Myeongdong Food Market, Seoul

My best travel memories are getting swept up in a bustling food market, sampling an endless selection of unfamiliar dishes. Exactly as planned, it’s what we did in South Korea 80% of the time.

(We ran long distances almost every day during the 2-week trip, otherwise I would have most certainly landed back in London cradling a serious food baby; extremely happy nonetheless. Running is also without a doubt the best way to experience a new city).

There are a ton of traditional food markets to go to in Seoul, it really is a food lovers paradise.

Myeongdong Food Market

First up – the buzzing Myeongdong ‘street food alley’ in Jung-gu. As soon as we checked in to our hotel after a long flight from London, we dumped our bags, I flung on one of the 3 outfits I packed with me, and headed straight to the vibrant Myeongdong shopping district.

It’s a brilliant starting point for a first-time visit to Seoul, with department stores, boutique shops, food stalls and entertainment all in one dense neighbourhood. I’d recommend visiting after dark when the place really comes to life. Apparently over 2 million locals and tourists visit Myeongdong district every day…

I absolutely loved it here. It was a perfect introduction to Seoul. There was so much going on it was hard to know where to even start!

I was so ready to sample the very best of authentic Korean street food, all laid out in front of me under the dazzling neon lights of Seoul at night. If I’m honest, I was desperate to sink my teeth into the crispy deep-fried chicken that I’d heard so much about. How different could Korean fried chicken really be to America’s buttermilk version?

OH BABY IT WAS SO GOD DAMN GOOD. I was internally crying with happiness. A muffled moan of pure joy most definitely escaped my mouth several times.

In this delightful little pot was the juiciest, crunchiest, tastiest fried chicken smothered in a mysteriously addictive concoction of sticky, sweet-chilli mayonnaise. You can often get options of a garlic-soy glaze or sweet-chilli variety too. If only I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!!

Fried chicken is such a ubiquitous snack, we made a point of trying it in every town we travelled to. Some were definitely better than others – I preferred the ones coated in a sticky glaze.

Just remember to always eat it alongside a bottle of cold, refreshing soju, or beer. In fact, Korea has its own slang name for its popular institutions serving fried chicken + beer, called Chimaek. You must never feel guilty for consuming this every day while in South Korea. It’s a big part of the dining culture, truly! 😉

South Korea’s love for fried chicken means there are naturally more fried chicken restaurant’s and chains than you could possibly keep track of. Some popular choices are BHC (Better & Happier Choice), Kyochon, KKanbu Chicken, Genesis BBQ, Hanchu, 678 Chicken and Chicken Baengi.

Fun fact: Did you know South Korea has more fried chicken restaurants than McDonald’s and Subway chains globally?

Apologies for my vegetarian readers, I’ve definitely got carried away with chicken. The above spiel will no doubt be causing your toes to curl. But don’t despair, here you have hweori gamja (tornado potato), a popular choice at Myeongdong market – one long potato crisp, easily devoured on a stick. Genius.

And a delicately prepared rose shaped ice cream.

Other treats on offer were:

tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)
gyeran-bbang (egg bread)
twigim (basically an assortment of everything fried in a terrifyingly large vat of bubbling batter)
mandoo (Korean dumplings)
hotteok (sweet Korean pancakes – one of the best desserts I have ever eaten)
yaki noodles
pork belly vegetable roll
broiled eels
omelette burgers
kimchi pancakes
baked cheese waffles
cheesy scallops,
fish-shaped bread
grilled giant mussels
dried cuttlefish

I could go on.. Myeongdong food market is absolutely bonkers!