Going local: a taste of Seoul

THE ORIGINAL ESSAY

One of the biggest joys of traveling to a strange country comes in the sampling its characteristic foods. If you visit Seoul, be prepared to eat gimchi (a spicy pickled cabbage dish). Beyond that, the choices are almost limitless. But with so many restaurants to choose from, how can you pick the right one? The restaurants recommended by travel guidebooks often lack diversity, their seasoning and ingredients altered to suit foreign palates taking away the joy of tasting exotic ethnic foods with their fascinating complexity of flavors.

When in doubt follow the locals. According to Korean thought, an empty restaurant must not be delicious, so even Koreans will follow the crowd in an unfamiliar area and wait for a seat at a busy restaurant rather than go to one right next to it that serves the same menu items. So instead of compiling another list of somewhat overpriced, “foreigner friendly” restaurants that too often lack diversity, we carefully selected an assortment of affordable restaurants that offer a true taste of Seoul.

To make your culinary experience more complete, we’ve gone in search of the “great finds,” restaurants that are popular among the locals, and found some hidden gems. They include a traditional Korean restaurant; a standing-only beef ribs restaurant; a gamjatang restaurant where the savory potato stew’s pork bones are boiled for hours; a bibimbab restaurant of steamed rice with an assorted mixture of mountain greens from the eastern foothills, etc.

A sample from this smattering of establishments is sure to satisfy your cravings for authentic culture while showing the unmistakable character present in every corner of Seoul. Focusing on finding quality restaurants near famous tourist spots, we also introduce some franchises and a series of similar restaurants so you can compare and contrast. And if you’re up to the challenge, we provide some out of the way options to test your skills of exploration and communication. Minor inconveniences aside, they are more than worth the effort.

Seoul’s well-developed mass transportation system of subways, buses and taxis will help get around. All you need a little cash and a desire to embrace new tastes, and you’ll be welcomed to a host of eateries loved by locals.

From Peter’s supplied Seoul guidebook introduction, chapter 15. Original observations and historical framing are retained. PDF line-break and spacing repairs are recorded separately from factual updates. Guidebook photography and venue directories are not republished.