Gwangjang market was opened since 1905, serving the nation for about 110 years to date. A historical site for more than a century, the market is simply what we called 살아 있는 박물관 in Korean, literally, a living museum.

Various sections are available at the market. Other than the usual meat & poultry, fresh veggies and daily utensils section you can find in a market back at home, you can find those sections brimming with the”truly Korean-ness” : Dried food section which consist of dried fishes and seafood, dried seaweed, traditional Korean snacks (Hangwa한과) section, Traditional Wedding & Ritual Item Section, Hanbok (traditional costumes) Section and banchan (side dishes 반찬) Section.

The traditional market certainly offers a better deal compared to branded department store. My mom did her dried goods shopping here and brought home some good dried fishes, baby prawns, squid and seaweed home and of course, at a relatively reasonable price. She is very happy with what she got and I guess if you’re getting some local products as a gift, the traditional market is the place for you.

Personally, I think the quirky environment offers a vivid array of colours for your photos. Certainly a unique location for some gorgeous and exotic pictures.

My recommendation, especially for self-boarding students who love Korean food, is the banchan store located near to the dried fish/seaweed section.

This banchan store offers an array of seasonal banchan (Korean side dishes). Get 3 or 4 different types of marinated banchan home and keep it in your fridge. These banchans come handy especially when you’re rushing for reports or preparing for an exam. Just have your rice ready, take out a small portion from each banchan container and your meal is settled!

They do offer flight-friendly packaging so you can bring some flavours of Korea back home if you want!

Ganjang-gejang (간장게장) — Raw blue crabs (꽃게)  marinated in soy sauce. These babies are a must-try in Korea, especially when they are in season (spring and autumn). The crabs are marinated after they are put to bed in a freezer, so they are raw, plump, sweet and juicy.

Remember to get some female crabs (with dome shape lower stomach) home so that you can mix up some rice with the creamy crab roe!  Too bad I was diagnosed with shellfish allergy some two years ago and I have quit eating shellfish since my diagnosis. However, I can still remember how wonderful they taste like two years ago! Definitely a must try for all crab lovers.

The food section is another attraction in the market. Tasty and affordable, this place is a heaven if you are on budget. A wide selection of food is available here at the market. On top of all, the very first thing one should try is their bindaetteok (빈대떡), known as mung bean pancakes.

We got a seat at Soon-hee Ne (순희네), which was said to be the best bindaeddeok in the market. Their clientele includes the Dae Jang Geum actress Lee Yong-ae and Tim Burton. Even Running Man went down to film at their stall.

By the way, Soon-hee Ne practises a “no seat no talk” policy. LOL. So what you need to do first is perhaps give up on your Instagram and secure a seat at the back of their stall, THEN order your food. You can always come back and continue snapping away after you fill up your tummy anyway.

So here’s the bindaetteok, a pancake made of mung bean gravy mixed with beansprout, onions and pepper, pan-fried into golden crisp. It is crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.

Piping hot and very filling, it is best to match the dish with makgeolli (Korean Traditional Rice Wine). I find it quite plain in taste. However, the dipping sauce made of vinegar, soy sauce and pickled onion complement the pancake really well. Not something that I am madly in love, but it wasn’t bad.

Other than bindaetteok, the food available in the market includes assorted pancakes, barley rice, Mayak (drug) kimbap and meat dumplings. All you need to do is to find an empty seat in front of the store, sit down, order and enjoy!

Another highlight of the trip was actually this whole pomfret fish pancake somewhere in the middle of the food alley. This is one very big jeon(전, the Korean pancake) made of a whole fish. I was astonished by its size and I guess I am not the only one?

So this is pretty much about Gwangjang Market. It was my first visit after so many years and I clearly have a long list of must-eats to complete in the market. (I will come back, no worries). I must say these traditional markets really have something that keep people coming back for more.

My tips for enjoying your market trip to the fullest: Find a seat and cosy up in the  inviting atmosphere, and share your food with people around you. (offering to share your makgeolli is always good). That is the spirit of the traditional market that I adore. : )

Lastly, The market is just walking distance to the magnificent DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza). It is just one subway station away. So I suggest putting Gwangjang Market and DDP on the same day on your itinerary. However, if you are planning to buy some banchan home, it is better you head right back to your hotel/home and have them in your fridge safely before coming out again. (That is extremely important when you’re travelling in the summer.)

Operating Hours:

9am to 6pm for usual market stalls. 10am-7pm for shop houses, 9am-11pm for food stores.
Close on Sunday. 

Directions:

Gwangjang Market
6-1, Yeji-dong, Jongno-Gu, Seoul.
광장시장. 서울시 종로구 예지동 6-1.

Nearest Station: Jongno 5 Ga, Exit no. 8

Jeonju was chosen as “Creative City of Gastronomy” in 2012, under UNESCO’s creative city network project. I believe it has to do with the city’s traditional way of cooking handed down from generations to generations that span thousands of years. If you ask me what is there do to in Jeonju, I’d recommend you to slot in a street food hunt on your activities list. Cos it is yum and fun!

So here is my complete guide to the street foods in Jeonju Hanok Village, with pictures and address. That is all for now. (p.s. I am thinking of making a street food map later on when I am less busy so stay tuned!)

Popular Street Food 1: Strawberry Red Bean Mochi

Price: KRW 2,000
This elegant and delicate dessert 딸기 찹쌀떡 is what you should really check out. Whole, fresh strawberry and slightly sweetened red bean paste wrapped in a thin layer of soft mochi. The sweetness of the red bean is not too overpowering, a match made in heaven with the fruity notes coming from the strawberry.

Winter Seasonal Mochi: Dry Persimmon Mochi (KRW 2,000)

Winter is the best season for dry persimmon and the store came out with this Dry Persimmon Mochi 곶감 찹쌀떡. Priced the same as its strawberry counterpart, this seasonal mochi is worth trying. Korean dry persimmon is meaty and a lot juicier than the usual dry persimmon imported from China. If you like dry persimmon, you’ll definitely like it.

Address: 전주 애담 찹쌀떡. 전주시 완산구 풍남동 3가 56-3(은행로 51-1)
Pungnamdong 3(sam)-ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea.

Popular Street Food 2: Macaroon Icecream

Price: KRW 2,000
Well, I am sure you might have tasted macaroon ice cream in Seoul, but I just felt like having one in Jeonju so here it is. Locals here love it as well! I received some of the queries while I was doing my real-time update on Instagram, asking if it really taste great as some of you were quite disappointed with those on the streets of Seoul. I have to say mine was actually quite yummy. This one I had was dark chocolate ice cream with orange macaroon, a pretty popular combination for dessert. It turns out delicious. I am not quite an adventurous person when it comes to dessert. My take is to only choose less adventurous ones to avoid disappointment if you are unsure about the flavours.

Popular Street Food 3: Meatball Skewer

Price: KRW 3,500
I have to say this meatball skewer 완자꼬치 from “Chon-nom-eui Sonmat” is my best find in Jeonju Hanok Village. None on the list had made me crave for it so much as it does. It is well marinated, huge and juicy. Oh! and the sour cream made it even better! One of the best street foods in Jeonju.

Address: 완자꼬치. 촌놈의 손맛. 전북 전주시 완산구 중화산동2가 592-9번지.
Junghwasan-dong 2(yi) ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si. Jeollabuk-do. 592-9.

Popular Street Food 4: Grapefruit Beer

Price: 3,500
Flavoured beer from the meatball skewer store, 촌놈의 손맛. Although it was just grapefruit cordial in local beer, it is a refreshing drink, perfect to wash down the greasiness from the street foods you consumed earlier. Am I the only one who enjoy sunshine with beer? I hope not because sunshine and beer is just marvellous!

Address: 완자꼬치. 촌놈의 손맛. 전북 전주시 완산구 중화산동2가 592-9번지.
Junghwasan-dong 2(yi) ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si. Jeollabuk-do. 592-9.

Popular Street Food 5: Grilled Cheese Skewer

Price: KRW 3,000
Another street food worth trying at Jeonju Hanok Village would be this grilled cheese skewer. The cheese is made of skim milk. It is grilled to golden brown with a slight crisp, then served with yoghurt dip. Very interesting pairing, and delicious nonetheless.

Address: 임실 치즈꼬치. 전주시 완산구 교동 121.
Im-sil Cheese Skewer. 121 Kyo-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si. Jeollabukdo.

Popular Street Food 6: Handmade Icecream

Price: KRW 3,000
Handmade ice-cream from 츄즈미 (Chuzme). It is actually a churros and ice-cream shop. Their ice-cream comes in a wide variety of flavours, and they are all made of natural ingredients. I saw mango, strawberry, green grapes, kiwi, orange, green tea, black sesame, bokbunja (Korean raspberry wine) and various fruity yoghurt flavours. I got myself a blueberry yoghurt ice-cream. It was smooth, creamy and luscious, with plenty of blueberry bits –I would have gotten myself another one if it wasn’t winter.

Address: 츄즈미. 전주시 완산구 교동 71-4.
71-4, Gyo-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo.

Jeonju Street Food 7: Shrimp Dumplings

Price: 2,000
다우랑 (Dawoo-Rang) is a very, very, very popular shop that sells various kinds of dumplings. The crazy queue starts at 9.30am, and it took me 45 minutes during lunch hour to get my dumplings.  The one I am holding in the picture is their signature item: 새우만두 Shrimp dumpling. To be very honest, I did not find it special and it puzzles me why people would queue that long for it because I simply could not tell the difference from Dawoo-rang’s to an ordinary dumplings shop. Well, this is my personal opinion. The fact is that they are really, really popular at the Hanok Village.

Address: 다우랑. 전주시 완산구 교동 269-2 (태조로 33)
Dawoo-Rang, Gyodong 269-2, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo.

Popular Street Food 8: PNB Choco Pie

Price: 16,000 per box. (10 pcs)
Chocopie is a very old-school snack in South Korea. Many of the ajussis, ajumma and even younger generations grow up eating them. PNB Confectionary (풍년제과) is the company that produce Chocopies and many other old-school snacks since 1951. This mouth-drying chocolate cake has different versions depending on the company that produce them. Different from the usual chocopies that use marshmallows as fillings, PNB ones are filled with fresh cream and strawberry jam. Their queue is by far the longest among all popular spots.

Address: PNB풍년제과. 전주시 완산구 은행로 61.
PNB Confectionary. Eunheng-no 61, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo.

Popular Street Food 9: King Sized BBQ Chicken Skewer

Price:KRW 4,000
King sized chicken skewer, another well marinated, moist, succulent and tasty choice on the street of Jeonju Hanok Village. It is really huge. I actually find it heavy while I was holding it for picture. x D

Location: 교동 왕 닭꼬치. Gyo-dong Wang Dak-kkochi. Somewhere opposite PNB.

Popular Street Food 10: Gilgoria Baguette

Price: KRW 3,800
A baguette “burger” that is super popular on social media. It is basically a hollow-out baguette bread filled with some tomato puree, cheese, some frozen peas and carrot. A highly raved street food on Instagram (check #길거리아바게트) but I find it quite strange for my taste. Firstly the sauce is too watery, and the bread was serve lukewarm. The mozzarella cheese was not even melted. Isn’t it supposed to be consumed warm? Not a fan, but I’d say go ahead and give it a try and let me know about it.

Address: 길거리아 바게트. 전북 전주시 완산구 경기전길 124
Gilgoria Baguette Burger. Gyeonggijeon-gil 124, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo. 

Popular Street Food 11: Rainbow Slurshie

Price: KRW3,500
A rainbow colour slurshie just reminded me of my highschool days, the 7-11 convenient store nearby the school, and their green or blue coloured Slurpee. Cheers to the good old days!

Address: 달콤한구석. 전주시 완산구 은행로 74-15
Dalkomhan-guseok, Eunheng-ro 74-15, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si.

Popular Street Food 12: Octopus Skewer

Price: KRW3,000
I was diagnosed with shellfish allergy a year ago and quit eating seafood since then. However, this stall was so popular that I decided to include it in the post. The queue was still long at 830pm. Online comment was positive as well. Some Naver bloggers even commented that this is the best street food among all. I am quite interested in knowing how does it taste. Please leave me a comment if you have tried it before.

Address: 문꼬치. 전주시 완산구 교동 121.
Octopus Skewer. 121 Kyo-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si. Jeollabukdo.

Bonus: Candy Floss Macaroon Bingsu (Shaved Ice)

Price: KRW 12,000
솜사탕빙수 Dreamy candy floss, colourful macaroons and shaved ice – This is certainly one very visually captivating dessert in Jeonju Hanok Village. You can find it at the same cafe where you get the Rainbow Slurshie. I have yet to try it out myself. But this certainly looks appealing. Similar to any other cafes in Jeonju Hanok Village, the size of the cafe is a little too cosy. You need a bit of luck to be able to get a seat in the cafe so when the chance came, do not forgo!

Address: 달콤한구석. 전주시 완산구 은행로 74-15
Dalkomhan-guseok, Eunheng-ro 74-15, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si.

What people sell and what their daily staple consists of, what people eat in different seasons, and how some of the vendors would suggest to their customer’s dinner menu for the day as they purchase their groceries away are truly inspiring. These trivial events never fail to entertain the 7-year-old me back then.

The markets in Korea certainly have their unique character and personality. Especially for this particular one, the Tong-in Market (통인시장) — a 73 years old market established during the Japanese occupation period at Seocheon (서촌), aka the Gyeongbok Palace area. The old-school fonts on the meat stall, the typical red neon lights… are all super nostalgic.

The market was first established as a marketplace for Japanese residents in 1941. The situation changed after the Korean war, stalls were taken up by Korean vendors. However, business wasn’t great until their Community Center introduced the Dosirak (도시락) “Cafe”, and the business began to revive. To date, Tong-in Market has over 70 stores, with most of them in the lunchbox/food business.

One of the most interesting activities here is to buy your own Dosirak using traditional coins. Basically, you’ll go to the market’s customer service centre, and look for the signage “Dosirak Cafe”. Let the person in charge know that you’re here for the Dosirak, and that you’d like to exchange modern Korean cash for the traditional yeopjeon (coins).

Once you exchange your coins, you’ll be given an empty tray and you can just walk down the alley to load up your tray with the food available in the stores! Somehow the business concept reminds me of economical rice at home. Or shall we call it an interactive chap cai png? Anyway, sounds fun, isn’t it?

So this is how we start our Dosirak picking journey: After going through the entrance to the market, walk straight down until you see the community centre (above picture) on your right. It is located in the middle of the market. Go straight up to the 2nd floor, where you’ll find people busy eating their dosirak. Locate the cashier room, where you can purchase the coins and the empty tray, then come back down to the street to start your food hunting adventure!

Some little rules and regulations before we start:

1) With KRW 5000 You’ll be given 10 coins. Food price varies from one to two coins downstairs at the market. Check the price with the vendors.

2) Not all of the vendors on the street are in the dosirak project. Look out for stores with the signage “通 도시락 cafe” only. However, you can use cash to purchase any food you like, even if the vendors are not included in the project. Likewise, if you run out of token coins, you can still purchase the food with cash.

3) After purchasing the food, you can go back to the community centre to enjoy your meal. Do note that the vendors downstairs do not sell white rice, but you can purchase white rice from the community centre. If you really need to have rice, remember to save up to 2 coins, or pay KRW 1000 per serving.

You can choose from a variety of food available from the usual banchan (Korean traditional side dishes), salads, and different kinds of kimchi, to the rare dishes like tteok galbi (grilled beef patty stuffed with rice cakes), or bulgogi. If you’re wondering what to order, here’s the list of popular dosirak dishes people are ordering:

– Ddeok galbi (Grilled beef patty stuffed with rice cakes)

– Mandoo (Steamed meat dumplings)

– Gaeran-mari (Tamago/ rolled omelette)

– Japchae (Stirfry glass noodle)

-bulgogi (grill marinated beef)

– Kimchi Dwaeji galbi jjim (Stirfry Kimchi pork)

– Gi-reum deokbokki (oil fry rice cake)

How a typical dosirak vendor stall looks like. Isn’t it very similar to our economical rice? Talking about that I start to miss those lunch hours at Maxwell market. Anyway, the food here is prepared fresh daily and menus vary depending on what’s available in the season.

This is the signboard I was talking about that you should lookout. Stores with this signage accept your coins.

One extremely popular dish among Koreans is this stir fry rice cake (Gireum deokbokki 기름 떡볶이). The rice cake is stir-fried with some chilli powder and brown sugar mixture, one of the more special rice cake dishes in Korea I would say, as you don’t get it elsewhere except in Tong-in Market.

Our lunch box of the day after spending the 10 coins! For your information, my friend and I did not set aside 2 coins for the rice and soup as I was cutting down carbs intake and she just don’t feel like having rice. But let me mind you, KRW 5000 worth of side dishes are VERY filling as well. I could hardly move after stuffing everything down my throat.

As for the stir-fry rice cakes, it is more like a been-there-done-that kind of dish since it is known to be a speciality in Tong-in Market. The texture of the rice cake is chewier and since it is a stir fry dish, it is more to the greasy side. Best eaten hot. Other than that, not much else to brag about the rice cakes.

My Verdict: From a traveller’s point of view, it is a unique experience to dine at Dosirak cafe as you get to purchase your meal directly at a traditional market. I have been there twice and so far everything I picked tastes nice. Since the dishes are prepared fresh daily, it is a healthier alternative if you are looking for a lighter diet. To be honest, to get a balanced diet in KRW 5000 while not having the quantity compromised, I think it is an excellent find, especially around the Gyeongbok Palace area. If you are travelling on a budget or would like a yummy palette loaded with homemade goodies, this is a wise choice.

Contact Details:

Tong-in Market Dosirak Cafe
Seoul Jongro-gu Tongin-dong 10-3
Korean version of the address: 서울 종로구 통인동 10-3번지

Operating Time:

Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm. Coins exchange until 430pm.

How to Get There:

1. Take the subway to Gyeongbok Palace Station (Line 3) and exit through Exit No.2
2. Walk straight for about 10 minutes. You’ll need to cross one major street to reach the destination.
3. After crossing that street, continue to walk straight and take note of a covered entrance to Tong-in Market on your left-hand side.
4. Get into the market and continue to walk down the only alley of the market and you’ll find the community centre somewhere in the middle of the alley.

This restaurant, Villa de spicy that YJ brought me to offers a variety of fusion style Tteokbokki. This premium Tteokbokki are different from what you can get at the snack bar (bunsik jib). Stepping into the restaurant with the modern + minimalist interior leaves you wondering if you are actually inside a Tteokbokki house, a cafe or a fashion runway. It is a dining space in the most fashionable area of Korea (The Garosu-Gil)  where these pop-ups function as a gallery to showcase the latest fashion collection.

The interior of the restaurant. The clothes on the racks are for sale. By the way, their menu here changes according to the seasonal changes in the fashion industry, the S/S or F/W, two times each year. Tteokbokki the fashionable way. Gorgeously yummy~

The huge projector in the middle of the restaurant was showing some fashion show footage on the day when we visited the place. Certainly, an interesting place fellow fashionistas should check out ^^

It was about 2 pm, the post-lunch hour when we arrived. We were seated at this cosy table right beside the road. I like the interesting structure of the restaurant as it is located somewhere between the basement and first level. Not a common scene at home.

Although they have several seasonal Tteokbokki menus here, the majority of the people who visited this place recommended their “Improvised Tteokbokki” 즉석 떡볶이 [Read: Jeuk-seok Tteokbokki]. It is the kind of Tteokbokki you can customize the ingredients you wanted.

For those who don’t know what is a Spicy Korean Rice Cake yet, it is a kind of Korean Street food with the chewy Korean rice cake as the main ingredient and cooked in sweet and spicy Gochujang chilli paste. Normally the cakes are tossed the fiery sauce with eomuk (fish cakes), cabbage, hard-boiled eggs, scallions and garlic.

YJ who brought me here ; )  Good to catch up with her and I am so excited about her wedding at the end of the year!

If you wonder how to order the Improvised Tteokbokki, to summarize, it is like ordering a Subway sandwich. Choose your basic menu and add the toppings and voila. Since the menu is in Korean, here’s my English translated version for ordering at Villa de Spicy:

HOW TO ORDER: 

Step 1: Choose your size.
Small (2 pax.) KRW13,000
Medium (3 pax.) KRW16,000

Step 2: Choose the spiciness scale.
Medium Spicy (mild spicy)
Hot Spicy (Very, very spicy)

Step 3: Choose your main toppings.
Bulgogi KRW 3,500
Seafood KRW 3,500
Vegetarian KRW 1,500

Step 4: Choose the rest of the toppings listed below:
– Hard-Boiled Egg
– Basic Fried Kimbap (Rice wrap with Korean seaweed and deep-fried)
– Dumplings x 2 pcs
– Cellophane Noodles (Dong Fen in China)
– Jjol Myeon – A type of Korean noodles made from wheat flour and starch that has a chewy texture.
– RaMyeon- Normal instant noodles
– half Jjol Myeon + half Ramyeon
– Pumpkin
– Sweet potato
– Cheese
– Beef
– Additional Rice Cake
– Additional Fish Cake
– Additional Vegetables
– Fried Rice

Pink pickles were served before the meal.

Here’s what we ordered for our Improvised Tteokbokki:

Small size, medium spicy. Bulgogi as main.
Extra sides: Hard boiled egg, Half Jjeol Myeon Half Ramyeon, and cheese.

Our own improvised Tteokbokki. The boiling fiery soup and the Eomuk (Fish Cakes) look so appetising in the pot. Here at Villa de Spicy, they use the top-grade rice cake, which is chewier in texture compared to other Tteokbokki places. We added Mozzarella cheese before tucking in and the rest is history!

WRITER’s NOTES:
A Tteokbokki for two at KRW 22,000 is a bit expensive. (11,000 per pax). However, the serving is certainly big for two. YJ and I couldn’t finish the whole big pot just by ourselves. YJ was saying their fried rice with Korean seaweed is a must-try, but we were too full to eat anything else. A small tteokbokki set with similar toppings should fit 3-4 pax if you order their fried rice when you finish your meal.

All in all, I enjoyed this premium tteokbokki experience here at Villa de Spicy. Certainly a fashionable way of eating Tteokbokki. Hidden in some back alley of Garosu-gil, this trendy spot is also a good place for people-watching since it is located in the fashionista Mecca of Seoul. One of the must-try Tteokbokki in Seoul.

Contact Details:
Villa de Spicy 빌라드 시파이시
541-10 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Tel: 02-518-1973

How to get there: (click map to enlarge)

1. Coming out from Shinsa Station Exit No. 8, walk straight down the street and turn left at the 3rd junction.
2. Go down the road, where you’ll pass by Cafe Twosome Place, Olive Young, and this cafe with huge outdoor seating “Coffee Smith”.
4. Cross the road right infront of Coffee Smith and walk into the alley facing Coffee Smith.

5. Walk up the alley and you’ll find Villa de Spicy on your left-hand side.

Garosu-gil is such a good place for food hunting. And this caramel roll at Maman Gateau 마망까또 was amazingly wonderful. The roll cake was coated with a thick layer of insanely sweet caramel, but it was a perfect combi with the very thick Ice Americano that we ordered together. I love the nutty flavour from the inches thick cream and the crumb was incredibly moist and tender. I am still thinking if I should write about their caramel roll cake in a brand new post, but I am just too lazy lately ; p

Till the next post~