What to Eat in Korea (Ft. An article focused on my favorite foods)
Okay so let me be real with you. Every Korean food blog out there is going to scream at you to eat samgyeopsal, bibimbap, and tteokbokki. And yeah, those are great. But if you're actually coming to Korea and you want to eat like we eat — on a Tuesday afternoon, after work, at 11 PM with friends, or just because you're hungry and don't want to think too hard — this list is for you.
These are the foods I'd actually take a visiting friend to try. The stuff that doesn't always make it into guidebooks but absolutely should.
Let's go.
Quick Overview: The List at a Glance
1. Gogi Guksu (고기국수) — Jeju's Best-Kept Secret
If you're going to Jeju Island (and you should), skip the touristy seafood places one night and find a gogi guksu spot instead.
It's a deceptively simple dish: thick wheat noodles in a milky, deeply savory pork bone broth, topped with slices of boiled pork belly, scallions, and a little seasoned soy sauce. That's it. That's the whole dish. But the broth — oh man, the broth. It's slow-simmered for hours and tastes like someone's grandma has been making it her whole life (because she probably has).
It's Jeju's everyday comfort food. Locals eat it for lunch, for hangovers, for sad days, for happy days. A bowl usually runs around 9,000–10,000 won.
Where to try it: Olreh Gukssu (올레국수) in Jeju City is famous, but honestly any local-looking spot with a line of Korean uncles outside is a safe bet.
2. Convenience Store Lunch Boxes (편의점 도시락) — Don't Sleep On These
I know, I know. "You want me to eat gas station food?" Trust me on this one.
Korean convenience stores — GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24 — sell real meals. We're talking bulgogi rice boxes, spicy pork dosirak, fried chicken sets, kimchi fried rice with spam and egg. Most are around 4,000–6,000 won (about $3–5 USD), and they're surprisingly good.
How to do it right:
Some celebrity chefs even have their own dosirak lines now — look for Baek Jong-won's (백종원) dosirak series, they're legit. And convenience stores are open 24/7, so when you're starving at 3 AM after a night out in Hongdae, you'll thank me.
3. Hansot Dosirak (한솥도시락) — The Take-Out Lunch Box Chain
Hansot is everywhere in Korea, and Koreans treat it the way Americans treat Chipotle — fast, cheap, reliable, and slightly addicting.
It's a take-out lunch box chain where you pick from a menu of around 30+ dosirak options. Fried pork cutlet rice, spicy chicken rice, bulgogi rice, eel rice, beef stew with rice — all freshly packed, all under 7,000 won, most around 4,000–5,000.
My personal recommendations:
It's the meal you eat when you don't want to make decisions. Office workers, students, taxi drivers — everyone eats Hansot. And so should you, at least once.
4. Seolleongtang (설렁탕) — The Cloudy White Soup That Heals Everything
Seolleongtang is one of those dishes you don't appreciate until you've eaten it on a cold morning or when you're hungover, and then suddenly it becomes the most important food on earth.
It's a milky-white beef bone broth — simmered for 10+ hours until the bones literally give up all their flavor — served with thin slices of brisket, glass noodles, and chopped scallions. The broth itself is barely seasoned, which throws foreigners off at first. But that's the point.
How to eat it like a local:
Try: Imun Seolnongtang (이문설농탕) in Seoul — it's been around since 1904. Yes, 1904.
5. Sundae Gukbap (순대국밥) — The Bowl That Scares Tourists (But Shouldn't)
Sundae gukbap is exactly the kind of dish foreigners get nervous about and then fall in love with by the third bite.
"Sundae" here isn't ice cream — it's Korean blood sausage, made by stuffing pig intestines with glass noodles, pork blood, and seasonings. Sounds intense, tastes incredible. Soft, slightly chewy, savory. Now put that in a hot pork bone broth with rice, sliced pork, and green onions. That's sundae gukbap.
Seasoning tip: The bowl comes plain. Add a spoonful of saewoojeot (salted shrimp), a pinch of red pepper powder, and some chopped chives. Mix and slurp.
This is the hangover food. Walk into any sundae gukbap restaurant on a Sunday morning and you'll see groups of office workers nursing bowls in silence. Pure healing.
Where: Look for spots around Sillim (신림) or any old market area. Cheap, fast, and life-changing.
6. Donkkaseu (돈까스) — Korean-Style Pork Cutlet (Not Just Tonkatsu)
Yes, it came from Japanese tonkatsu. But Korean donkkaseu evolved into its own thing and it's so good.
There are two main styles you should know about:
The old-school version is basically Korea's version of a 1980s diner meal, and we love it. The cutlet often hangs off the edges of the plate. That's how you know it's the real deal.
Where to try old-school: Namsan Donkkaseu (남산돈까스) area in Seoul has a row of legendary shops. Go hungry.
7. Golbaengi Muchim (골뱅이무침) — Spicy Sea Snails (Anju Heaven)
Okay this one is anju (안주) — meaning, food you eat while drinking. And it's one of the best ones we've got.
Sea snails (golbaengi), tossed with cucumber, onion, scallion, and a spicy-sweet-tangy gochujang sauce, usually served with so-myeon (thin wheat noodles) on the side. You mix the noodles into the spicy snail mix and eat it together.
It's chewy, spicy, refreshing, and pairs perfectly with cold soju or beer. This is what Korean office workers order at 9 PM on a Friday when they want to keep drinking but need food to soak it up.
Try it at any pojangmacha (포장마차 — street tent bar) or a hof (호프 — Korean beer pub). If you see "골뱅이무침" on the menu, just order it.
8. Chungmu Gimbap (충무김밥) — The Tiniest, Most Flavorful Gimbap
Forget what you think you know about gimbap. Chungmu gimbap is a totally different beast.
It comes from the coastal city of Tongyeong (formerly called Chungmu). Fishermen's wives invented it: they made tiny, naked gimbap rolls — just rice wrapped in seaweed, no fillings inside — so they wouldn't spoil in the heat. The fillings became sides instead: spicy radish kimchi, seasoned squid, and a small bowl of broth.
What's on the tray:
You eat one little gimbap, then a piece of spicy squid, then a bite of radish, then sip broth. Repeat. It's interactive, it's spicy, it's addictive, and it's nothing like regular gimbap.
Where: Chungmu Halmae Gimbap (충무할매김밥) in Tongyeong is iconic. In Seoul, you can find versions at certain market stalls and specialty shops — Gwangjang Market has some.
A Few Honest Tips From a Local
Eat where the working uncles eat. Seriously. If a place is packed with men in suits or construction workers eating in silence with no music playing, the food is good. That's the rule.
Don't be afraid to point. If you can't read the menu, point at what someone else is eating. Restaurant owners genuinely don't mind — they'd rather you order something than walk out confused.
Markets beat restaurants for street food. Gwangjang Market, Mangwon Market, Tongin Market in Seoul, or Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in Busan. This is where real Korean eating happens.
Try the convenience store ramyeon. Pick up a Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen, cook it in the in-store machine, add a triangle gimbap and a soft-boiled egg. Total cost: under 5,000 won. Quality: surprisingly elite.
Soju and food is a package deal. If you're eating golbaengi muchim or sundae gukbap, get a green bottle of soju. It's part of the experience, and at around 2,000 won per bottle, it's basically free.
Pairing Cheat Sheet
If you're not sure what to order together, here's how locals actually pair these dishes:
Final Thoughts
I know a few more hidden local spots, but I’m keeping them a secret for now. If you're curious, drop me an email! 🤫 By the way, I personally love Haejangguk (hangover soup). If you ever visit Jeju, you absolutely have to try Daechun Haejangguk. They serve amazing Haejangguk and Naejangtang (tripe and intestine soup) that you can enjoy clean without any spicy red pepper paste (Dadaegi). I highly, highly recommend it—make sure to check it out!
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