Korean
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.
Jung-gu
Jung-gu sits at the geographic and commercial center of Seoul, encompassing Myeongdong (K-beauty and street food), Namdaemun Market, and the financial district. The food here spans the full range — from tourist-facing street stalls in Myeongdong to understated lunch joints serving office workers, and traditional Korean restaurants that have operated for decades without needing to advertise.
Korean traditional meals. Almost 100% authentic. Not sure whether chef is korean as helpers mostly Chinese. Good and fast service. Mostly tourists, instead of locals. Was there for gamjatang(pork bone). The pancake and herbal chicken was good too. Price very reasonable. Recommended.
We headed to Myeongdong in the same evening, expecting a huge crowd in this popular area since it was Christmas Eve. Sure enough, we had to squeeze around this area just to bask in the festive mood. After buying 10-won cheese & custard pancake from roadside, which was similar to the ultra popular Osaka Dotonburi's 10-Yen Cheese Coin Pancake (which was delicious by the way)... we scoured the area for dinner place while walking along the way. Spotted this Wondang restaurant that had a queue forming outside and quickly tried out luck - got ourselves a table after 10 minutes. Ordered a Spicy Octopus Pot and quickly regretted my decision upon seeing them putting live octopus into the boiling hot soup 😭 felt guilty watching the octopus struggling and died in front of my eyes. The broth was not too spicy and I quickly finished my dinner and headed back.. asking for forgiveness.
Korean blogger posts. Links open original posts on Naver.
