As tasty and appetizing Korean BBQ might be, there is still so much other Korean food that you can try besides bulgogi and galbi.
If you’re visiting South Korea and looking to try something other than Korean barbecue, then I hope this post gives you a few ideas.
1. 칼국수 Kalguksu
Kalguksu which literally means “knife noodles” is a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. The name of this noodle comes from the fact that the noodles are not spun or extruded but cut.
The noodles are made with dough from wheat flour and eggs while the broth is usually made with dried anchovies, shellfish, kelp and at times with chicken broth.
Where to eat it: Myeongdong Kyoja
Expected price: KRW 8,000 per bowl
2. 보쌈 Bossam
The next Korean food that you can try is the bossam which refers to pork belly that is boiled in a broth with spices such as the star anise, ginger, scallion, garlic, and soybean paste.
Bossam is a famous anju dish which means it is typically consumed with alcohol like soju or beer.
Where to eat it: Bossam Alley
Expected price: KRW 8,000 per bowl
3. 반찬 Banchan
Banchan is another Korean food that you have to try. Banchan is the little side dishes served at the start of a Korean meal.
The banchan is typically served as an ancillary dish but some restaurants serve them as a main course.
Where to eat it: Sigol Bapsang
Expected price: KRW 8,000 for 20 kinds at Sigol Bapsang
4. 간장게장 Ganjang Gejang
A lot of people have described Ganjang Gejang as the best Korean food. Ganjang gejang is raw crab marinated in soy sauce.
To prepare this dish, the crabs are first thoroughly cleaned. The crabs are then placed into a hangari (earthenware crock) and are salted for about six hours.
A mixture of ganjang is boiled along with sesame oil, sugar, scallions, garlic, ginger, and fresh red chili pepper. Once the salted crabs are taken out from the hangari, the hot sauce is poured onto the crabs.
After an hour, the ganjang is removed from the bowl and reheated until boiling. It is again poured over the crabs, and the procedure is repeated for a third and fourth time.
Where to eat it: Wonjo Masan Halmae Agujjim
Expected price: KRW 30,000 per small crab
5. 곰탕 Gomtang
Gomtang is a beef bone soup that is prepared by simmering different parts of the beef such as ribs, brisket, oxtail, and ox head or bones over a low flame. Rice is also added to the soup
Where to eat it: Hadongkwan
Expected price: KRW 12,000 per bowl
6. 주꾸미 Jjukkumi
Jjukmuni is a spicy Korean food that you should try! Jjukmuni is a stir-fried baby octopuses marinated in red chili gochugaru sauce. This dish is considered spicy even to the locals, so you only want to try this dish if you have the tolerance for spicy food.
Where to eat it: Na Jeong-sun Halmae Jjukkumi
Expected price: KRW 10,000 per order
7. 족발 Jokbal
Jokbal is a Korean dish made out of pig's feet. It is cooked in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine.
Just like bossam, the jokbal is a popular anju dish often consumed with soju or beer.
Where to eat it: Manjok Ohyang Jokbal
Expected price: Around KRW 32,000 per order
8. 삼계탕 Samgyetang
Samgyetang literally means “ginseng chicken soup”. It a soup made of a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice.
It is then boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng, jujube fruits, garlic, ginger, and various herbs and condiments
Where to eat it: Tosokchon Samgyetang
Expected price: KRW 15,000
9. 산낙지 Sannakji
Sannakji is another Korean food that you have to try at least once in your lifetime! Sannakji is a live octopus dish and what makes it controversial is the fact that the tentacles are still wriggling.
The tentacles of the octopus are chopped into bite-sized pieces, seasoned and served while it is still squirming together with dipping sauces.
Where to eat it: Noryangjin Fish Market
Expected price: Around KRW 10,000 per small octopus
10. 순대 Soondae
Soondae is a Korean blood sausage made by boiling or steaming cow’s or pig’s intestines stuffed with various ingredients.
The most common way of cooking making the sondae is with pig’s intestines filled with dangmyeon (cellophane noodles), barley, and pork blood.
Where to eat it: Gwangjang Market
Expected price: KRW 5,000 per plate
11. 매운탕 Mae-woon-tang
Maeuntang is a spicy fish soup or stew. The dish is made with white-fleshed fish, vegetables and seasoned with red pepper powder.
Where to eat it: Busan Shikdang
Expected price: KRW 5,000
12. 낙지볶음 Nakji Bokkeum
Nakji Bokkeum is a stir-fried octopus that is a popular Korean food.
Nakji bokkeumi is made with chopped octopus and vegetables such as onions, green onions, cabbage, and carrots that have been marinated in gochujang (red pepper paste), soy sauce, garlic, salt, and sugar.
Where to eat it: Myeongdong Halmae Nakji
Expected price: KRW 23,000
13. 설렁탕 Seolleongtang
Seolleongtang is a Korean Ox bone soup. The Ox bones are simmered on low heat for hours and hours and are the main highlight of this dish.
The broth is served unsalted and unseasoned, so you can add salt, pepper, chili paste if you want.
Where to eat it: Sinseon Seolleongtang Myeongdong
Expected price: KRW 5,000 – 6,000
14. 찐만두 Jjinmandu
The Jjinmandu is Korean dumplings that have noodle-like wrappers stuffed with a variety of different ingredients.
Pork, onions, cabbage, carrots, and mung bean noodles are all basic ingredients that are used within these pillows of delicious goodness.
Where to eat it: Myeongdong Street Food Market
Expected price: KRW 3,000
15. 비빔 냉면 Bibim Naengmyeon
This Korean food is made out of long, thin handmade noodles typically made from buckwheat. The noodles are topped with slices of cucumber, cabbage, and hard-boiled eggs.
This dish is traditionally served in a large stainless-steel bowl with a slosh of sour kimchi flavored ice.
Where to eat it: Woo Lae Oak
Expected price: KRW 13,000 per bowl
16. 닭꼬치 Dakkochi
Dakkochi is a grilled chicken and scallion skewer. The chicken is cut into bite-size and is skewered with scallions and is brushed with sweet and spicy red chili sauce.
Where to eat it: Myeongdong Street Food Market
Expected price: KRW 2,000
17. 해물탕 Haemultang
Haemultang is a spicy seafood stew that is not only a famous Korean traditional dish but it also loved by foreigners.
The stew has assorted seafood such as the blue crabs, octopus, lobster tail, squids, scallops, shrimps and clams. It is seasoned with gochujang, red pepper paste.
Where to eat it: Samsunghyeol Haemultang
Expected price: KRW 7,000
18. 감자탕 Gamjatang
The last Korean food that you should try is Gamjatang. Gamjatang is a spicy Korean soup made out of pig's spine or neck bones.
The soup usually contains potatoes, cellophane noodles, dried radish greens, perilla leaves, green onions, hot peppers, and ground sesame seeds.
This dish is usually served with kimchi and a bowl of rice.
Where to eat it: Onedang Gamjatang
Expected price: KRW 6,000
Have you tried any of these Korean dishes? If you haven't which one are you excited to try when you are in Korea? Let us know your thoughts!
Check out our previous blog on 9 Weird and Exotic Korean Food You Didn’t Know Existed in South Korea
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