Seoul Food Guide 2026: 5 Best Places for Samgyeopsal, Hanwoo, Samgyetang, Dak Hanmari & Gwangjang Market

Samgyeopsal on the grill with garlic and onions — Wikimedia Commons photo

At a glance

Samgyeopsal: Eongteori Saenggogi Hongdae · all-you-can-eat raw meat · 11:00~23:00
Grilled hanwoo: Byeokje Galbi Bangi · Bangi Station Exit 4 · last order 21:00
Samgyetang: Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang · 41 Bukchon-ro · 09:00~21:00
Dak hanmari: Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley · Dongdaemun Station Exits 8 and 9 · open until 01:00 the next day
Market food: Gwangjang Market · Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 8 · food alley 09:00~23:00
Michelin Guide listings: Byeokje Galbi Bangi, Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang
Sundays: Gwangjang Market closes but the food alley opens
Sources: Korea Tourism Organization and Seoul official tourism guides (checked September 2026)

5 Seoul restaurants picked by dish — samgyeopsal at Eongteori Saenggogi Hongdae, grilled hanwoo at Byeokje Galbi Bangi, samgyetang at Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang, dak hanmari at Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley, and market food at Gwangjang Market. All 5 are listed on the official Korea Tourism Organization pages, and Byeokje Galbi and Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang also appear in the Michelin Guide. Each entry gives the signature dish, hours and a map link, plus the subway exit where an official source lists one.

Five Dishes to Eat in Seoul, and Where

On a first visit to Seoul there is too much to eat and choosing is hard. So we narrowed it down to 5 — samgyeopsal, grilled hanwoo, samgyetang, dak hanmari, and the market food of Gwangjang Market. These are the dishes no Korea trip skips.

Restaurants were chosen only from those listed on the official Korea Tourism Organization pages. Among them, Byeokje Galbi Bangi and Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang also appear in the Michelin Guide.

For each restaurant we note the signature dish and hours, and the subway exit where an official source lists one. Below each entry sits an address card plus Naver, Google and Kakao map links. Show the address card to a taxi driver as is.

1) Samgyeopsal — Eongteori Saenggogi Hongdae (Mapo-gu)

A Hongdae grill house where the samgyeopsal never runs out. The Korea Tourism Organization introduces it as "a Hongdae signature restaurant where you can eat unlimited grilled samgyeopsal."

What to order — the signature is the all-you-can-eat raw meat: samgyeopsal, moksal (pork neck), deungsim (loin) and chadolbage (beef brisket). Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) is also served.

Hours — 11:00~23:00, open all year. Phone 02-345-9588.

2) Grilled Hanwoo — Byeokje Galbi Bangi (Songpa-gu)

Grilled galbi and mushrooms on a charcoal tabletop grill — Wikimedia Commons photoayustety (a flickr user) — Korean.food-Galbi-03.jpg (위키미디어 공용)

A hanwoo galbi house listed in the Michelin Guide Seoul 2023. It serves many hanwoo cuts, from loin and galbi to sagol (leg bone). Seoul's official tourism guide explains that the restaurant uses hanwoo aged for 4 to 7 days and that its marinade — flavored with 7 ingredients built on soy sauce, syrup, spices and salt — is the secret.

What to order — Seolhwa Saenggalbi (설화생갈비) and Seolhwa Kkotdeungsim (설화꽃등심) are the signature dishes. Naengmyeon, seolleongtang and hanwoo kkoritang (oxtail soup) are also on the menu.

Getting there — 176m from Exit 4 of Bangi Station on Line 5.

Hours — 11:30~22:00, last order 21:00, open all year. Phone 02-415-5522.

3) Samgyetang — Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang (Jongno-gu)

Samgyetang served in a ttukbaegi earthenware pot — Wikimedia Commons photoCharles Haynes — Samgyetang Chicken Ginseng Soup.jpg (위키미디어 공용)

Samgyetang is a soup (ginseng chicken soup) made by boiling a whole chicken with ginseng. Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang on Bukchon-ro appears in the Michelin Guide, and its signature dish is samgyetang.

What to order — the signature is samgyetang. Fried ginseng is also served.

Hours — 09:00~21:00. Phone 02-747-5535.

A samgyetang restaurant with the same name also exists separately in Hongdae (118 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu). The restaurant in this article is at 41 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu — search the address in your map app.

4) Dak Hanmari — Seoul Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley (Jongno-gu)

Dak hanmari boiling in a pot with a whole chicken, scallions and potatoes — Wikimedia Commons photoKuroiniisan — タッカンマリ.JPG (위키미디어 공용)

Dak hanmari is a dish where a whole chicken is boiled in a large basin of broth. Potatoes, rice cakes, ginseng, jujubes and mushrooms go in with it. After taking out the meat and side ingredients to eat, you boil a sari of kalguksu noodles in the remaining broth.

The alley in Dongdaemun began some 30 years ago as a spot where Dongdaemun market merchants eased their hunger. It is an alley, not a single restaurant, and Jin Ok Hwa Dak Hanmari stands as its representative restaurant. Jinokhwa Halmae Wonjo Dakhanmari Main Branch opened in 1978.

Getting there — leave Dongdaemun Station on Line 4 through Exit 8 or Exit 9 and go straight, then turn left alongside the Industrial Bank of Korea building to reach a one-way street. Midway down that street, turn right into the alley by the Deokseonggak Chinese restaurant and the dak hanmari restaurants appear.

Hours — 10:30~01:00 the next day.

5) Market Food — Gwangjang Market (Jongno-gu)

Bindaetteok and jeon lined up on a market stall — Gwangjang Market, Wikimedia Commons photoPfc. Bo Park, 2ID PAO, US Army — Korean pancakes and pan-fried foods at Gwangjang Market.jpg (위키미디어 공용)

Korea's first permanent market, it opened in 1905. In the food alley vendors sell bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and modum-jeon (assorted pancakes) griddled to order; mayak gimbap, firm mini gimbap made with danmuji pickled radish and carrot and dipped in mustard sauce; yukhoe, beef tartare made from beef trimmed that day; wang sundae; and donggeurang-ttaeng, round patties molded from pork neck. Tteokbokki and eomuk (fish cakes) are also there.

Getting there — 62m from Exit 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station on Line 1. You can also arrive via Exit 4 of Euljiro 4-ga Station on Lines 2 and 5.

Hours — the market runs 09:00~18:00 and closes on Sundays. The food alley runs 09:00~23:00, open all year. In the evening, only the food alley is open.

Summary of the 5 Places — Stations & Hours at a Glance

Address cards and map links sit under each restaurant. Hours and menus were checked in September 2026 against the Korea Tourism Organization and Seoul's official tourism guides.

Seoul's 5 Best Restaurants — Directions and Hours
Food	Restaurant	Getting there	Hours
Samgyeopsal	Eongteori Saenggogi Hongdae	118 Eoulmadang-ro, Mapo-gu	11:00~23:00, open all year
Grilled hanwoo	Byeokje Galbi Bangi	176m from Exit 4 of Bangi Station, Line 5	11:30~22:00 (last order 21:00)
Samgyetang	Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang	41 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu	09:00~21:00
Dak hanmari	Seoul Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley	Dongdaemun Station, Line 4, Exits 8 and 9	10:30~01:00 the next day
Market food	Gwangjang Market	62m from Exit 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station, Line 1	Food alley 09:00~23:00 (market 09:00~18:00, closed Sundays)

FAQ

How do you eat dak hanmari?

A whole chicken arrives boiling in broth. Eat the meat and side ingredients such as potatoes and rice cakes first, then boil a sari of kalguksu noodles in the remaining broth.

Is Gwangjang Market open on Sundays?

The market closes on Sundays. The food alley opens 09:00~23:00 all year round.

What should you eat at Gwangjang Market?

Bindaetteok and modum-jeon, mayak gimbap, yukhoe, wang sundae and donggeurang-ttaeng are the signature eats. Tteokbokki and eomuk are also there.

Until when can you order at Byeokje Galbi Bangi?

Last order is 21:00 and it closes at 22:00. It is 176m from Exit 4 of Bangi Station on Line 5.

Isn't Baengnyeon Tojong Samgyetang also in Hongdae?

A samgyetang restaurant with the same name sits separately at 118 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu. The Michelin Guide restaurant in this article is at 41 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu. Searching the address in a map app is the surest way.

Which exit for Dongdaemun Dak Hanmari Alley?

Leave Dongdaemun Station on Line 4 through Exit 8 or Exit 9, go straight, then turn left alongside the Industrial Bank of Korea building to reach a one-way street. The alley is midway down that street, on the right, inside the alley by the Deokseonggak Chinese restaurant.

4 Celebrity-Approved Restaurants in Seongsu-dong — Visited by Sung Si-kyung, Pak Se-ri, Kim Na-young, and Choiza
Here are four Seongsu-dong restaurants featured on screen: the house-made sausage spot from Sung Si-kyung’s Eat What You Want, the buckwheat soba restaurant visited by Pak Se-ri, Kim Na-young’s regular buckwheat noodle spot, and the medicinal-herb chicken soup restaurant from Choiza Road. We read 150 visitor reviews to find out what to order, how to book, and what it costs.
T-money Card: Charging Limits, Refund Fee, and the 30-Minute Transfer Rule
Cash charging runs from ₩1,000 to ₩90,000 per transaction, and a single card can hold up to ₩500,000. The only places that take debit or credit cards are Woori Bank ATMs and GS25; everywhere else takes cash. You can get the remaining balance back at convenience stores, minus a ₩500 fee, but the card purchase price itself is not refunded. The transfer discount applies only if you board the next vehicle within 30 minutes of getting off.
Kondae Food Guide 2026: 6 Best Spots — Lamb Skewer Street, Common Ground, Pyongyang Naengmyeon
Konkuk University Station (Lines 2 and 7) serves something different to eat at every exit. Exit 5 opens onto Lamb Skewer Street, where 60-odd Chinese restaurants are gathered; behind Exit 1 is Kondae Food Street (Mat-ui Geori), lined with chimaek and grilled-meat restaurants; and 196m from Exit 6 stands Common Ground, built from 200 shipping containers. Add to these Seobuk Myeonok, which has served Pyongyang naengmyeon since 1968; Songnim Sikdang, a truck driver's restaurant that opens at 6 a.m.; and the ramen shop Umaido — all of them listed in official materials from the Korea Tourism Organization, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gwangjin District. Each entry lists its signature dishes, and where the address and hours are confirmed, a map link as well.
Hanjungsun Chapssaltteok 2026: Menu, Prices, Gift Sets from 33,000 Won and Store Hours — Seongsu to Lotte World Mall and Seoul Station, Plus the GS25 Convenience-Store Version
Hanjungsun (韓貞仙) is a Seoul dessert brand that puts fruit and yogurt inside its chapssaltteok and wraps each piece in colorful hanji paper. Starting from its Seongsu flagship, it has opened stores in the Shinsegae, Hyundai and Lotte department store food halls and at Seoul Station, and queues form outside the stores even on ordinary days. Based on the Lotte World Mall menu board in September 2026, individual pieces run 3,500–6,500 won (ang butter from 3,500 won up to Dubai chocolate at 6,500 won), the 3 new Greek yogurt items are 6,000 won, and gift sets are 33,000 won for the 6-piece set and 46,000 won for the 9-piece set. From September 3, GS25 sells a frozen yogurt chapssaltteok for 3,900 won. Store-by-store hours come from the brand's official introduction text, and the gift set packaging and foreigner discount details were compiled from visits in person.