Where to eat in Seoul

Restaurants, cafés and street food in Seoul, South Korea that locals actually go to — plus the local names for the chains you already know.

• Jaha Son Mandu — Dumplings, Buam-dong (2). Order the Mandu-guk. Handmade royal-style mandu on the quiet side of the mountain.
• Woo Lae Oak — Naengmyeon / bulgogi, Euljiro (3). Order the Pyongyang naengmyeon + bulgogi. Pyongyang-style cold noodles and table bulgogi since 1946.
• Baekjeong — Korean BBQ, Jongno (2). Order the Moksal + galbi set. The wrestler-founded grill that set the modern KBBQ standard.
• Tosokchon Samgyetang — Samgyetang, Gyeongbokgung / Seochon (2). Order the Samgyetang. Ginseng chicken soup in a hanok — the restorative institution.
• Myeongdong Kyoja — Kalguksu, Myeongdong (1). Order the Kalguksu + mandu. Four dishes since 1966; the garlicky kimchi is legend.
• Gwangjang Market — Market stalls, Jongno (1). Order the Bindaetteok + mayak gimbap. Bindaetteok sizzling in oil, mayak gimbap, yukhoe alley — Seoul's stomach.
• Isaac Toast — Breakfast toast, Myeongdong (multiple) (1). Order the Ham special toast. The buttered street toast that starts Korean mornings.
• Hadongkwan — Gomtang, Myeongdong (2). Order the Gomtang. Clear beef soup mastered since 1939 — open until the pot empties.

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