.

Best Place to Eat: Sinseonglu

12. Ddeokbokki (떡볶이)

A few centuries ago, Koreans would fry plain rice cakes until slightly crispy on the outside and dip them in honey.

Today, it has evolved into a spicy street snack filling enough to be a meal on its own.

Get a plain one with fish cakes at a street food cart for KRW 3,500 or less, or pay ten thousand more for a fancy version with more ingredients in a restaurant, to be shared with a group of friends!

13. Hotteok (호떡)

Hotteok? Is it hot? Yes, it is also hot. But it’s actually Ho-tteok.

Most beloved as a winter street snack, I, for one, will chomp on a hotteok in any season.

These sweet mini pancakes are made fresh and sold at street carts, usually filled with honey and nuts, sometimes cinnamon, too.

14) Yugwa (유과)

This one’s perfect if you prefer less sweet things and need a light snack.

These traditional rice puffs are so light, they’re almost hollow on the inside, and so lightly sweetened, they could taste like a cardboard box on the first bite.

But keep taking those bites, and they’ll grow on you!

Best Place to Eat: Traditional Teahouse Insadong

15. Yakgwa (약과)

These are cookies like you’ve never seen before.

They’re wheat-based, hard but not crispy, and heavy enough to fill you up after only one. Super yummy, though, just be ready to feel a little full. I recommend ordering one at a time.

Best Place to Eat: Traditional Teahouse Insadong

Wanna Try A Lot At Once? Join a Food Tour!

One of the things I love doing the most when I first visit a new country is join a food tour. This way, I get to learn about the most authentic local dishes and how each represents the culture.

The tour I took for Seoul was amazing. Our guide (who became a good friend), Jaehyo, ran it so well that the tourmates all opened up to each other, and I’m still in contact with several of them! Yes, some alcohol is involved. 😉

If you prefer to explore the food scene on your own, check out my guide to dining in Korea before you go. Some older restaurants operate differently and can be confusing!

Don’t stop at the traditional food scene, when cafe culture in Seoul is one of the best I’ve seen. Here are my favorite cafes in the city, where you can enjoy aesthetic Souffle pancakes and more!

Browse the rest of my South Korea guides for more ideas.

Helpful Travel Tips for South Korea

Most visa-free visitors to South Korea need a K-ETA in order to enter Korea. Check if you need one and apply about a week before you travel. This replaces the arrival form.

• Make sure you protect your trip with a travel insurance.
• Get this eSIM for local data without giving up your number.
• Must-have Apps: Papago AI Translator, Naver Maps, Kakao Metro

Read up on how to get from Incheon into the city, so you don’t run into surprises.

Don’t forget to learn some important dos and don’ts in Korean culture, as well as some useful Korean phrases, before you arrive!

Find a Place to Stay in Seoul

Looking for somewhere to stay? Use the map below! Feel free to refer to my guide on Seoul neighborhoods and figure out which area suits your needs best!

Grab My South Korea E-Checklist

To make sure you don’t leave anything important out of your preparations, I’ve made a digital checklist to help you get ready. I leave 2 pages blank for you to customize your own checklist, too!

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