I feel very lucky to work at a company that has wonderful coworkers and a kind president that puts up with all my mischief. One of the things that I am most appreciative of are the freshly prepared lunches that our chefs lovingly prepare. It is usually different everyday and it is always delicious and healthy. Thank you Chef Hyejin, Seryeong, and Dayoung. I promise I will try and make lunch more often as well.
It is getting hot in Korea. I mean so hot that I just want to cry into the aircon and pour ice water all over myself. Don't get me wrong, I like heat (I am one of those weird people that prefers summer to winter).
This summer, here is what I am doing to stay cool:
1. Drinking Iced Meshil Tea: green plum tea
2. Eating spicy mixed noodles (Bibimguksu)
3. Eating Vietnamese Summer Rolls
4. Eating Buckwheat Noodles
5. Eating Ice Cream ( my fave is watermelon)
6. Making tomato sandwiches
7. Drinking omija and chestnut Makgeolli.
How are you all surviving?
Sometimes, I think my mother doesn't believe that I've been on TV. This is one that I forgot about. This was some work I did for Unravel TV on British Television.
(click images for sources)
Tteokbokki, ddukbokki, dukbokki – one of the hardest to spell Korean street foods is also one of the most popular. But walk the streets, and you'll find everyone and their grandma's selling the Addicted to tteokbokki? Don't worry, Seoulistic.com has compiled a go-to list for the most famous places to eat spicy rice cake in Seoul by tapping Korean bloggers. Read on!
Stop by Seoulistic.com for more awesome things Korea :D
Eat, Rest, Money, Leave
Tteokbokki Kings
If you’re a tteokbokki fan, Meokswidonna is pretty much the most famous place in Seoul to go for spicy rice cakes. This often Korean-television-featured tteokbokki restaurant is a popular tteokbokki spot hidden away in some back alley of Samcheong-dong. But even though this place isn’t located in the most ideal spot, you’ll often find lines out the door for some of the best tteokbokki in Seoul. It’s awesome because you can add all kinds of toppings like cheese, seafood, noodles, and more. But do just like the name of the restaurant tells you to… eat, rest, give me your money and get out... foo! “Next customer!” (No but really, there's kinda long lines so... :P)
Check out reviews by Seouleats, 10Mag, and fatmanseoul.
Tip 1: At the end of your meal when all you have left is the sauce, they'll top it off by mixing up some rice in that bad boy. Yea!
Address: 서울 종로구 안국동 17-18 (original restaurant)
(Seoul, Jongno-gu Anguk-dong 17-18)
Maps: Original restaurant here (Click here for branches in Shinchon, Myeongdong, Apgujeong, Wangsimni, Geondae)
Closest Subway Station: Anguk Station
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Apple House
Tteokbokki love notes
Tteokbokki is considered snack food for Korean kids, and the smarties at Apple House located their spicy rice cake restaurant in front of a Korean high school. If you make your way to this famous tteokbokki restaurant, you’ll soon find out that you’re in a local Korean high school hang out spot when you see "aww-that's-cute" messages like “love you forever and ever!” scribbled all over the walls. Admire these Korean love notes as you eat their most famous dishes – their sweet tasting tteokbokki, dumplings in tteokbokki sauce (무침만두) and fried blood sausage (순대볶음). Tteokbokki + local Korean high school hangout spot = awesome!
Tip 1: This restaurant is pre-pay, so don’t forget to pay before you eat!
Tip 2: This blogger says you can’t just order tteokbokki and must order something else (i.e. fried dumplings). But you might enjoy it more than the actual tteokbokki ;)
Address: 서울 서초구 반포동 978
(Seoul, Seocho-gu, Banpo-dong 978)
Maps: Google
Closest Subway Stations: Gubanpo Station (Line 9)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Elephant Street Food
Cheap and Good - Boo-yah!
Elephant tteokbokki is one of those gems that you can find only once in a blue moon. First, the name is really random and seemingly has no relation at all to the restaurant or food. But more importantly, you'll be hard pressed to find a tteokbokki restaurant that's this cheap with the high quality of spicy rice cakes. You can order 2 servings of spicy rice cake, add a few toppings here and there, have them mix up some rice in the sauce when your done, and you'll only be out around 10,000 won. They're even super efficient as they take your orders while you wait on line so you can be served when you sit. Insta-service and cheap? Boo-yah!
Address: 서울 마포구 도화동 345-4
(Seoul, Mapo-gu Dohwa-dong 354-4)
Maps: Google
Closest Subway Stations: Mapo Station (Line 5)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Dongdaemun Sassy Tteokbokki
Spicy rice cakes for sadists
When Korean people say something is spicy, you best believe it. And sadistic Korean bloggers head over to this chain tteokbokki restaurant specifically for its ultra spicy tteokbokki. It’s so spicy that they even have a little panel at each table explaining how you should eat their ridiculously spicy rice cake dish. They recommend eating the steamed eggs to prep your stomach for some butt kicking. If you can’t handle the heat, add some cheese and mix well. And if you still can’t handle it, then deal with it! (No seriously... that's what they say).
Tip 1: A bit expensive at 14,000 won a serving. But it is large and serves 3-4 people.
Tip 2: Delivery available in many parts of the country. See official website for more details.
Tip 3: They also serve other spicy dishes (i.e. chicken feet, dalkdoritang, etc.)
Address: 서울시 중구 흥인동 117-9 (Original restaurant)
(Seoul, Jung-gu, Hongin-dong 117-9)
Maps: Google
Closest Subway Stations: Shindang Station (Line 2 & 6)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Locations all over the country. See official website for details (http://www.동대문엽떡.com/)
Gangster Tteokbokki
Gangsters make everything cool
Korean gangsters are glorified in Korean movies and dramas because they just make everything seem cooler. So what else could be better than being served some butt kicking tteokbokki by some mean ol' gangsters? Well... maybe they're not real gangsters (unclear if they actually are), but they sure are pretty scary. And scary people serving good food is always cool! This tteokbokki restaurant in Seoul is a fantastic place to get some good street food in Korea. They started out as a regular street food truck a few years ago, but got popular enough to open two restaurants. Now you can get their famous tteokbokki, fried snacks (튀김), and blood sausage (순대) all while enjoying the oh-so-fun experience of being around gangsters!
Check out the Seouleats review of when they used to be a truck.
Address: 서울 마포구 서교동 407-21 (Original)
(Seoul, Mapo-gu Seogyo-dong 407-21)
Maps: Google (Nonhyeon branch is here)
Closest Subway Stations: Hongdae Station (line 2) & Sangsu Station (line 6)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Mimi's Tteokbokki
Awesome tteokbokki ghetto style
You know a restaurant is good when they only have two things on the menu, and they're still blowing up the Korean blogosphere. Here at Mimi's Tteokbokki, they only serve soup tteokbokki and fried shrimp. That's it. But still mad good. You're supposed to eat the tteokbokki and the fried shrimp, and after you're done, take the fried batter and just dump it into the leftover tteokbokki soup. Can't get enough fried goods? Don't worry. Being ghetto is encouraged! You can ask the store to give you some fried batter crumbs, and they'll fill up your tteokbokki soup with the little pieces that were never meant to be. You can order beer here too and be the ultimate ghetto street food connoisseur! (Just playing with the ghetto part. The restaurant is actually pretty clean ;))
Check out 10Mag's review.
Address: 서울 마포구 서교동 404-29, 2층
(Seoul, Mapo-gu Seogyo-dong 404-29, 2nd floor
Maps: Google
Closest Subway Stations: Sangsu Station (line 6)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Hyeonseon's Tteokbokki
Hadouken in your mouth tteokbokki
All of these famous tteokbokki restaurants on this list are brick and mortar restaurants serving Korean street food. But Hyeonseon's Tteokbokki has stayed true to serving Korean street food and continues to serve their food from a tent. (Well, kinda–they recently opened a store, but they're still keeping it real with the first one out on the streets!) They offer your typical street food menu items of fried snacks (튀김), blood sausages (순대) and baby gimbap (고마김밥). But what's really kept the troves of Seoulites coming back to this tent on a corner is their super mega ultra spicy tteokbokki. If you're a fan of spicy food, give this famous tteokbokki stand a try, and see if you can handle the fireball of spices that will come. They also have another tray of less spicy tteokbokki for those who can't handle the spices. Hadouken!!
Address: The original is a tent, so no address! (They do have 2nd one in a store, but can't find an address :()
Maps: Naver (Original)
Closest Subway Stations: Shinyongsan Station (line 4)
See food porn from Korean Blogger 1 and Korean Blogger 2.
Don't forget to stop by Seoulistic.com for more fun stuff on Korea, yo!
Korea is a fun and exciting place. I have been here for 8 years and the cool things that you can do here constantly surprise me. I am quite an adventurer and I want to do what the locals do. Here is a list of cool things that travelers can do that is very unique and that they can do in Seoul.
1. Go to an all you can eat tuna restaurant. There are a number of these all around Seoul and if you sit down and pay a per person fee, you can eat and drink all night long on many different types of tuna sashimi. Koreans think this fish is greasy so they drink glass after glass of soju with it (hence, the bill gets higher). Some places will even give you a special shot made with cactus.
2. Go to a fish market where you can pick out your own fish and then take it to a restaurant where they will cook it. I think this is coolest options that Koreans have at the market. Here you can pick out your own seafood and then take it to a restaurant and tell them how you want it prepared. It doesn’t get any fresher.
3. Go to a special room (a bang) to play all manner of games or even play golf. They have computer bangs, board game bangs (that are secretly poker dens at night but you can play monopoly and jenga there during the day. The game of choice there is texas holdem so bring cash if you want to play.)
4. Shop all night till 5am. The areas of Hongdae and Dongdaemun are open til 5am for shopping and there are always bars, clubs, and food stalls open just about as late. If you don’t want to get sunburned, this is a good option.
5. Get an oriental medicine tonic made from frogs and millipedes. In the oriental medicine street of Jegidong, you can get all manner of medicines made from deer antler, bear bile, corn silk, cactus, laquer wood, turtle, ginseng and more. Just be careful what you say to the doctor.
1. Go to an all you can eat tuna restaurant. There are a number of these all around Seoul and if you sit down and pay a per person fee, you can eat and drink all night long on many different types of tuna sashimi. Koreans think this fish is greasy so they drink glass after glass of soju with it (hence, the bill gets higher). Some places will even give you a special shot made with cactus.
2. Go to a fish market where you can pick out your own fish and then take it to a restaurant where they will cook it. I think this is coolest options that Koreans have at the market. Here you can pick out your own seafood and then take it to a restaurant and tell them how you want it prepared. It doesn’t get any fresher.
3. Go to a special room (a bang) to play all manner of games or even play golf. They have computer bangs, board game bangs (that are secretly poker dens at night but you can play monopoly and jenga there during the day. The game of choice there is texas holdem so bring cash if you want to play.)
4. Shop all night till 5am. The areas of Hongdae and Dongdaemun are open til 5am for shopping and there are always bars, clubs, and food stalls open just about as late. If you don’t want to get sunburned, this is a good option.
5. Get an oriental medicine tonic made from frogs and millipedes. In the oriental medicine street of Jegidong, you can get all manner of medicines made from deer antler, bear bile, corn silk, cactus, laquer wood, turtle, ginseng and more. Just be careful what you say to the doctor.
All tours include food, drinks, and a guide. Tours are led by English, Spanish, or Japanese Speaking Guides. Tours are run daily (Minimum 3 people per tour. If there are less than 3 people there is a $10 surcharge per person. Private tours and couple tours are available.) Pickup from your hotel in Seoul is available for an extra charge (depends on location). All costs include 10% Korean Tax. Please call at +82-2-3446-1607 or email at ongofood@ongofood.com to make reservations. These prices are set prices so please do not ask for discounts.
Private City Tours
If you are looking for a more custom Seoul experience we offer private tours.
Our private tours are a customized tour of the city and we help you get familiar with the city by means of taxi, subway and on foot. These tours are led by our local experts that speak English or Japanese. These tours are designed for those that would like to maximize their time in Korea to see as many of the authentic markets, palaces and sites from a insider's perspective. These are private tours for small groups, so we don't merge with other groups. See a sample itinerary here http://www.ongofood.com/?p=795 Keep in mind, that we customize tours exclusively for each of our clients, so let us know what your interests are and we can design a tour for you. Preset tours are also available. In the past we have done tours for antiques shopping, art, shopping, oriental medicine, medical care, architecture, photography, etc- with delicious Korean snacks and great meals along the way.
Our private Korean Food and Culture Tours are 150,000 won per person for a 5 hour tour (Minimum 2 people). Lunch, Transportation, and Guide is included. 250,000 won per person for a 9 hour tour (Minimum 2 people) and 500,000 won per person (Minimum 2 people) for a full day tour (up to 14 hours). Tours are all inclusive. Admissions, Snacks, Transportation, and Refreshments are included in tours. Taxis, Subways, and Public Transport are included in the costs of the tours. If you would like a private car for your tour it will cost 35,000 an hour.
See our 5 day Kinetic Korea Tour: Food, Shopping and Culture here
See our Seoul Gourmet Restaurant and Food Tours Here
Fill out this form so we can better customize a tour for you:
Reviews of our Private Tours: See more reviews at Tripadvisor
| “Excellent introduction to Seoul”My husband and I recently had a short stopover in Seoul en-route to London. We contacted Daniel Gray who jointly runs a Korean food school - O’ngo Food Communications in Seoul. We asked him by e-mail to arrange a one-day tour of Seoul as this was our first visit to South Korea. We have over the years travelled widely in southeast and south Asia. He asked us our interests in order to best satisfy our requirements and to enable us to make the most of the day. We said Korean Buddhist art and architecture, and food. The program he put together was excellent and enabled us to meet some very talented people (artists, actors and gallery owners) that just would have not been possible if we had done the “standard tourist tour”. We also enjoyed a delicious Korean barbeque lunch at a locally famous restaurant and had tea at a charming small tea house at a Buddhist temple. It all made for a memorable day and a fabulous introduction to Korea. Highly recommended.John E. Visited March 2011 |
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| “Fantastic”Daniel put together a thoughtful, intelligent, tasteful and highly entertaining tour. He is friendly, attentive, flexible, and extremely knowledgeable. He left us both with many fond memories and an abiding affection for Seoul. I can't recommend him highly enough.Susan F. Visited April 2011 |
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| “This is good, even for family with kids”Our group was two families ofr 4 adults and 5 small children, and somehow Daniel arranged an itenerary that acommodates all ages plus he prepared an extra guide too. With an extra guide, kids can enjoy their own time (child care and tour, all in one) and adults can fully focus to do things they like.We went to Korean markets, shoppings, parks, Nami island, and Nanta cooking show (kids love this). Dak Galbi, Myeongdeong Noodle (must try), Kimchi, Korean BBQ, traditional Korean snacks set our pulse racing. We were served by best of traditional Korean recipes and dishes in various restaurants and traditional markets.We really had an extraordinary experience with Daniel. Thanks Daniel.Wira S. Visited March 2011 |
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| “Fabulous One Day Whirlwind Tour of Seoul”Well, what to do if you have never been to Seoul before and have only one day to get a feeling for the city before starting business meetings. My recommendation is to get in touch with Tours by Locals and ask for Daniel. In my case, this was a private tour since there was only one of me; but Daniel also does tours for small groups. Daniel made a point to find out the kinds of things I was interested in and then planned our agenda accordingly--even making alterations on the fly as we moved through the day. I was very pleased with the introduction to the sites, the culture and the food. Daniel was a great guide to the pleasures of foods available from street vendors--something I might not have been so adventurous about without a knowledgeable local. We hit local markets, museums, palaces and temples and ended up with a sumptuous full course Korean meal accompanied by traditional music and dance performances. It was a perfect one day introduction to a fascinating city. Thanks Daniel.Michaelyn S. Visited February 2011 |
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| “What a great way to see, learn, and experience Seoul”When I'm in a city for a short period of time, I normally hire a private guide for a day or two. Rather than the usual professor or historian, this time I contracted with David to be my so-called food guide. Not only did I have a great time eating my way through the city, I honestly felt like I learned more about everyday life in Seoul through meeting people and experiencing their food than I would in any collection of museums, landmarks, or vistas.David is great and worth every penny. I will rebook with him again on my next trip to Seoul.Jess C. Visited August 2010 |
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One of the better Gorgonzola pizzas I have had.dough has yeasty flavor and cheese is pungent.The honey&basil is good
