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Depending on one's palette, quality food in Seoul can be dirt cheap or relatively pricey. Street food in Seoul is safe and tasty, and high-end restaurants are generally a good value as well. Much Korean cuisine is made specifically to be shared with a group so solo-travelers may get some strange looks eating alone.
The Jamsil branch of this upscale Japanese restaurant features elegant syokudo (a la carte) and teishoku (set menu) dishes including fresh sushi, pork cutlet, tempura, and sashimi rice bowls. Located in the basement of the Sofitel Ambassador hotel, Kobachi's sleek, minimalist interior perfectly complements the delicious, yet understated food. They also serve Japanese beers, highballs, and sakes from a nice list.
Cold buckwheat noodles are the specialty at this famed Gwangwahmun staple, where there's usually a wait to get inside. Despite its Michelin-star status the restaurant is nothing fancy, but visitors often take their food to-go and eat at the nearby Cheonggyecheon Stream.
A popular Korean barbecue restaurant near Samgakji Station, sophisticated Mongtan produces their unique flavor by pre-cooking meat over straw before the final finish on a pan grill. There is an in-house butcher of sorts, and visitors can watch as their cuts of meat are pulled from the fridge and scored before cooking. While the restaurant serves a mean samgyeopsal (pork belly), their specialty is the woodae-galbi (aged, bone-in beef ribs) which is a slightly sweet, smoky meat served with charred scallion and a thick rice-cake. Naengmyeon (cold, buckwheat noodles) and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) are common additions to the meal. While there is little to complain about in terms of taste and service, a table is difficult to come by and waits can take up to two hours.
Like many steakhouses the world over, the 37 Grill and Bar at the Conrad Hotel has dark, plush interiors, an old-world vibe, and a traditional surf and turf menu. What sets it apart is the 37th-floor location that has panoramic views of the Han River, the Seoul skyline, and N Seoul Tower rising up from atop Namsan mountain. It’s also notable for prioritizing sustainable seafood.
Up until a few years ago it was impossible to get proper New York–style pizza in Korea, but Brick Oven, along with a few other upstarts, helped change that. This establishment set the standard for crispy thin crust pies in town, and are widely considered to be the best in the game. They also offer a number of nice craft beers on tap, so if you'd like a change from Korean food, consider stopping by.
For meat and spice-lovers only, Dongin-Dong serves a delicious bowl of beef ribs cooked on the bone with a heaping amount of garlic and chilies. It's the kind of meal worth breaking out in a sweat for and customers often order bowl after bowl of rice to soak up the last of the sauce (not to mention mitigating the spiciness). Also recommended are the mercifully less-spicy pork pancakes and other pan-fried delicacies. Just be sure to remember your breath mints.
This café on the first floor of Insadong's Kong Art Space serves excellent classic Korean sweets. Chef Yong-il Sin has used his experience at the Swiss Consulate and high end restaurants to reinvent classic desserts like sweet tteok and ju-ak rice cakes. There are only a few seats in the tiny café, but on a nice day it is a perfect take-out snack to have while wandering the streets of Insadong.
Set within a renovated hanok (traditional Korean house), this restaurant serves homemade Japanese food. There is often a wait, but groups of four or more can reserve a dining room in advance by phone.
At this eight-table contemporary Korean fusion restaurant near Changgyeonggung Palace, expect small, artfully presented plates such as ceviche, octopus, and scallops. There's a nice selection of natural wines to pair with the dishes and a burrata appetizer to start.
Done up in bright red and neon in the style of a Chicago pizzeria, the Jamsil branch of this Seoul chain will scratch your itch for American-style pies. The sizes range from personal pies to big pizzas that can feed several adults. They also also serve deep dish and baked spaghetti, if you're in the mood. This establishment is take out only.
Come here for the house speciality, kongguksu, a velvety, chilled bowl of noodles in a soybean-milk soup, topped with mild kimchi. The rich broth is made from freshly ground soybeans, complementing the chewy wheat noodles. Jinju Jip is also known for its mandu dumplings, spicy bibimguksu mixed noodles, anddak calguksu, a knife-cut chicken noodle dish.
Although this restaurant has the Korean word for buckwheat (memil) in their name, Memilhyang Guejip's main draw is their dak-bokkeum-tang (Korean braised chicken stew). They are best known for their spicy version smothered in cheese. The stews are cooked in front of you with the toppings of your choice. Leave some room; when you’re done with the meat, you can opt to have rice mixed in.
Mug for Rabbit shows that the boutique cupcake trend isn't dying out, it's just moving to Asia. Located on Seoul's trendy Garosu-gil café and shopping street, Mug for Rabbit serves homemade cupcakes and coffee in a gallery-like atmosphere. The cupcakes, though tiny, are fluffy and moist with the frosting complimenting the cupcake without overpowering it. The coffee, while not the best in town, is definitely a step above the chain coffee shops nearby. Mug for Rabbit is a good place to take a break, people watch, and have just a little something sweet.
Seoul's main fish market, Noryrangjin makes for one of the city's most unique dining experiences. Walking by tanks of snapper, giant crabs, jellyfish, and an astonishing variety of other seafood, visitors can chose a fish and head down to the market's basement to have it prepared and cooked. Sashimi is usually served with a tart vinegared chili sauce, raw garlic, chilies, and lettuce leaves to wrap everything up. Afterwards you can have the bones made into a spicy soup. While Noryrangjin is great for both the freshest fish and the experience itself, it is a fish market so it is not the place to wear your nicest shoes.
It can be hard to find authentic Chinese food in Seoul (Korea tends to feature fusion dishes like jajangmyeon [noodles in black bean sauce],tangsuyuk [sweet and sour pork], and jjampong [spicy seafood noodle soup]), which is why Paljinhyang is a breath of fresh air. This is one of the few places in the city where you can get Peking Duck, though you should be prepared to pay for it. They also offer high end versions of Korean-Chinese favorites, like "Olive Beef Rib Jajangmyeon," and "Korean Pork Shoulder Tangsuyuk."
Open by reservation only, this Italian fine-dining restaurant is headed by Korean chef Yun-Kwon Uh, who refined his culinary talent in Italy, most notably at the Four Seasons hotel in Milan. Ingredients are flown in daily, and the focus is on hyper-fresh, simple, and healthy cuisine. Ristorante Eo achieved one Michelin star in the 2017 inaugural Michelin guide to Seoul and another in 2018, then received The Plate rating in 2019 and 2020.
This neighborhood barbecue restaurant serves up a variety of hanwoo beef as well other favorites such as samgyeopsal (pork belly). The prices vary drastically depending on which cut you're keen on, but Sammi's staying power has been its consistent commitment to quality.
The star recipe of this restaurant is sundae (Korean blood sausages); their menu has traditional sundae soups as well as modern takes like sundae steak. Even those who usually don’t like sundae or are nervous about trying it leave with a newfound appreciation for this Korean delicacy.
Seasonal ingredients guide the menu at this intimate contemporary Korean bistro that often incorporates worldly flavors. You might order home-style classics like cold buckwheat noodles, grilled pork belly, or seoritae (black soybean) with mascarpone or a vegetable lasagna.
The proximity to the National Assembly Building and various other government offices makes this Korean barbecue restaurant a popular lunch and dinner spot for politicians. The understated, art deco-style dining room features gold-tinted accents, marble tabletops, and a menu of prime Korean beef and pork served with the requisite side dishes including kimchi, pickled radishes, bean paste, and whole garlic cloves.
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