10 of the most mouthwatering dishes in South Korea

Graham Holliday, a seasoned food enthusiast, is the author of 'Eating Viet Nam' and has recently released a new book that delves into his culinary journey through South Korea.

'Eating Korea: Reports on a Culinary Renaissance' takes readers on a deep dive into the country's rich food traditions and its dynamic, modern dining scene.

Holliday shares his top 10 Korean food picks with Dinogo Travel, offering insights into everything from Seoul's aged kimchi to the unique bibimbap found in Busan, along with tips on where to taste them.

1. Mugeunji

Hanokjib Kimchi-jjim, located in Seoul's Seodaemun district, offers a no-frills atmosphere, with certificates, awards, menus, and news clippings adorning the walls in a haphazard fashion.

The restaurant focuses solely on one dish: kimchi.

Typically made from cabbage and radish, kimchi that's been fermented for over six months is known as mugeunji, and the version served here is an exceptional three years old. Upon entering the traditional Korean-style house, you're greeted by a pungent, garlic-infused aroma.

The room trembles with the intense aroma as a plate of kimchi, resembling a bloody rag spread out like a lifeless octopus, is set before you.

Hanokjib Kimchi-jjim, 178 Naengcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea; +82 02 362 8653

2. Dak galbi

Dak galbi is a stir-fried chicken dish hailing from the northeastern city of Chuncheon.

Prepared on a large, round hot plate built into the table, this dish includes cabbage, rice cakes, onions, roughly chopped leeks, and sweet potatoes, all smothered in a warm, slightly sweet sauce made from red pepper paste, soy sauce, and turmeric.

Dak galbi is a unique dish – a delicious chaos, a happy accident that just works.

Once cooked and stirred, it resembles a construction site where every edible Korean ingredient is tossed in, flipped over, and shaken together.

Dak galbi is a magnificent dish, and there's no better place to enjoy it than Chuncheon.

1.5 Dak Galbi, 77 Human-ro, Hupyeong 3 (sam)-dong, Chuncheon, South Korea; +82 33-253-8635

3. Kalguksu

Geum-Ak Kalguksu is a dilapidated eatery tucked away in an alley in the heart of Gangneung, on South Korea’s east coast.

This place serves only one dish: kalguksu – a thick, spicy noodle soup that packs a punch. Patrons dine in cramped 6x9-foot cubicles with creaky sliding wooden doors. The walls and ceiling, once white, are now covered in layers of graffiti.

The rough-cut, slimy buckwheat noodles protrude from a broth dotted with seaweed and sesame seeds.

Old-school spots like Geum-Ak Kalguksu used to be common across Korea, but they are rapidly disappearing.

Geum-Ak Kalguksu, 12-6, Daehak-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, South Korea

4. Seonji gukbap

By mid-morning, a line begins to form outside the humble, family-owned Okya restaurant located in the Sin-Sijang market of Andong, a central-eastern city.

Inside the cramped, bustling kitchen, two large vats of soup churn like a stormy sea, filling the air with a thick, spicy mist of simmering meat. There's no need to order, as the menu offers just one dish.

Seonji gukbap – often called the 'hangover stew with clotted cow's blood' – is served with four side dishes, rice, minced garlic, and chili powder.

This is a hearty, beef-filled dish with a touch of sweetness, offering deep nourishment with every bite.

Okya restaurant, 307 Ogya-dong, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea; +82 54 853 6953

5. Kkomjangeo

A row of unassuming sheds lines one side of Jagalchi fish market in the southeastern city of Busan.

Nearly every stall at Jagalchi Market serves kkomjangeo, or grilled hagfish. Cooked alive, the hagfish wriggle wildly as they sizzle on the grill.

This type of fish wasn’t originally consumed in Korea. It was the Japanese who began harvesting it when they colonized Korea in 1910.

They used the skin to make shoes and discarded the flesh. However, resourceful Busan residents gathered the discarded meat, spiced it up, and turned it into a local delicacy.

Jagalchi Market, 52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea; +82 51 713 8000

6. Jinju bibimbap

Located west of Busan, Jinju city is home to a distinctive version of bibimbap. What sets Jinju bibimbap apart is the addition of 'yukhoe' – raw, julienned beef strips.

It’s served in a large, gleaming stainless-steel bowl, filled with steamed rice, yukhoe, mung bean jelly, steamed bracken, dried seaweed, gochujang (spicy red chili paste), and a few side dishes.

All bibimbap variations follow the same basic principle: throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, add some spice, and dig in.

Cheonhwang Sikdang, located in the heart of the central market, is the oldest and most beloved bibimbap restaurant in Jinju.

Cheonhwang Sikdang, 3 Chokseok-ro207beon-Gil, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea; +82 55 741 2646

7. Gomtang

The White House restaurant in Naju, located in southeastern South Korea, is part of a vanishing yet wonderfully enduring tradition of old-school eateries.

This place is a resolute holdout, steadfastly refusing to change. Beef steam billows from the kitchen entrance, where seven women in blue aprons work tirelessly at the gomtang soup vats, rice steamers, cutting boards, and serving trays.

An ajumma (middle-aged woman) wearing rubber gloves, a perm, an intense glare, and a shower cap ladles soup from one of two massive, three-foot-wide vats.

The beef in gomtang is cooked simply and slowly, creating a pure, clean broth. The hot stone bowl holds beef brisket, rice, spring onions, and thin, noodle-like strips of egg.

White House (하얀집), 48-17 Jungang-dong, Naju, Jeollanam-do, South Korea; +82 61 333 4292

8. Mom-guk

Jeju Island’s cuisine, located off the southern coast, is distinct from the mainland. It features more fresh vegetables and virtually no spice.

The island boasts its own distinct dishes, including mom-guk – a humble pork and seaweed soup. Mom-guk seems to twist and writhe like a captured serpent as it bubbles, squirms, and hisses in front of you.

It's an otherworldly soup. Green steam rises like delicate seaborne butterflies from the cauldron on your table. The broth is a deep emerald, rich in flavor and utterly divine. For me, it was the most profound discovery of my journey through Korea.

Jeju Tosok 제주 토속, Ido-1dong, Bosung Traditional Market (City Hall), Jeju City, South Korea; +82 64 758 8948

9. Kongnamul gukbap

The southwestern city of Jeonju is widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Korea. One of its standout dishes is kongnamul gukbap, a hearty bean sprout soup.

Hyundai-ok is one of the more popular spots to enjoy this local delicacy.

Served in a stone bowl, the soup steams and fizzes with a fragrant bean sprout mist as it arrives at your table. Alongside it sits a small metal bowl with two eggs, cooked just enough to remain tender.

On a wooden platter, you’ll find a dish of tiny shrimp, some tangy cabbage kimchi, and a bowl of salty fermented octopus.

For those nursing a hangover, a visit for breakfast is highly recommended – kongnamul gukbap is renowned for its healing powers.

Hyundai-ok restaurant, Nambu Market 2-74, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea; +82 63 228 0020

10. Nakji bokkeum

Nakji bokkeum – stir-fried octopus – ranks among South Korea's most fiery dishes.

This dish is said to have been created in 1965 at a tavern in the Mugyo-dong neighborhood of Seoul by a grandmother named Park Mu-sun.

Nakji bokkeum quickly became a hit. As word spread, it transformed into a national favorite. Mugyo-dong, now part of modern Myeongdong, was once the trendiest district in Seoul.

Even today, if you explore Myeongdong long enough, you can still stumble upon some of those classic nakji bokkeum spots from back in the day.

Myeongdong Halmae Nakji, 31-7 Myeongdong-2 ga, Junggu, Seoul; +82 02 757 3353