Essentials
Money in Korea
Best exchange rates, ATMs & how to pay
Read guide →Korean cuisine (hansik) is built around balance — fermented sides (banchan), a steaming bowl of rice, and a main dish that changes with the season. Meals are served all at once rather than in courses, and sharing dishes at the table is the norm. The depth of flavor comes from slow-fermented pastes like doenjang (soybean) and gochujang (chili), which form the backbone of soups, stews, and marinades across the country.
Dongdaemun-gu is a 24-hour neighbourhood defined by its massive fashion markets, which draw wholesale buyers and night shoppers around the clock. The food scene is fast, cheap, and designed for people who eat at unconventional hours — naengmyeon restaurants that open at midnight, pojangmacha that come alive at 3am, and kalguksu shops that have served the same recipe for fifty years.
The clam kalguksu is really, really, really delicious🫶🏻🫶🏻 If you go with a group and order buckwheat noodles and clam kalguksu and eat both, it's heaven (**the clam kalguksu is a seasonal menu) It's an endless cycle of Dormamu, where you go to other places and get so frustrated because they're so bad that you keep coming back to this place. Bibimbap stone pot rice? They have a menu, but I haven't tried it (though I've seen people who do). The cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi are so delicious, I'm sure they'd be delicious with plain rice, too. The radish kimchi is seriously delicious. When it was crowded, the inside seating was packed, even the private rooms, not just the main hall. But these days, it seems they've closed off the private rooms altogether. The owner received an award for his charitable work helping those in need. Hye* If you don't like kalguksu (noodles), try the clam kalguksu (noodles with clams). It's so delicious you'll cry while eating it. My personal preference for buckwheat noodles is to mix them, then add broth and enjoy a refreshing meal.👍🏻👍🏻 (***Excluding tables, there's seating for about 20 people. Call for groups.)
