Tag: dumplings

Eating at the most classic Seoul’s market: Gwangjang

Not all touristy locations are the same. Some are tourist traps, but some are able to retain some of their authenticity and remain an interesting destination. In my opinion Gwangjang Market falls into the latter category and it is a fun place where to try Korean street food. This is my experience of a visit at around 11am on a weekday.

The visit

My visit started from the exit 7 of the Jongno 5(o)-ga Station of the Seoul metro. From there, it was just 10 meters to enter the fray.

Eventually I sat down at the stall number 3 where an energetic lady served me some delicious kimchi dumplings.

Then I stepped inside a restaurant called Jinju Yukhoe specializing in raw meat. It was a waste, but I just had a mungbean pancake. This is a relatively crispy and thick pancake that I thoroughly enjoyed.

At the center of the complex, there was a stall specializing in knife-cut noodles made famous by a Netflix special.

The market is not just food. They are also famous for quality silk goods, linen bedding and hand-made goods. The market was formally established in 1962 as a spin-off of Dongdaemun Market.

The check

The food was very affordable and delicious. The pancake cost me just 5,000 WON and so much for the dumplings (they even gave me a little discount because I did not want the soup and they were considerably cheaper than from Bukchon Son Mandu).

This was my first visit and I played it safe with a couple of softballs like dumplings and pancakes. But I definitely would like to try the raw meat. Also, I was unable to find the stall specializing in spicy fish stew (Maeun-tang). For another time.

Where in Seoul:
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 
Metro: Jongno 5(o)-ga Station (subway line 1) exit 7, roughly 15m away.  Euljiro 4(sa)-ga Station (subway lines 2, 5) exit 4, roughly 150m away.
Website: www.kwangjangmarket.co.kr.

Trying Korean dumplings from Bukchon Son Mandu

Bukchon Son Mandu is a popular shop selling several types of Korean dumplings, called mandu. The Korean dumplings were once part of the Korean royal cuisine and are now a fixture in street food.

The visit

I went to the store in Insadong during my trip to Seoul in October 2018.

There is usually a little bit of queue since the seats available are very limited, but I was lucky to find a spot upon my arrival.

As you can see from the picture, all you get to sit is a stool. It is a very casual place.

I ordered the combination platter that included 3 types.

The ball mandu should be a gullin mandu (굴린만두) and contained vegetables and pork. Very easy to eat! Then there was a steamed mandu (찐만두, jjinmandu), on the right, filled with with pork and kimchi. Finally, the set had a deep fried mandu filled with pork and other condiments taken from a dish called japchae. This last dumpling was a twigim mandu (튀김만두 ).

I wish I could say that these dumplings were crazily good as so many online do, but I found them pretty bland. Yet, I would not discourage anyone from trying them!

The check

The combination dumpling platter cost 9,000 WON (or 8 USD). From what I read online, the price had recently been raised at the time of my visit (previously, for several years, the same dish was 8,000 WON).

There was also a bigger combination platter definitely meant to be shared that included a shrimp dumpling that I did not try. If you are in Insadong or you come across another of these stores, it is a nice way to taste this kind of Korean food.

Where in Seoul:
42-5, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu
In Korean: (우) 03146종로구 인사동길 42-5
Tip: it is a couple of blocks North of exit 2 of Anguk Station. Follow the signs for the Constitutional Court, pass it leaving it behind to your left, and turn right at the next major intersection. There are other outlets around town.