Local Favorites: Top 10 Must-Visit Specialty Food Streets in Seoul

By MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Department
 
Korean cuisine is full of unique charm, attracting domestic and international tourists to come on a pilgrimage. In various places, there are some lesser-known specialty food streets that only locals know about, where specific dishes cluster together. If you’re craving a particular kind of food, heading here is definitely the right move. Below are ten distinctive and authentic food streets we've put together—don’t forget to come here and feast on your next visit to Korea.

● Gyeonghui University Pancake Street
There’s a street in front of Gyeonghui University that specializes in pancakes and makgeolli, offering a taste of university-town ambiance. It still retains the atmosphere of the 1980s, where many older adults come to reminisce about their youth. The generously filled seafood pancakes can be as thick as 2 cm and up to 30 cm in diameter, with a crispy exterior and soft interior, delivering both a hearty texture and fresh ingredients. Additionally, there’s a wide variety of menu options such as acorn jelly, stir-fried blood sausage, spicy chicken soup, stir-fried squid, tofu kimchi, and spicy pork stir-fry, which can be combined into diverse set meals—perfect for student gatherings, drinking, and chatting.
 
Location: 9th block of 28 Gyeonghui-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Exit 1 of Hoegi Station on Seoul Subway Line 1, then a 5-minute walk toward Gyeonghui University

● Yongdu-dong Short-Arm Octopus Street
This area started selling dishes made with short-arm octopus in the 1980s, and unexpectedly became a hit, quickly transforming into a food street specializing in spicy stir-fried short-arm octopus. Its signature trait is “spiciness”—bright red chili sauce is stirred into the octopus, and just the aroma lets you feel the heat. Customers who come specifically for it often find themselves addicted to the spice. Aside from the octopus, you can also add side ingredients like pork belly, rice cakes, and fish cakes. The most common staple is noodles, but you can also use the broth to make fried rice.
 
Location: 10th block of 36 Museong-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Exit 6 of Jeil Station on Seoul Subway Line 1, then a 5-minute walk

● Mapo Seasoned Grilled Beef and Grilled Pork Cutlet Street
On the northern section of Mapo Bridge, between Mapo Station and Gongdeok Station, there’s a high concentration of grilled meat restaurants. This area was once the Mapo ferry terminal, a distribution hub on the Han River for goods like shrimp paste, salt, and grains. The grilled meat here is especially delicious when dipped in shrimp paste, and the Dangyang-dong area is known for using the traditional pottery used to store shrimp paste to grill meat—a unique local feature. With the construction of Mapo Bridge, the ferry terminal disappeared and many shops closed down, but the grilled meat restaurants here actually grew more popular, eventually forming a full-fledged grilled meat street.
 
Location: 12th block of 35 Tudong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Exit 1 of Mapo Station on Seoul Subway Line 5, then a 2-minute walk

● Heukseok-dong Pork Cutlet Street
Near universities, you’ll usually find one or two food streets, and the one near Chung-Ang University is Heukseok-dong Pork Cutlet Street. This small alley across from Heukseok-dong Cathedral has a 40-year history, and until the mid-1990s, its main patrons were Chung-Ang University students. Recently, it has gained fame for its grilled pork cutlets, attracting food lovers from all over Seoul. While the grilled pork cutlets are the most popular, salt-grilled meat, charcoal-grilled pork belly, spicy ribs, and grilled seafood also have their own fans.
 
Location: 6th block of 13 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
Transportation: Exit 4 of Heukseok Station on Seoul Subway Line 9, then a 10-minute walk toward the Heukseok-dong Community Center