5 days in Seoul, Korea-5/17-5/22/2023

Day 4:Gwangjang Market-5/20/23

Gwangjang market located in Jongno-gu neighborhood opened their doors in 1905.  Gwangjang market is the biggest market with over 5,000 shops and it is also the oldest market in Seoul.  Gwangjang market is famous because it is the best place in the city to find traditional Korean street food from Bindaetteok, a crispy deep fried mung bean pancakes served with a vinegar dipping sauce, Soondae (pig's blood sausage stuffed with sticky rice), and addictive mayak gimbap (a seaweed rice roll made with sesame oil).

However, the market has a lot more to it than food. It’s an extremely large market and it would take hours to explore all of it! Although the front of the market is filled with tourists and features mostly food, souvenirs and clothes, you can find virtually anything if you navigate through the market.

The main entrance of the market.

Lots of food stalls and people every where.

People enjoying their food with alcohol.

Most of the stalls are filled with people

There are also lots of foreigners eating in the market.

Lots of banchan, dumplings, etc...

This lady is selling blood sausage.  Vendors try to invite you to eat at their stall.

The market is noisy with vendors trying to get your attention, the seats are very close to each other, but it is so much fun walking around.

Traditional fermented vegetables.

There are so many varieties of fermented vegetables.

Fried food stall.  This lady is making Bindaetteok a traditional Korean pancake that is made by grinding soaked mung beans, the vegetables and meat is added on top.  It is then pan fried and looks like a pancake.

Closer view of the mung beans pancakes.

A variety of fried food.

Another stall selling mung beans pancake.

A tray of chicken feet.

Pig's trotters and blood sausages.

Customers enjoying sharing their meal.

On the counter you can see a tray of Pork skin, Mayal Kimbap, Tteokbokki (rice cake) in a thick anchovy base sauce, and blood sausage.

Odeng, fish cake skewers and in squares.

Mayal Kimbap rolls similar to sushi rolls

Stall selling soup with a variety of organs

Hoa is searching for Cho's handmade noodle that was featured in Netflix street Food episode of Seoul

A poster of Cho and the Netflix folks filming at her stall hanging above her stall.

Cho opened her shop when her husband was so deeply in debt and she has to go to work in order to pay the bills. First she was making blood sausage but did not really like the smell and so she switched to selling knife-cut noodle like how her mother taught her.  The first few years at the market was not easy as the other vendors did not welcome her and made her life very difficult. She persevered and perfected her culinary art over the years and the stall became very popular with locals (and now more so since she was featured on Netflix’s Street Food: Asia Seoul edition).

Cho Yonsoon owns Gohyang Kalguksu stall, a hand cut noodle stall in the market. There is always a line there.

Cho behind the counter, cooking ,serving, at always cheerful with her customers.

We are waiting to be seated and we are watching what people are ordering. 

It is actually really well organized and they rotate customers fairly fast.

Her stall is probably one of the largest food stall in the market.

Cho rolling the dough for her famous hand cut noodle.

Here she is cutting the dough

Once the noodles are cut they are dropped in a large pot of boiling water.

There is always a long line at her stall.  Hoa is at the far end of the line.

Waiting patiently to have a seat a her stall.

Selfie with Cho's in the background working.

We got a sit a her stall after a 15/20 minutes wait and we are so happy to be eating at her stall.

On her counter there is a large pot of Kim-chi and a large tray of Mandu, the traditional pork dumplings.

As soon as we sit down, the menu is given to you and you just point at the dishes you want. 

 Kim chi and a dipping sauce are brought out on the spot.

Her famous kalguksu which is Korean-knife-cut noodle with dumplings -cost 7,000 KRW =$5.50

The broth is delicious, rich and very flavorful.  The noodles have a great texture and the dumplings are also delicious.

We also ordered a plate of mixed dumplings

Pork and Kim-chi dumplings.  Simply delicious! -Cost 6,000 KRW= $4.66

The whole meal cost us about $10.00. What a steal for a delicious meal that feels like your grandma make it for you.

I was told this is a very popular dessert in Korea.  It is called Bungeoppang shaped like a fish and filled with red bean filling..

Crispy outside, hot, satisfying and a lot of people love it.

NEXT...Cheonggyecheon stream