food trip in korea

Twenty-Five Century-Old Restaurants Loved by Koreans

Imun Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup, 1904)

• 38-13, Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-733-6526
• Ox bone soup, ox knee soup, beef head meat soup
• http://imun.modoo.at

Imun Seolleongtang was the first restaurant authorized for operation in Seoul and has been the most popular go-to eatery for city residents from the end of theJoseon Period to the Japanese occupation. Opened in 1904 (the 41st year of King Gojong’s reign), the restaurant has been operating for 117 years and is frequented by Kim Du-han, who was a mobster and politician, and the marathoner Sohn Kee-chung.

Yonggeumok (Loach Soup, 1932)

• 24-2, Dadong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-777-1689
• Loach soup, pan-fried battered loach, assorted pancakes, grilled deodeok

This restaurant is the first to have served Seoul-style loach soup, which has whole loaches cooked into it. Its broth is made with brisket or beef small intestines to get rid of the smell of loaches, and the added red pepper powder gives the soup spicy yet clean flavors. The deeply savory beef broth is also boiled with mushrooms, vegetables, fried bean curd, bean curd, pumpkin, green onions, and more to give it a spicy and clean flavor.

Eunho Restaurant (Oxtail and Beef Bone Soup, 1932)

• 28-4, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-753-3263
• Oxtail soup, ox knee soup, beef brisket soup, beef head meat and rice soup

This restaurant began as a humble, nameless hangover soup stall. Later, itchanged its name to Pyeonghwaok, Eunseongok, and eventually, Eunho Restaurant after four generations of ownership. A bowl of oxtail soup is served with two large chunks of oxtail. The flavorful oxtail meat is exquisite when eaten with chive soy sauce. Dine on the second floor to experience the restaurant’s old-fashioned ambiance.

Cheongjinok (Hangover Soup, 1937)

• 32, Jong-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-735-1690
• Hangover soup, soup for liquor, assorted boiled beef slices, boiled beef brisket slices
• https://www.cheongjinok.com

This thick and savory hangover soup boiled with beef offals and seonji isa long-standing favorite breakfast of Cheongjin-dong residents. Cheongjinok started as a beef and rice soup stall that fed loggers who climbed Muakjae Pass all night to selllumber at the Cheongjin-dong lumber market. Since 1937, when it opened under the name of Pyeonghwagwan in the market, Cheongjinok has been the leader in the Cheongjin-dong hangover soup alley.

Hanilkwan (Bulgogi, 1939)

• 14, Apgujeong-ro 38-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• +82-1577-9963
• Set menu special, bulgogi set menu, bulgogi, galbi soup
• https://www.hanilkwan.co.kr

Hanilkwan has served diners for 80 years since it opened in Jongno during the Japanese occupation. This restaurant began under the name Hwaseonok after an old hanok in Jongno 3-ga was renovated and sold rice soup and grilled marinated beef slices. In 1945, it changed its name to Hanilkwan and moved to Pimatgol in Jongno1-ga, earning its fame with its broth bulgogi. Hanilkwan was a popular wedding reception choice frequented by many Korean presidents throughout history.

Woolaeoak (Pyeongyang Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1946)

• 62-29, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-2265-0151
• Pyeongyang cold buckwheat noodles, spicy buckwheat noodles, grilled sirloin, beef and rice soup, spicy beef soup

Opened in 1946 under the name Seobukgwan, Woolaeoak is the Pyeongyang cold buckwheat noodle restaurant in Seoul with the longest history. It is a popular destination for those displaced from their hometowns and old, native Seoul residents.Its Pyeongyang cold buckwheat noodles with a deep beef flavor are a good choice, but diners also order other popular dishes, such as bulgogi, spicy beef soup, and beef and rice soup. This restaurant is also known as the place to try Pyeongyang cold buckwheat noodles for the first time and has the oldest trademark registration (1969) in Korea.

Ojang-dong Hamheung Naengmyeon (Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1958)

• 108, Mareunnae-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
• +82-2-2267-9500
• Cold buckwheat noodles with raw fish, spicy buckwheat noodles, cold buckwheat noodles, boiled beef slices, warm noodles
• https://ojangmyeonok.modoo.at/

To taste authentic Hamheung-style cold buckwheat noodles, you need to visit Ojang-dong. Grandma Han Hye-seon is the first-generation owner who left her hometown of Hamheung during the mayhem of the Korean War. The Hamheung cold buckwheat noodles trend began with the starch noodles she often had in her hometown.Cold buckwheat noodles with raw fish add spicy yet sweet flavors to the original cold noodles.

Twenty-Five Century-Old Restaurants Loved by Koreans

Pyeongyangok (Hangover Soup, 1945)

• 68, Dowon-ro 8beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon
• +82-32-882-2972
• Hangover soup, Pyeongyang cold buckwheat noodles, bulgogi, galbi soup, spicybeef soup

The hangover soup served at Pyeongyangok was invented after the Korean War in 1950. The first-generation owners, Kim Seok-ha and Jo Seon-ok, a couple from Pyeongyang, came to Incheon and sold napa cabbage and rice soup. Trimmed bones and brisket broth are boiled with winter cabbage and soybean paste to create this hangover soup, which is also called galbi hangover soup by the regular customers because the beef chunks in the rice soup are big galbi.

Okcheon Naengmyeon Hwanghae Restaurant (Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1952)

• 140, Goeup-ro, Okcheon-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
• +82-31-772-9693
• Cold buckwheat noodles, spicy buckwheat noodles, meatballs, boiled meat slices

There are many Haeju-style cold buckwheat noodle restaurants in Okcheon. The original, Okcheon Naengmyeon, started under the name Hwanghae Restaurant. Its chewy cold noodles are made with buckwheat and sweet potato starch and served with pork and homemade soy sauce broth. A single thick and wonderfully chewy meatball will fill your belly. In addition, soft boiled pork slices go well with the cold buckwheat noodles.

Twenty-Five Century-Old Restaurants Loved by Koreans

Hwangsanok (Spicy Braised Puffer Fish, 1931)

• 34, Geumbaek-ro, Ganggyeong-eup, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
• +82-41-745-4836
• Spicy braised puffer fish, spicy braised monkfish, ungeo, sliced raw skate, sliced raw puffer fish

This raw puffer fish restaurant started as a tavern at Hwangsan Quay, where people crossed the Geumgang River from Ganggyeong. It offers puffer fish soup, aged raw puffer fish soup, spicy braised puffer fish, sliced raw ungeo, and more. Puffer fish soup that can be made into different versions with either a spicy or clear broth, spicy braised puffer fish with traditional marinade, and rare sliced raw ungeo are must-taste dishes. The restaurant serves customers its well-kept traditional flavors of soy sauce, soybean paste, and various essential side dishes.

Halmeoni Mukjip (Chilled Acorn Jelly and Rice Soup, 1946)

• 1378, Geumnamgujeuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
• +82-42-935-5842
• Chilled acorn jelly soup, acorn jelly salad, handmade bean curd, spicy braised chicken

Gujeuk Muk Village in Bongsan-dong, Yuseong began with the chilled acorn jelly and rice soup of the late Gang Tae-bun. Shortly after the Korean War, grandma Gang picked acorns from the village oak trees and made acorn jelly to sell. Later, she established a chilled acorn jelly and rice soup restaurant. As her tasty dishes became popular, up to 30 chilled acorn jelly and rice soup restaurants opened in the early 1990s. Chilled acorn jelly soup is served with sliced and freshly made acorn jelly in a warm vegetable broth and is best enjoyed with fermented chili peppers.

Twenty-Five Century-Old Restaurants Loved by Koreans

Naeho Naengmyeon (Hamheung Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1919)

• 17, Uambeonyeong-ro 26beon-gil, Nam-gu, Busan
• +82-51-646-6195
• Spicy buckwheat noodles, cold buckwheat noodles, spicy wheat noodles

Naeho Naengmyeon’s roots are the starch noodles in the Hamgyeong-do Province. This soul food made from wheat flour rationed to refugees during the Korean War is now a major dish representing Busan. The current noodle dishes at Naeho Naengmyeon combine Hamgyeong-do style starch noodles, Pyeongyang-style cold noodles, and Busan-style broth noodles that bring Naeho Naengmyeon’s wheat noodles closer to the tase of the traditional cold noodles, which are served with beef broth, ray salad, boiled egg, pear, and cucumber slices.

Hamyangjip (Bibimbap, 1924)

• 19, Samsan-ro 228beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan
• +82-52-260-9060
• Bibimbap, cold raw Korean beef soup, beef bone soup, beef and rice soup, acorn jelly soup, grilled bulgogi

This bibimbap has been uniquely developing for the past 100 years. The bibimbap of Hamyangjip in Ulsan comes from Jinju bibimbap, but the vegetables and red chili paste that go in it are made differently. It has five to six seasoned vegetables, including bracken, water parsley, and bean sprouts. The meal is served in a brass bowl to maintain the temperature and with more seasoned vegetables and beef tartare than rice. A bowl of clear soup made with beef, radish, and bean curd goes well withthe dish’s flavors.

Cheonhwang Restaurant (Jinju Bibimbap, 1927)

• 3, Chokseok-ro 207beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
• +82-55-741-2646
• Beef tartare bibimbap, Korean beef tartare, grilled bulgogi
• http://instagram.com/pnixresto

This old-fashioned restaurant offers bibimbap with fresh beef tartare on top and clean and savory seonji soup. The key to Jinju bibimbap is its splendid visual, with red beef tartare and colorful seasoned vegetables. Traditional Korean soy sauce isused to salt the dish, and its red chili and soybean paste are all homemade. Dried mussel broth is made into a paste, and the dishes are served with mashed mussels to add an extra savory flavor.

Dongnae Halmae Pajeon (Dongnae Green Onion Pancake, 1940)

• 43-10, Myeongnyun-ro 94beon-gil, Dongnae-gu, Busan
• +82-51-552-0792
• Dongnae green onion pancake, steamed steamed Dongnae conch, spicy sea snail salad
• www.dongnaepajeon.co.kr

Dongnae is known for its solid and spicy Korean green onions. The Dongnae green onion pancake is made with Korean green onions and fresh seafood from the sea of Busan and was offered to the kings for its excellent flavor during the Joseon period. This dish is remarkable not only for its fresh green onions and seafood butits batter that is made with six grain powders, including sweet rice powder. The batter is placed on a cast iron grill, and the pancake is steamed to create a soft and moisttexture. Enjoy it with red chili pepper paste with vinegar.

Hayeonok (Jinju Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1945)

• 1317-20, Jinju-daero, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
• +82-55-746-0525
• Jinju cold buckwheat noodles, Jinju spicy buckwheat noodles, Jinju bibimbap, beef seonji and rice soup

Jinju cold buckwheat noodles represent the history and culture of Jinju, but Hayeonok’s signature dish is its pan-fried battered beef. Thinly sliced rump is coated with eggs and garnished with sliced green onions to be grilled. This is a perfect dish to be enjoyed on its own. Pollack head, mussels, kelp, dried anchovy, big eyed herring, shrimps, and more are boiled together to make a wonderful seafood broth, served with sliced pan-fried battered beef and thinly sliced red chili pepper, cucumber, and pears.

Daegu Kangsanmyeonok (Cold Buckwheat Noodles, 1951)

• 27-8, Gyodong-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu
• +82-53-425-0840
• Cold buckwheat noodles, spicy buckwheat noodles, cold kimchi buckwheat noodles, cold buckwheat noodles with raw fish

Opened in 1951 in the Seomun Market, Daegu’s representative traditional market, this restaurant has been a local favorite for 70 years. The noodles made with buckwheat powder and sweet potato starch are soft yet wonderfully chewy, and its savory broth is uniquely flavored with fermented vinegar to meet the pallets of Daegu locals who prefer intense flavors. The cast-iron noodle-making machine that has withstood more than 60 years stands at the restaurant entrance, showing off the many years it endured.

Jinjja Chogajip (Spicy Braised Monkfish, 1965)

• 8-2, Odongnam 3-gil, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
• +82-55-246-0427
• Spicy braised monkfish, spicy braised sea squirt, boiled monkfish slices, monkfish soup

This is the original among the 20 monkfish restaurants in Masanhappo-gu’s Agujjim Alley, which has always been known for its spicy braised monkfish dishes. This dish is believed to have originated from one made by an old lady who sold eel soups in Odong-dong. She added soybean paste, red chili paste, garlic, and green onion to the monkfish brought by fishermen. Masan spicy braised monkfish uses dried monkfish for a nutty flavor and chewy texture. Another major menu item at this restaurant is monkfish soup made with fresh monkfish.

Twenty-Five Century-Old Restaurants Loved by Koreans

Naju Gomtang Hayanjib (Beef Bone Soup, 1910)

• 6-1, Geumseonggwan-gil, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do
• +82-61-333-4292
• Beef bone soup, beef slices and beef bone soup, boiled beef slices
• http://hayanjib.com

It is the beef bone soup restaurant with the longest history and most renowned name in Naju. Its clear and clean-tasting broth made of Korean beef bones, briskets, shoulders, and shanks looks different from the milky bone broth in other regions.This savory beef broth is the secret of Naju Gomtang Hayanjib’s beef bone soup, served with well-drained fried egg, beef slices, and green onions.

Cheonil Restaurant (Grilled Galbi Patties, 1924)

• 20-8, Eumnae-gil, Haenam-eup, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do
• +82-61-535-1001
• Grilled galbi patties set menu, bulgogi set menu, extra serving ofgalbi

Enjoy these traditional, charcoal-grilled galbi patties. Grilled galbi patties are made with boneless galbi and ground Naju pears that give it a fragrant and savory flavor. With a set menu, you’ll get a whole feast of about 20 side dishes, such as dried yellow croaker aged in barley rice, spicy marinated crab, seasonal vegetables, spicy stir-fried octopus, and various salted seafood. Korean soy sauce handed down over100 years is the secret of the grilled galbi patties’ sauce.

Samdae Gwangyang Bulgogijip (Bulgogi, 1930)

• 52, Seocheon 1-gil, Gwangyang-eup, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do
• +82-61-763-9250
• Korean beef bulgogi, grilled boneless galbi, grilled beef tripe special
• http://삼대광양불고기집.kr

Taste the true essence of Gwangyang-style bulgogi. Gwangyang bulgogi isn’t marinated in a sauce but is seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, green onion, and garlic just before going on the grill. This bulgogi style boasts deep and sweet flavors, as the freshly seasoned meat is quickly grilled on a brass grill over oak charcoal.

Sambaekzip (Bean Sprout and Rice Soup, 1945)

• 22, Jeonjugaeksa 2-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do
• +82-63-284-2227
• Bean sprout and rice soup, Korean beef seonji and rice soup, one glass of moju (unrefined rice wine)
• http://www.300zip.com

Jeonju bean sprout and rice soup originated from Sambaekzip. The restaurant name comes from the fact that the founding owner, Mrs. Lee Bong-soon, never sold more than 300 (sambaek) bowls a day. After selling 300 bowls, the restaurant called it a day. Following this, the bannerless bean sprout stall was called Sambaekzip (meaning 300 house). Taste the deep flavors of the clear, eco-friendly, and zero-pesticidebean sprout soup with various sauces.

Gugil Restaurant (Cockles Set Menu, 1952)

• 18-1, Taebaeksanmaek-gil, Beolgyo-eup, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do
• +82-61-857-0588
• Cockles set menu, Korean set menu, hot pot set menu

Cockles are the soul food of Beolgyo locals. Gugil Restaurant offers the richest and most diverse cockle dishes among similar restaurants. The cockles set menu is served with whole steamed cockles, raw cockle salad, marinated cockles, cockle pancakes, deep-fried cockles with sweet and sour sauce, and more.

Saejip Chueotang (Parboiled Loach, 1959)

• 9, Cheongeo-gil, Namwon-si, Jeollabuk-do
• +82-63-625-2443
• Loach soup, parboiled loach, fried loach wrapped in sesame leaf, Hyangdan setmenu

Saejip Chueotang, a loach soup stall, was started by Mrs. Seo Sam-rye, the first-generation owner, behind Gwanghallu Pavilion. Today, Gwanghallu area is famous for the surrounding Namwon loach soup alley. Namwon loach soup is a local food made by boiling cooked loach meat with soybean-marinated dried radish leaves and perilla juice in soup. The dish's soybean paste, soy sauce, and red chili paste are homemade.

Duam Restaurant (Straw-grilled Pork Belly, 1960)

• 52, Umyeong-gil, Mongtan-myeon, Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do
• +82-61-452-3775
• Straw-grilled pork belly, whole duck soup, marinated crab bibimbap

The secret to the straw-grilled pork belly that has been passed down for three generations lies in the fermented straw piles in storage. Straw piles’ potent flames depend on the duration of their fermentation. As the grill requires short yet powerful bursts of flame, the pork belly slices are kept at 4 mm. When orders are received, they light up the straw pile and grill the meat for just 40 seconds. Pork belly grilled and coated in the savory aroma of the straw pile is best enjoyed dipped in sentinel crab sauce and wrapped in onion kimchi.