food trip in korea

Thus, the National Museum of Korea draws a considerable crowd of visitors not only for its collection but also for its reputation as one of the premier photo spots to capture the landmark N Seoul Tower. The N Seoul Tower is an observation tower located in Myeongdong and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Korea. It is reputed to be a great place to take backlight photography, so join the other Korean youths as they post their pictures and shorts with the tower in the background.

Guided tours in four foreign languages* are available for international visitors at 10:30 and 13:00, so don’t miss the chance to see the collection as well.

The exterior of the National Museum of Korea

N Seoul Tower photo zone within the museum

The area in front of the HYBE Building is a well-known gathering place for K-pop stans across the world, either in the birthday cafés* unique to K-pop fandom or in search of commemorative posters and other memorabilia for their favorite artists. *Birthday café: A practice where fans rent out cafés on their favorite artists’ birthdays or other significant dates, decorate the interior with photographs and albums, and enjoy a gathering among like-minded people

Birthday poster dedicated to HYBE artist

A passionate photography session across the N Seoul Tower photo spots and the HYBE Building must be rewarded with some good food afterward. Because Yongnidan Street’s restaurant scene started to develop in 2019, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the restaurants that moved into the area took on an international flair to cater to cosmopolites grounded by travel restrictions. A trip to the States, Vietnam, or Thailand? Just head to sam sam sam, a restaurant styling itself after San Francisco.

sam sam sam’s interior

From a pantry full of imported foods to tomato posters across the interior space, the restaurant has drawn a consistent following through its quirky scenery and unique menus. The restaurant does not take any reservations, so the waiting list tends to be quite long. We recommend arriving at the restaurant at the start of its business hours.

Purple Sweet Potato Gnocchi as an appetizer

Purple sweet potato gnocchi, garnished with a smiley fried potato, really whets one’s appetite with its chewy texture and the gentle sweetness of the purple sweet potato cream.

sam sam sam’s signature menu, Lasagna

The signature menu of this joint is the California-style lasagna, which features lasagna noodles alternating with hash browns. Thanks to the deep and savory meat sauce, the combination is quirky in both texture and taste.

Octopus Ink Risotto

Whole octopus ink risotto is another popular menu beloved for its rich flavor.

After a good meal, it’s time for some good coffee, so head to Quartz Coffee, about 4 min away from sam sam sam on foot. The café opened in the summer of 2020, and its antique brick exterior and blue-toned interior design proved quite popular. It is also appreciated by serious coffee fans as its blends are seasonally prepared by Yoo Yeon-joo, a 15-year experienced barista who represented Korea in a coffee competition. Its most popular menu is the Quartz Latte, which is made with condensed milk.

The milk used for this beverage is condensed in a vacuum over 5 hrs at 65°C, bringing a harmony of sweet and salty notes that make this beverage special. The thick and curdled texture of the condensed milk also imbues the beverage with a cheese-like note.

The next stop is "pixel per inch," a shop catering to the new generations’ love for photography and records. The shop offers film cameras for rental and merchandise like photograph collections published by independent publishers.

It also has a Polaroid photo booth. If you want to make your trip to Yongnidan Street even more memorable, don’t miss the film camera rental services.

Amorepacific Museum of Art is a continuation of the Pacific Museum, which housed the private collection of Suh Sungwhan, founder of Amorepacific with popular cosmetic brands like Innisfree and Laneige. When the Pacific Museum, a museum with more than 40 years of history at the time, was relocated to the Amorepacific headquarters, it was renamed the "Amorepacific Museum of Art." The museum offers various exhibitions covering both Eastern and Western classical and contemporary art.

Bakery trips have always been a popular trend among the youth in Korea. Its Korean name, "bread pilgrimage," even references the religious fervor required to make pilgrimages. The popular pilgrimage sites are Daejeon; Cheonan; Namcheon-dong in Busan; and Seongsu and Mangwon in Seoul. Bakery cafés like the Teddy Beurre House and Dotori Bakery moved into Yongnidan Street in recent years, drawing a larger group of pilgrims to the area. BREADYPOST was the other recent addition that elevated Yongnidan Street’s reputation.

Butter Pepper Pretzel and Dirty Choco Pretzel

BREADYPOST specializes in soft pretzels, which are softer and chewier than the standard pretzel. The items on the menu include the plain pretzel, the simple-is-the-best option, as well as pretzels featuring pepperoni, coconut, butter pepper, and buckwheat. The signature menu of this café is the "Butter pepper pretzel," which combines creamy butter and peppercorns that burst into one’s mouth. "Dirty choco pretzel," topped with sumptuous chocolate cream, provides a welcoming spike of blood sugar after a long day of walking.

Yongnidan Street is full of restaurants inspired by different cultures around the world, providing an experience as if one is in a different country while standing in the heart of Seoul. After all, its trendy and exotic atmosphere is the reason behind Yongnidan Street’s appeal among the youth in Korea. The next choice in this itinerary reflects this cosmopolitan character as a Japanese-style izakaya. Keebo is a restaurant themed after tachinomi, or Japanese-style standing bars. The menu is divided into two, "before round one" and "after round two": The former mostly contains light meals as menus to be eaten before the first round in the evening, while the latter features simple dishes that can be enjoyed after the second round.

Yakisoba on “Before Round One” menus

Menus "before round one" feature dishes like omelet rice, dumplings, and stir-fried noodles. "After round two" menus feature light and fresh menus like cucumber salad and citron and tomato salad, which can be enjoyed without being too filling.

“After Round Two” menu Cucumber Salad

Too full after the second round? Opt for highballs or Keebo Cocktail for their freshness. Keebo Cocktail combines whisky with fruits like melon, lemon, and kuri (chestnut) to create a sweet and refreshing cocktail.