OTHER INFORMATION
MORE ABOUT KOREAN FOOD
BOOKS
With Korean cuisine enjoying increasing popularity overseas, you can find a number of books on Korean food and cooking, including cookbooks for those who’d like to explore the world of Korean food in the comfort of their own kitchen.
•Chang, Sun-Young. A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes. Seoul: Ewha Womans University Press, 1997.
•Chung, Haekyung. Korean Cuisine: A Cultural Journey. Seoul: Thinking Tree, 2009.
•Dong-A Ilbo. Korean Food, The Originality + Korean Food, The Impression. Seoul: Dong-A Ilbo Publication, 2010.
•Hepinstall, Hisoo Shin. Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press, 2001.
•Institute of Traditional Korean Food. The Beauty of Korean Food: With 100 Best-Loved Recipes. Seoul: Hollym, 2008.
•Lee, Cecilia Hae-Jin. Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2005.
•Lee, Cecilia Hae-Jin. Quick and Easy Korean Cooking. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009.
•Kim, Yun-sik. Temple Food to Eat with Your Eyes. Seoul: Seoul Selection. 2009.
•Kwak, Jenny and Fried, Liz. Dok Suni: Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
•Samuels, Debra and Chung, Taekyung. The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimbap—100 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 2008.
ONLINE RESOURCES
•Koreataste www.koreataste.org
Run by the Korea Tourism Organization, this attractive website features restaurant reviews, introductions to Korean dishes, and even interviews with noted experts.
•ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal www.zenkimchi.com
Lots of restaurant reviews, recipes, and commentary, as well as a guide to Korean food.
•Seoul Eats www.seouleats.com
Run by Daniel Gray, a “food loving Delawarean who came to Korea,” the blog focuses on restaurant reviews, but Dan runs a variety of food tour and cooking classes, too.
•Maangchi www.maangchi.com
This blog, created by Korean-born and -raised Emily Kim, features videos of her making Korean food.
•TriFood www.trifood.com
TriFood is “committed to providing information about Korea and its delicious and healthy food.” And indeed, there are tons of recipes, pictures of dishes, and even a glossary of Korean food.
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS
The best way to learn about and experience Korean cuisine is to eat it, of course! Here are some Seoul restaurant selections that will help get you started.
HANJEONGSIK/PALACE CUISINE
Hanjeongsik is a full-course Korean meal featuring rice, soup and a table full of sidedishes. If you’d like to experience Korean traditional cuisine at its most sublime, try Korean royal palace cuisine and eat like a king.
Yongsusan
Goryeo-style royal cuisine served in a beautiful setting. Highly recommended. Located just to the west of Changdeokgung Palace (shop in Samcheong-dong, too).
• Hours noon to 3 pm / 6 to 10 pm • Prices 48,000 to 160,000 won • Getting There Exit 3, Anguk Station, Line 3. Walk toward Changdeokgung Palace and swing a left. Keep walking untill you see Yongsusan on your left. • Tel (02) 743-5999
Doore
This old eatery in the atmospheric Insa-dong district does a variety of jeongsik courses, including one with steamed ribs served in a small green pumpkin.
• Hours noon to 3 pm / 6 to 10 pm • Prices 25,000 to 65,000 won • Getting there From Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station (Line 5), walk toward Insa-dong's main road. At the Insa-dong Intersection, turn right (towards Nagwan Arcade) and enter the first alley on your left. Enter another alley on your right and you should see the restaurant. • Tel (02) 732-2919
Seokparang
Housed in a Joseon-era villa, this lovely eatery specializes in Joseon royal cuisine served on antique ceramics. Located in Buam-dong.
• Hours noon to 3 pm / 6 to 10 pm • Prices Around 95,000 to 155,000 won • Getting There Exit 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3. Take bus 0212, 1020, 1711, 7018, or 7022 to Sangmyung University. The restaurant is a Korean-style building near there. • Tel (02) 395-2500
Dalhangari
Organic Korean home-style hanjeongsik that is tasty and good for you. Located in scenic Samcheong-dong.
• Hours 11:30 am to 10 pm • Prices 20,000 to 70,000 won • Getting There Exit 1, Anguk Station, Line 3. Walk along Samcheong-dong Road until you get to the Prime Minister’s residence. Dalhangari is in front of it. • Tel (02) 733-7902
KOREAN MEAT DISHES
Popular Korean meat dishes include galbi (ribs, either beef or pork), bulgogi (marinated beef grilled atop an open flame), and samgyeopsal (Korean-style bacon). All are popular with foreign diners. The meat is typically eaten wrapped in a lettuce leaf with condiments. NOTE: In Korea, beef is usually more expensive than pork.
Bamboo House
Housed in a stunning Frank Gehry-esque building in the tony Yeoksam-dong neighborhood, this pricey establishment does some of the best Korean barbecue and grill in the country in a multilingual setting.
• Hours 11:30 am to 2:30 pm / 5:30 to 10:30 pm • Prices 40,000 won and up • Getting There Exit 7, Yeoksam Station, Line 2. Walk 10 minutes in the direction of Gyeonbok Apartments (or take a cab—if you’re eating here, money is clearly not an issue). • Tel (02) 555-6390
Cheolgil Wang Galbisal
Wonderful beef galbi, served with outstanding bean paste stew. Very popular with the college crowd near Hongik University.
• Hours 24 hours • Prices Around 25,000 won • Getting There Exit 5, Hongik University Station, Line 2. Walk 20 minutes in the direction of the Sanollim Theater—the restaurant is in the alley across from it. • Tel (02) 332-9543
Maple Tree House
Samgyeopsal with a beautiful wooded garden in Samcheong-dong.
• Hours 11:30 am to 10 pm • Prices Around 30,000 won • Getting There Exit 1, Anguk Station, Line 3. Walk about 20 minutes along Samcheong-dong Road—the restaurant is near Korea Banking Institute. • Tel (02) 730-7461
BIBIMBAP
This simple dish of rice mixed with seasoned vegetables and red chili pepper sauce is fast becoming an overseas favorite. Even Gwyneth Paltrow likes it. It is served in either a metal/plastic bowl or a stone pot (dolsot bibimbap).
Gogung
The southwestern city of Jeonju does the best bibimbap in Korea. If you can’t get there, though, Gogung in Insa-dong does a pretty good Jeonju bibimbap.
• Hours 11 am to 9 pm • Prices Around 10,000 won • Getting There Exit 6, Anguk Station, Line 3. Located in the basement of Ssamziegil in Insa-dong. • Tel (02) 736-3211
Bon Bibimbap
The flagship store of this chain does an assortment of bibimbap at reasonable prices.
• Hours 9:30 am to 10 pm • Prices Under 10,000 won • Getting There Exit 3, Jonggak Station, Line 1. Walk toward Tapgol Park. Turn left just before the park. Gogung is right there, across from the park, near the entrance to Insa-dong. • Tel (02) 736-4288
SOUPS AND STEWS
Korea does many tasty soups and stews, including doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), sundubu jjigae (tofu stew), seolleongtang (milky beef soup), and samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup).
Tobang
This place does standard Korean fare like kimchi jjigae, sundubu jjigae, and doenjang jjigae. Also famous for its marinated crab, which it serves as a side dish.
• Hours 10:30 am to 10 pm • Prices around 5,000 won • Getting There Exit 6, Anguk Station, Line 3. Enter Insa-dong. Tobang is on the left. • Tel (02) 735-8156
Toetmarujip Doenjang Yesul
Also in Insa-dong, this very traditional-style place run by poet Park Jung-sik specializes in hearty North Korean-style doenjang jjigae. Particularly popular is the doenjang bibimbap (rice mixed with vegetables and soybean paste stew).
• Hours 10:30 am to 10 pm • Prices 10,000 to 20,000 won • Getting There Exit 5, Jongno 3-ga Station, Line 5. Enter Insa-dong. Face the Seoho Art Gallery at the Insa-dong Intersection and make a left into the alleyway. • Tel (02) 739-5683
Bukchon Gamasot Seolleongtang
This pleasant Bukchon restaurant in a Korean traditional home specializes in seolleongtang, but it does a good manduguk (dumpling soup) as well as other dishes. Food served on Korean traditional ceramics.
• Hours 11 am to 10:30 pm • Prices 6,000 to 10,000 won • Getting There Exit 1, Anguk Station, Line 3. Located in alley in front of Jeongdok Public Library. • Tel (02) 725-7355
Jiho Hanbang Samgyetang
Samgyetang, or “ginseng chicken soup,” is a Korean summer specialty. A young chicken is stuffed with rice and boiled in a broth of ginseng, jujube, garlic, and ginger.
• Hours 11 am to 10 pm • Prices 12,000 to 14,000 won • Getting There Exit 2, Mia Samgeori Station, Line 4. Walk 10 minutes to Dongseong Car Inspection. • Tel (02) 916-3999
DUMPLINGS AND NOODLES
Korea does a number of unique noodle dishes, including kalgukgsu (knife-cut wheat noodles in a rich broth) and naengmyeon (chilled buckwheat noodles). Mandu (Korean-style dumplings) are also popular.
Myeong-dong Gyoja
A Myeong-dong institution, this popular place is famous for its kalguksu. It also does wonderful bibimguksu (cold wheat noodles served with a tangy red chili pepper sauce) and mandu.
• Hours 10:30 am to 9:30 pm • Prices Under 10,000 won • Getting There Exit 8, Myeong-dong Station, Line 4. Walk about 150 m toward Crown Bakery. • Tel (02) 776-5348
Woo Lae Oak
Serving quite possibly the best Pyongyang-style naengmyeon outside of North Korea, this legendary eatery also does outstanding meat dishes, but be prepared to spend some money—even the relatively cheap bulgogi goes for 28,000 won per serving. You can choose between mul naengmyeon (served in a mild, chilled beef broth) or bibim naengmyeon (served with spicy red chili pepper sauce).
• Hours 11:30 am to 10 pm • Prices 10,000 won and up • Getting There Exit 4, Euljiro 4-ga Station, Line 5. Turn right at the first alley. • Tel (02) 2265-0151
Jaha Son Mandu
This place in lovely Buam-dong does a variety of mandu dishes, including tteokmanduguk (rice cake soup with dumplings), kimchi mandu jeongol (kimchi and dumpling stew), and pyeonsu (steamed Gaeseong-style dumplings).
• Hours 11 am to 9 pm • Prices around 10,000 to 35,000 won • Getting There Exit 5, Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3. Take a taxi from there, as it’s a long walk. • Tel (02) 379-2648
VEGETARIAN
Korea probably could not in fairness be called a paradise for vegetarians, but vegetarian food can be found if you know where to look.
Sanchon
Selected by the Asia Wall Street Journal’s John Krich as one of the ten best restaurants in Asia in 2007, this Insa-dong institution, run by a Buddhist monk, does vegetarian temple cuisine. Meals come with a bewildering assortment of side dishes, and dinner is accompanied by Korean traditional music and dancing.
• Hours 11 am to 10 pm • Prices 22,000 won (lunch), 39,600 won (dinner) • Getting There Exit 6, Anguk Station, Line 3. Head down Insa-dong and turn left into the alley at Atelier Seoul. Sanchon is at the end of the alley. • Tel (02) 735-0312
Baru (Temple Stay Information Center)
On the fifth floor of the Temple Stay Information Center across the street from Jogyesa Temple, this restaurant serves vegetarian Buddhist temple cuisine, with options for 10-dish, 12-dish and 15-dish courses.
• Hours 11 am to 2:30 pm / 5:30 to 9 pm • Prices 25,000 to 50,000 won • Getting There Exit 2, Jonggak Station, Line 1. Walk 70 m to Jogyesa Temple. The Temple Stay Information Center is across the street. • Tel (02) 2031-2081
QUICK KOREAN EATS
Don’t have time for a full meal? There are plenty of places to find low priced, quickly served food like gimbap (rice rolls), ramyeon (instant noodles), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).
Gimbap Cheonguk
Gimbap (rice rolls), mandu (dumplings), and noodle dishes. Great for a cheap meal on the go.
• Hours 24 hours • Prices Under 5,000 won. A chain with shops almost everywhere, this place serves good, cheap Korean fare.
Sindang Tteokbokki Alley
This alleyway near Sindang Station is lined with restaurants doing tteokbokki, one of Seoul’s signature dishes. Rice cakes pan-fried with a spicy red chili pepper sauce, vegetables, dumplings, and noodles, it’s cheap, filling and tasty.
• Hours 24 hours • Prices 10,000 to 20,000 won
Want to get your hands dirty? Here are some places to learn Korean cooking:
•National Palace Museum of Korea (www.gogung.go.kr)
Located on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Palace Museum of Korea holds Korean palace cuisine cooking classes.
•O'ngo Food Communications (www.ongofood.com)
Started by Jia Choi in 2007, this group offers both tours and cooking classes (beginner, intermediate and advanced).
•Korea House (www.koreahouse.or.kr/eng)
Run by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, this beautiful (mostly) hanok cultural center on the slope of Mt. Namsan offers basic kimchi and bulgogi-making classes.
•Tteok Museum (www.kfr.or.kr)
In addition to tteok (rice cakes), this museum, run by the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, also offers classes on making kimchi and other Korean traditional foods.