Where to eat and what to try in South Korea? TOP 10 dishes and prices

Where to eat deliciously in South Korea and what to try from the national cuisine? Consider the prices of food, what products are better to buy for independent travelers, where to eat and what to order in a cafe from traditional dishes, what is the average bill for two travelers in good establishments, what the reviews of gastronomic excursions in Seoul say. In addition, we recommend some excellent Michelin restaurants with city views.

Pizza, pasta, lasagna, foie gras, croissants and even frog legs immediately come to mind when you mention French or Italian cuisine. When we talk about Korean food, only carrots (which really have nothing to do with Korea) and dog-eating horror movies come to mind. In the world, this country is called perhaps the best place for vegetarians, and the most popular show here is the culinary one.

What do they eat in South Korea?

Traditional South Korean food is very varied in content and tastes pungent (so if you have high acidity, stock up on anacids). The main course is always served with various hot snacks and pickles. Unlike other Asian peoples, Koreans use rectangular metal chopsticks for food, and eat rice with a spoon. By visiting Seoul, you will definitely not go hungry!

What to try in South Korea?

Koreans are great masters of soups, grills, snacks and street food. We bring to your attention 10 national dishes that tourists usually recommend to try.

• Kimchi... The most famous and very popular dish, which consists of sauerkraut sauerkraut in red pepper. There are many varieties of this dish: radish, kohlrabi, cucumber, eggplant, radish, seasoned with garlic, ginger, onion juice, etc. Kimchi is used to make soups, wrap it in pancakes, etc.

• Kalbi... Pieces of marinated beef fried in sauce and served with spices. To prepare this dish, certain skills are needed, so it is prepared by experienced chefs for various holidays and feasts.

• Bibimbap... Very easy to prepare and very popular rice dish with vegetables, herbs, egg and various sauces. This dish is included in the menu of airlines flying to South Korea.

• Pulkogi... Slightly sweet barbeque veal. It is very easy to prepare and children like it.

• Hangjongsik... This is a set of dishes that are served at the same time. Refers to the imperial cuisine of the Joseon era. The best chefs came to the ruler and prepared various dishes from the freshest ingredients. The recipes for such dishes have become the mainstay of hanjongsik.

• Chapche... Starch noodles with meat, fried vegetables and sesame oil. May have different names depending on the main ingredient (Korean bell, allspice, red hot peppers, mushrooms). No meal in Korea is complete without this dish.

• Samgyeopsal... Fried pork tenderloin, served with vegetables and a variety of snacks. A very popular dish. So much so that Korea's pork is scarce and is imported into the country.

• Miek-kuk... Soup made from seaweed, beef and soy sauce. It is brewed for a birthday or for mothers who have just given birth. It is a low-calorie food that can help you lose weight and relieve swelling.

• Dishes from seafood... Since Korea is a maritime country, there is a lot of seafood here: fish in batter, pancakes with seafood, tripe soups, raw fish slices.

• Ttok... Rice dessert with fruits, nuts, chocolate, etc. In Korea, you can be offered 100 types of this sweet. It abounds in any supermarket.

Food prices in South Korea in 2021 are low by local standards, many products are cheaper than in other popular Asian countries. But this is for Koreans with their income of $ 3,000, for them going to the restaurant is as common as it is for us to the dining room. For a Russian, Seoul's pricing policy is high. For example, a regular noodle soup can cost a tourist $ 7. Lunch is inexpensive in the food areas of the shopping malls. There, one portion is enough for two.

What to try from street food?

A separate attraction is street food in seoul... In the evenings, the streets in the city are full of vendors of a wide variety of food. It crunches and hisses, it is boiled and steamed. You will see real cooking shows.

Be sure to try these dishes, you will get indescribable pleasure and emotions from the taste:

• Ppondegi - fried silkworm larvae,
• gimbap - various ingredients wrapped in nori sheets,
• sundae - blood sausage dish,
• chimek - spicy chicken,
• keranppan - pies with an egg.

Cheap cafes for local residents are places where everyone can eat inexpensively in Seoul. There is no menu in English, but quite affordable prices and large portions. You will pay about 10,000 won for a meal for two. Many spices and sauces are served with meals for free.

Food prices in Seoul

South Korea is considered an expensive country for Russians. Prices for food in Seoul in cafes and restaurants start from about 7-8 thousand won, very rarely 4-5 thousand. Prices for street food range from 1-4 thousand. The cheapest food, of course, instant noodles cost from 700 to 2.5 thousand won

If you are interested in the question: "Where to eat inexpensive seafood in Seoul?" feel free to go to Noryangjin market... You need to come here in the morning (preferably in the morning before the opening), then you will see what the local fishermen bring. All products can be bought and ordered in small cafes located on the second floor.

Supermarkets constantly hold 1 + 1, 2 + 1 promotions and attractive discounts for a large number of goods. Here are the approximate prices for groceries in Seoul at supermarkets in local won:

• eggs, 1 dozen - 3 thousand
• milk - 2-2.5 thous.
• pork, 1 kg - 5 thous.
• chicken breasts (1 kg) 9-10 thous.
• beef (1 kg) - 34 thous.
• potatoes, 1 kg - 5 thous.
• carrots, 1 kg - 3 thous.
• onions, 1 kg - 3 thous.
• apples, 1 kg - 3-4 thous.
• banana (1 kg) - 4 600 thous.
• oranges (1 kg) - 7 thous.
• tomato (1 kg) - 7 thous.
• bread, 0.5 kg - 2 thous.
• rice (white) (1 kg) - 4 728 thous.
• local cheese (1 kg) - 24,579 thous.

Alcohol prices

• local beer 0.5 l - 3.19 thous.
• imported beer 0.5 l - 3.8 thous.
• wine 0.75 l - 7.8 thous.
• coca-cola 0.5 l - 4.3 thous.
• soju (rice vodka) - 2.7 thous.

How much does it cost to eat at a cafe and restaurant in Seoul?

• meals in an inexpensive cafe when ordering three courses per tourist - 8 thousand
• meals for 2 tourists in a restaurant with a medium price range when ordering three courses - 45 thousand
• Burger in a cafe - 6,500 thousand
• home-made beer (0.5 l. draft) - 4 thous.
• imported beer (0.33 liter bottle) - 6 thous.
• cappuccino coffee - 5 thousand
• Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) - 1,726 thous.
• still water (0.33 liter bottle) - 923 thous.

Where to eat deliciously in Seoul?

• Let's start with where to go to eat national cuisine? We advise you to start with a restaurant Pulhyanggi - Hannam Branch... Address: 146, Hannam-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

It can be reached by taking Subway Line 6 to Hangangjin Station Exit 2. This is a traditional restaurant with a homely feel and quality customer service. Here you can order sesame soup, mushrooms in sauce, rice cakes, acorn jelly. Average bill for two is 18-25 thousand won.

• One of the best restaurants in Seoul is “Mingles"At 757, Seolleung-ro in Gangnam District.

It has excellent cuisine and excellent service. If you are interested in national dishes, we recommend ordering a set consisting of small portions of these same dishes. The price, of course, is high, but you will try a little bit of everything. Dinner for two will cost $ 100.

• Where to eat in Seoul European cuisine? The most famous restaurantL'impasse81"Located at: 17-1, Donggyo-ro 30-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul 03985.

There is excellent French cuisine here: lamb steak, lamb tail, pates, sausages, desserts. The average bill for 2 people is $ 110.

Where to go for a delicious dinner?

A special bonus for those who have read the material to the end. We recommend visiting Seoul restaurants with a Michelin star and city views.

• The first one is a restaurant Pierre gagnaire, which receives almost three Michelin stars every year. It is located on the 35th floor of the Lotte Hotel Seoul Executive (from 440 thousand won per night, approximately 23 thousand rubles). Needless to say, the view from the windows of the restaurant during an evening dinner is simply amazing.
• Second restaurant - Gotgan, located in the west of Seoul in the Yeouido District on the 50th floor, address: 24 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu. If you have enough finances, you will never forget these places and the impressions received. Service, service, food - everything is at a high level. The staff speaks English.

Reviews of tourists about food in South Korea boil down to the fact that the food here is hearty, tasty, unusual, and varied. You will never be hungry here, and the number of dishes or products that you try, you will not try anywhere else.

Tours in Seoul in Russian

Life hacks for a profitable trip

We recommend using the tried and tested advice that our readers use most often. In order to find great deals on accommodation, tickets and other items when planning your vacation:

• We advise you to economically insure your health and life while traveling through Tripinsurance, the service works only with trusted large insurance companies, which already inspires confidence. You just have to choose the most profitable option, but it's better not to save on health.
• Flights? We advise you to use Aviasales empirically.
• We advise you to install the RumGuru application on your smartphone, so you can choose any living space even upon arrival in the city, it is very convenient on a business trip or during an unplanned vacation in real time to find a free apartment, hotel or hostel.
• You may also find our selection of useful tourist apps useful.