When in Seoul: The Best Korean Street Food in Myeongdong

Our favorite Korean Street Food: Gyeranppang

Myeongdong is a feast for the senses. There are a lot of things to see, hear, touch, smell and eat! If you're averse to eating street food, you're missing out. Korean street food is hearty and filling and delicious and satisfying. The night we ventured into Myeongdong, we didn't eat at a restaurant at all. We meandered in and out of stores and in between shopping, we stopped to sample something here, something there until we got to the end of the street, exhausted but satisfied.

So which foods to try for sure?

1. Our favorite is the gyeranppang. This is a soft, sweet and savory cake topped with egg and cheese-- simple ingredients that just warmed our chilly hands and empty bellies. It usually sells for KRW 1500 to 2000 each (so about $1.50) and it's delicious. If I didn't want to try more food, I'd have eaten more of these.

2. Bungeoppang. These are fish-shaped waffle with either red beans or chocolate inside. They come in small sizes (where you get maybe six at a time) or half-palm sizes. Excellent desert.

3. Japchae. If you're in the mood for something savory, these glass noodles are a must! They're made of sweet potato noodles stir-fried in sesame oil and mixed with veggies. Meat, usually beef is also an option.

4. Korean Pancakes or Jeon. These aren't really like American pancakes. Instead, these are more like omelettes except there is flour in it, hence the pancake name. You can choose pajeon-- a veggie pancake with scallion as the main ingredient, or Kimchi jeon-- self-explanatory-- or half and half!

Fishcake, Jeon, Japchae and Tteokbokki stall

Grilled lobster

Grilled Mussels and Oyster on the Shell

Fried Shrimp and Octopus

5. Grilled Seafood. Koreans love their seafood and they are all available on the streets of Myeongdong. Most popular of them all are the fish cakes. It didn't look appetizing to me but the lines are always long for these stalls so I'm going to assume they are indeed good. Mussels, Oysters, Shrimps and of course, Octopus are also available.

6. Sweets. There are ice cream everywhere in February! Hurray! Sweets of varying colors add to the visual appeal of Myeongdong streets.

7. Fruits and Vegetables. Of course, if you're in the mood for something more natural and organic and the like, there are fruit and vegetable stalls as well. Some grill 'em, some juice 'em. All of them taste good.

I didn't even get the chance to photograph the ever-popular Tteokbokki-- which is a rice cake that's swimming in red, spicy sauce. It's not my favorite Korean delicacy, but look out for that, too. A nibble here and a nibble there and you'll surely be full. But if not, restaurants and cafe litter the top floors of the buildings in Myeongdong-- so don't forget to look up.

Xoxo,

Karrisa and Ketie

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