Korean Food Hunt (2014)

Here are some of the must try Korean food / food I'd tried in Korea.

#1 Naengmyeon (냉면 - Cold Noodles)

There are different kind of Naeng Myeon available and the one I chose was Mul Naengmyeon. (물냉면) If you like it hot and spicy, I would recommend the Bibim Naengmyeon.(비빔 냉면) In Korea, all your meals comes with Banchan (반찬), which are small side dishes that can be refilled at no charge at all. I was being served with some picked radish and kimchi as side.

Mul Naengmyeon. (물냉면) - 5000won.
I think this is one of the best thing I had eaten in Korea in summer. This is so cold and refreshing! The cold broth comes with half an egg, thinly shredded cucumber, radish, buckwheat noodles sprinkled with sesame seeds. There is also some mustard. (green wasabi on the left edge of the bowl) I added a little too much and it cleared my nose! Honestly, there won't much ingredients in it but it tasted so delicious. The buckwheat noodles are so chewy and savory! Yum.

#2 Bibimbap (비빔밥)

Bibimbap (비빔밥) - 5000won

#3 Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap (불고기돌솥비빔밥)

I love bibimbap. This one was alright. I'd tasted better bibimbap in Singapore though. Filled with seafood, leafy greens, beansprouts, black fungus and sprinkled with sesame seeds. However, I really love the potato side dish.

Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap (불고기돌솥비빔밥) - 6000won


This one is really worth it! With an additional 1000won, the dish was served in a hot stone bowl and comes with various side dishes and a bowl of hot soup. Additional gochujang bottle was given in case it wasn't spicy enough.

Sizzling deliciousness. I think the hot stone bowl gives it a slight charred taste to the rice. The ground beef, leafy greens, fungus, egg and Gochujang fusion. I think in the future I will only order dolsot bibimbap as it makes a whole lot of difference!

Kimchi and some corn and carrots in generous amount of mayonnaise

Kimchi Dubu soup (Kimchi and Tofu Soup)

#4 Tteok Manduguk (떡만두국 - Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup)

Tteok Manduguk (떡만두국) - 5500won
If you love dumplings and rice cake like me, why not have both? It is basically a warm bowl of egg drop soup (beaten egg in hot soup) with vegetables, dumpling and tteok (rice cake). I love the generous portion of flavourful dumpling (like seriously tons of dumpling with a lot of chives and meat) and chewy tteok topped with seaweed. Highly recommended!

#5 Korean Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken with a bottle of coke, pickled radish, sauces (chilli and mustard), and a bowl of korean crackers. - 27 000 won. In Korea, you have to try the korean fried chicken. Chicken and Meokju (beer) However, we didn't really like beer so we had some cola.

A really huge portion of fried chicken on the left with the the sweet and spicy sauce and on the right plain. I don't know what they use in the sauce but it taste like sweet and spicy chilli sauce with a little marmite. I like the plain one dipped in mustard.

#6 Lotteria

Bulgogi burger set meal - Bulgogi burger, french fries and coke - 5300won

I figured I have to try some Korean fast food while I am in Korea. I don't really like the burger though, the meat patty is kind of slimy with a lot of mayonnaise (does not taste like the mayo I used to eat) French fries are really dry too. It is kinda of a disappointment. Maybe it is just that outlet. I'll be sure to try it a second time before concluding it is bad!

#7 Have cup of tea or coffee while chilling in a cafe!

I was chilling in Chloris Tea & Coffee cafe (second floor) in Hongdae! Really great ambiance and the ladies at the counter were polite. My cup of Lemon grass tea (I can't remember the price but I think it was around 5000won?) The prices of coffee and tea in Korea is about the same in Singapore. Around 5-7bucks. I really love this lemonade like drink with subtle hint of lemongrass fragrance! If you have time, chill here while reading a book.

#8 Krispykreme

Yes you read it correctly, Krispykreme! As many of you know that the Krispykreme donuts in Singapore is way overpriced. An original glazed doughnut will cost you S$2.60 and even if you buy in a dozen (you might not want to eat so many), it still cost you around $1.90. In Korea, you can get a doughnut for 1000won. (Around S$1.10-S$1.30)

Original glazed - 1000won
Fluffy fried goodness with sugar. Sinful but heavenly!

Fifa World Cup is ongoing and how about a chocolate doughnut with some icing? Soccerball - 1200 won
This is a little too sweet. However, I do love the lemon gooey filling in the middle. Adds a little sourness to neutralize the sweetness.


There are definitely more yummylicious food in Korea but here are some of the ones I tried during my short stay in Korea. Do let me know what good food to try in Seoul!

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Backpacking Alone: GS25 is your good friend

When backpacking alone especially for many days/months, you might just want to crawl into a cheap place to settle your meal. Here comes the convenience store to your rescue. Unlike the convenience store in Singapore, most of the convenience store in Korean has got tables, chairs and tissue paper etc. available.

Ottogi - Ramen Bokki (a.k.a Rappoki) - 475kcal - 1000won

I was craving for some instant noodles that night. Basically Rappoki is ramen in tteokbokki sauce which is a little sweet and spicy at the same time. I like how they put the cooking time on the lid - "4 minutes". This task was number #19 on Seoulistic's bucket list - 101 things to do in Korea - "Eat ramen at a convenience store like in a Korean drama".

In my opinion, all korean ramen taste pretty much the same in terms of thickness and texture. (Maybe it's just me) It is the soup base/seasoning that differs. I was sweating by the end of this bowl of Ramen Bokki. Pretty spicy!

Ottogi - Jin Ramen (Hot) - 480kcal - 950 won.

I bought this because it was on promotion! The only Korean instant noodles I have tasted is by Nong shim and this tasted very similar to the spicy mushroom flavour that they have. I love this soup base.

You can see the mushroom and vegetable bits here. 

During my stay there, I have only seen high school kids eating ramen during the afternoon/night. The lady at the cashier is very friendly and seem to know a lot of kids that popped by.

Haneul -Bokkeum Kimchi - 120kcal. I can't remember how much this cost.

I bought this as a side dish to go with my spicy ramen.This pack of kimchi comes with really soft spam. (a.k.a luncheon meat) The spam made the whole thing really gooey and slimy. I should have gotten the normal Kimchi but I was feeling a little adventurous.

Sahmyook Foods - Black bean calcium (검은콩 칼슘두유) - 140kcal - 900 won

I was curious how black bean milk differs from soya milk. After drinking it, I realized it tasted like thick soya milk but with a burnt smell?  I can't explain it perhaps you might want to try it out yourself. I can taste some bean dregs in it so this is not exactly smooth. However, the most nutritious part of a bean are the dregs that were left behind if you don't mind its texture.


Chicken Patty on Bibimbap - 250kcal - 1000won. I mean what could go wrong with a chicken patty?

The patty is tender and taste like some sweet barbecue/ teriyaki sauce goodness with bibimbap on the bottom. The rice was not spicy at all but a little overcooked. It was delicious though.

Having some Samgak Kimbap (삼각김밥 - Triangle Kimbap) - 2 for 1500won.

Bulgogi (불고기)
Marinated Pork with Gochujang (제육 볶음) - 298kcal

Really thoughtful packaging - I can separate the two samgak kimbap along the middle line of the sticker.

I love the tender bulgogi. (beef) The marinated pork with gochujang was a little spicy.

Woong Jin (웅진) - Honey & Red Ginseng Drink 꿀홍삼 드링크 - 135kcal - 1300 won.
I tried the Honey water drink (1200 won) but it tasted too sweet. This one is not really a pleasant drink as there is a ginseng taste but the sweetness of the honey kind of made it better. I downed a couple of this for the first few days and it helped relieve my bad cough and flu a little. They do have warm versions on the warm rack but it costs 2000 won more.

Maeil - Apple Yogurt. - I can't remember the price of this.

Yogurt with apple bits in it. I personally find it a little thick to be considered a drink.

Petitzel - White Coco - 95kcal
Petitzel - Caramel (Milk & Egg Pudding) -2000won


For those who watched "You who came from the stars", the lead actor Kim Soon Hyun shot a CF promoting the pudding last year.

The pudding comes with a pack of caramel syrup. Pretty classy packaging.

I'd tasted a few custard pudding which are lumpy but this one is really soft and smooth. Sweet pudding with caramel sauce which is not too bitter. Sadly there was only one flavour available in this outlet. I would love to try the other flavours.

Petitzel - White Coco - 95kcal
All I can taste when I eat this was the Nata de coco. The pudding was just sweet and only has a very mild coconut taste. Only if it has a stronger coconut flavour to it. It is pretty smooth though.


That's about it for my adventures in GS 25!

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12 Must Try Korean Street Food

#1 Mandu (만두) - Korean Dumplings

There are different kinds of mandu available here in Korea: Pan-fried, steamed, boiled so you might wanna try out a few versions. The one I had was 찐만두 - Steamed mandu.

I bought mine in Namdaemun market while shopping. There was a huge crowd and I got curious. I waited for some of the crowd to disperse before I was able to get some.

Koreans like to sell things in a pack/bundle so it is always cheaper when you buy more.

The mandu pricing: 1 for 1000 won, 3 for 2000 won and I can't remember how much it is cost for a dozen but it is definitely cheaper. It makes sense to buy 3 at one go.

These are pretty huge, slightly smaller than the diameter of a baseball. There are two flavors available - Pepper pork / Kimchi pork(Bright orange red). By the way a lot of food in Korean especially mandu has pork in it so it's non-halal.

It is not like those Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumpling) but it not too dry. This is pretty peppery stuffed with pork, vegetables and glass noodles. I absolutely love the Mandu skin. Korean love food that are 쯜깃쯜깃 - Chewy. The skin has a chewy texture, in between that of a steam bun and teok (rice cake). I will definitely recommend this if you are popping by Namdaemun market.

The Kimchi flavor one is surprisingly not that Spicy. The stuffings are similar but with additional kimchi. I was pretty stuffed after eating 3! (I think it is because of the mandu skin and generous portion of meat) This is proof that 2000 won can buy you a meal.

#2 Steamed Bun With Red Bean (왕찐빵)

There is a long queue for this at Namdaemun market as well. I forgot to snap a picture of the location but it is easy to spot, with a large banner across the store. Apparently their buns made it on Korean TV.

Pricing 1 for 1000won, 5 for 2000won. I mean how ridiculous can it gets? I was backpacking in Korea alone so only got 1 for myself. Imagine it will only cost 400won if I got 5 and I am paying more than twice the amount for this. Korea is really a place for people travelling in groups.  :(

It was raining so this warm bun made me felt really good! I think it was worth the price though. The bun again is  쯜깃쯜깃 - Chewy! I really love it. Red bean paste is not too sweet and I finished the whole bun within minutes. Kind of missing it back here in Singapore. Thumbs up!

#3 Gyeranbbang (계란빵 - Egg bread)

I saw many recommendations for this Egg bread. You can almost find it at any street food alley but these Gyeranbbang selling near Ewha Womans University are really famous.

Version 1- In the mould. These are flat ovals - 1 for 1000won. The man selling this was really friendly.

Be careful not to scald your tongue because this is pretty hot. The bread is like a cake/waffle slightly sweet and salty with one whole egg in it. Delicious!

Version 2 - Muffin style in a cup. 1 for a 1000 won as well. This one is selling closer to the subway exit while the version 1 is closer to the university.

I really love the fluffy bread. It is larger, sweeter than version one with a completely different texture.

This has a whole egg in it as well. If you ask me, I love both of them and it depends on what kind of texture you want: Chewy soft or fluffy soft?

#4 Hoddeok (호떡 - Brown sugar syrup pancake)

Again, this is a very popular street snack you can find in a lot of places. I saw a lot of blogs mentioning about the Hoddeok but they did not mention that there are several variations of Hoddeok available here in Korea. I shall do just that!

Version 1 - The hollow crispy circle. 1 for 1000 won.

I would have absolutely love this if it is piping hot. I got mine near Ewha Womans University but too bad it is cold. It taste crispy like some Chinese pastry with sweet brown sugar and black sesame seeds inside. The sugar is not liquid like but dried on the inside of the Hoddeok. I would say that this more like a pastry than pancake.

Version 2. - Chewy pancake in a cup! 1 for 1500won selling along the Myeong Dong shopping district.

This is piping hot. I scalded my tongue because of the flowing syrup! Absolutely love this. Sweet pancake!

Version 3. - Crispy and chewy pancake with nuts! 1 for 1500won. I bought mine in the food section (Basement 1 of Shinsegae Department Store)

This is my favourite as it tasted the best out of the 3. Piping crispy and chewy pancake cut opened and showered with different kind of nuts and seeds. If I would to rank them:
1) Version 3
2)Version 2
3) Version 1

Let me know which one you prefer in the comment box! :)

#5 Sausages on a stick

1 stick for 3000 won. This is the first snack stall I found once I exited the subway to Myeong Dong shopping district. It looks pretty ordinary but there different kind of sausages in there. The second and the fourth sausage from the top has teok wrapped in it. One of it has cheese in it and one tasted like curry/paprika?

It is pretty unique but a little oily though.

#6 Cane Ice Cream (지팡이아이스크림)

Original flavor (Vanilla) 1 for 2000 won. These are making a craze in Korea and right now you can only find them in Korea.

There are other flavours like Strawberry and Chocolate which cost more though (3000-4000 won). The cane is made of corn. It kind of taste like breakfast corn cereal but chewy with vanilla ice cream. I really love this! I hope they start selling them in Singapore.

#7 Jajangmyeon (자장면- Black Bean Noodles)

1 bowl for 3000won. I didn't want to eat too much carbs as it is very filling so this small bowl of Jajangmyeon is great. Comes with a slice of pickled radish at the side. Compared to those Jajangmyeon I have in Singapore, these are thicker, slightly chewier that is good for slurping. The sauce is darker with larger chunks of onion and minced meat. Pretty good.

#8 Tornado potato

Super long stick of fried swirly potato at 3000 won per stick. There are different kind of seasoning powder available: Garlic, Cheese and Chilli so you can feel free to roll on it. I purchased mine in Myeong Dong.

This tasted similar to potato chips, just that it is softer, thicker and less crispy. I regret dipping mine in cheese seasoning because I do not like the smell in it. (Smell like those packet cheese that comes with your pizza) and it is sweet.

It is pretty tasty in my opinion. However, I find this really oily so if you don't like oily food you might want to pass this. I found Tornado potato selling Taiwan but they are not available in Singapore yet.

#9 Jeon (전 - Pancake)

There are so many kind of jeon in Korea! The two kind I tried were Bindaetteok, (빈대떡) - made with mung beans, vegetables and some seafood, and Saengseonjeon (생선전) - made with fish.

After negotiation with the ahjumma, I managed to get this Jeon for 10000won. Originally she wanted to sell the Bindaetteok for 7000won and the Saengseonjeon for 5000won. (So it's a 2000 won discount)She was pretty rude though.

Jeon are sold in large portion so if you are backpacking alone you might wanna give it a miss or just you can buy it back and microwave in the hostel as this is pretty filling. Luckily I went with my Korean friend and we shared this huge portion!

#10 Tteokbokki (떡볶이 - Spicy Rice Cake)

1 plate for 2000 won. These rice cakes are larger than the ones I ate in Singapore. Basically it tasted like sweet chilli sauce with chewy rice cake. Pretty good! Some of Tteokbokki comes with Odeng (fish cakes) but this one only has rice cakes in it.

#11 Soondae (순대)

Pork blood sausages! This is selling at 7000 won a plate but I was in Gwangjang market alone so the Ahjumma was kind enough to sell me 5000 won worth of Soondae. She was really friendly and offered me a piece of Tteokbokki and wrapped up the remaining Soondae for me when I was not able to finish it.

Blood sausages are made with pork intestine stuffed with glutinous rice, glass noodles and pork blood. There are however some that uses cow intestines so you will have to ask.

There are different kind of soondae such as the one I had is most common one. It is surprising good. There is no pork smell and it is chewy with a slight pepper taste. The pork livers on top however is overcooked.

This is a must try if you are in Korea!

#12 Odeng soup (오댕국)

2000 won for Odeng Guk. The broth is sweet! Soft odeng with fried beancurd skin. This is one of the most common street food you can find.

I hope you guys find this post useful and have good food when you are in Korea!

There are more Korean street food that I have yet to try so I will continue a Part II my next trip to Korea.(Not so soon - 2015)

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