Signature Dishes of Seoul

Must-try dishes

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is Seoul's most iconic dish: steamed rice topped with seasoned vegetables, a raw or fried egg, and gochujang paste, mixed at the table.

History: Bibimbap is documented in Korean records as early as the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897), when it was served to the royal court as a way of combining leftover banchan with rice. Jeonju in North Jeolla Province developed the most celebrated regional version, using Jeonju-style gochujang and rice cooked in beef bone broth, topped with raw beef yukhoe and gingko nuts. The dolsot (stone pot) version, which creates a crisped rice crust at the base, became popular in the 20th century. Today, bibimbap is served from the simplest counter restaurants to Michelin-starred rooms, each interpreting the same structure of rice, protein, vegetables and paste.

Where to try it: Insa Dodam, Insadong Geu Jib, EID Halal Korean Food

Watch out for: Egg, Sesame, Soy in gochujang

Samgyeopsal

Samgyeopsal is thick-cut pork belly grilled at the table over charcoal or gas, wrapped in perilla leaf with garlic, ssamjang and doenjang paste.

History: Samgyeopsal (literally three-layer flesh) refers to the three layers of fat and meat visible in a thick-cut pork belly slice. It became a staple of Korean restaurant culture in the 1980s when refrigeration made fresh pork belly widely available outside rural areas. The dish is inseparable from the social ritual of the Korean grill table: small gas burners or charcoal grills built into every table, shared with a group, the meat cut with scissors when cooked. Jeju Island's heuk dwaeji (black pork) produces a particularly celebrated samgyeopsal: the Jeju black pig, a heritage breed, has higher fat marbling and a distinctive flavour compared to mainland pork.

Where to try it: Ungteori Saenggogi Hongdae

Watch out for: Sesame in dipping sauce, Soy in ssamjang

Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs)

Galbi is marinated beef short ribs grilled over charcoal. The best versions use top-graded hanwoo cattle, butchered in-house and cut thick to the bone.

History: Galbi (short ribs) has been part of Korean food culture since at least the Goryeo dynasty, when beef became associated with ceremonial and celebration food. The marinade of soy sauce, Asian pear, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and sugar is a Joseon-era development recorded in court cooking texts. Suwon in Gyeonggi Province is historically associated with the most generous galbi cut: the claim is that Suwon galbi is cut longer and thicker than anywhere else in Korea. The post-war premium galbi tradition was codified by restaurants like Byeokje Galbi, which began sourcing top 1% graded hanwoo cattle and doing in-house butchery in the 1980s.

Where to try it: Byeokje Galbi, Maple Tree House

Watch out for: Soy in marinade, Sesame in marinade

Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki are chewy rice cake tubes cooked in a gochujang-based sauce: sweet, spicy and sticky. Seoul's most eaten street food since the 1950s.

History: The modern spicy tteokbokki (gochujang-sauced rice cakes) was invented by Ma Bok-rim in Sindang-dong, Seoul, in 1953 after the Korean War. The original Joseon dish was entirely different: a non-spicy preparation using soy sauce, beef and vegetables, eaten by the royal court. Ma Bok-rim's gochujang version was a post-war reinvention that spread from Sindang-dong across the city and then the country. Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town still operates today, a cluster of restaurants each claiming the original recipe. Variations now include rabokki (with ramen), cheese tteokbokki, and cream-based versions.

Where to try it: Sindang Tteokbokki Town, Myeongdong Street Food Alley, Jongno 3-ga Pojangmacha Street

Watch out for: Gluten in tteok (rice cake may contain wheat), Sesame

Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles)

Naengmyeon are cold noodles served in ice-cold bone broth (mul) or in a spicy vinegar sauce (bibim). Pyongyang style uses buckwheat; Hamheung uses starch.

History: Naengmyeon originates from North Korean cities: Pyongyang developed the mul (broth) version using buckwheat noodles in clear hanwoo bone broth, while Hamheung developed the bibim (mixed) version using potato or sweet potato starch noodles in a spicy sweet sauce. After the 1945 partition and the Korean War, North Korean refugees carried both recipes to Seoul. Restaurants like Woo Lae Oak (founded 1946) were established by North Korean families and kept the Pyongyang tradition alive. Naengmyeon is eaten year-round in Korea but is especially consumed in summer as a cooling dish.

Where to try it: Woo Lae Oak, Ojangdong Hamheung Naengmyeon

Watch out for: Buckwheat (wheat-free alternative available in Hamheung starch version), Egg in garnish

Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup)

Seolleongtang is a milky-white broth made by boiling ox bones for 17-24 hours. Served with sliced brisket, rice and wheat noodles, seasoned with salt.

History: Seolleongtang is one of the oldest documented Korean dishes, with records dating to the Joseon dynasty when it was served at royal court banquets. The milky-white colour comes from extended boiling of ox leg bones and trotters, which emulsifies the fat and collagen into the broth. Hadongkwan in Myeongdong has been serving seolleongtang since 1939 and is listed in the Michelin Guide. Imun Seolnongtang, established in 1904, claims to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant in South Korea. The dish is eaten for breakfast through to late evening, and many establishments operate 24 hours.

Where to try it: Hadongkwan, Imun Seolnongtang, Dongdaemun Bonga Seolleongtang

Watch out for: Wheat (noodles), Dairy analogue from bone collagen (not true dairy)

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

Samgyetang is a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng root, garlic, and jujube, slow-simmered in a clear medicinal broth until tender.

History: Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) is a dish rooted in the Korean concept of iyeol chiyeol, treating heat with heat: eating a hot soup in the hottest days of summer to restore vitality lost through sweating. It is traditionally eaten on the three bok days of the Korean lunar calendar, the hottest days of summer. The dish uses a whole poussin (young chicken) stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng root, garlic, and dried jujube dates. Tosokchon in Seoul, set in a cluster of traditional hanok buildings near Gyeongbokgung Palace, has become the most visited samgyetang restaurant in the city.

Where to try it: Tosokchon Samgyetang

Watch out for: None significant (naturally gluten-free if no soy used)

Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls)

Gimbap is Korean seaweed rice rolls filled with vegetables, egg, and cured meats, sliced into rounds. Gwangjang Market's mayak gimbap is the purest form.

History: Gimbap (literally seaweed rice) developed in the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), with visible influence from Japanese maki sushi in the rolling technique. However, Korean gimbap diverged significantly: the rice is dressed with sesame oil (not vinegar), the fillings are cooked (not raw), and the dish is eaten as a portable lunch or snack rather than a restaurant meal. Mayak gimbap, tiny thin rolls served at Gwangjang Market, are made with minimal filling and served with a mustard and soy dipping sauce. The word mayak (narcotic) refers to how addictively compelling the simple roll is, not to any actual ingredient.

Where to try it: Gwangjang Market Bindaetteok Stalls, Maru Jayeonsik Kimbap

Watch out for: Sesame oil, Egg, Soy in dipping sauce

Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Soybean Stew)

Doenjang jjigae is a fermented soybean paste stew with tofu, zucchini, mushrooms, and optional shellfish. It is the daily stew of Seoul households.

History: Doenjang jjigae is inseparable from Korean daily eating culture. Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) has been made in Korea for at least 2,000 years, predating gochujang paste by several centuries. The jjigae (stew) format was the standard peasant food of the Joseon dynasty, using whatever vegetables and protein were available with the fermented paste as the flavour base. Korean doenjang is more complex in flavour than Japanese miso: it is fermented longer, often outdoors, and develops earthy, pungent, umami-rich characteristics that define the taste memory of Korean cooking.

Where to try it: Hadongkwan

Watch out for: Soy, Shellfish (optional)

Bindaetteok (Mung Bean Pancake)

Bindaetteok are thick savoury pancakes made from ground mung beans, pan-fried until crisp on the outside. The definitive version is at Gwangjang Market.

History: Bindaetteok has been documented in Korean cuisine since the Joseon dynasty, when it was street food sold at the Gwangjang market area in Seoul. The name means pancake for the poor, as mung beans were an inexpensive ingredient. The Gwangjang Market tradition of cooking bindaetteok on cast-iron griddles in the central food hall has been continuous since the market opened in 1905. The grinding of the mung beans to a thick batter, the addition of pork and kimchi, and the frying in a generous amount of oil until the exterior crisps while the centre remains soft remains unchanged from the Joseon preparation.

Where to try it: Gwangjang Market Bindaetteok Stalls

Watch out for: Sesame, Pork (traditional version)