To truly understand a city and its culture, one must take the time to appreciate and experience its food scene. With Seoul, it is no different and Myeong-dong is one of the best places to immerse yourself in some authentic and tasty Korean street food.

Besides being a good place to embark on your street food journey in Seoul, Myeong-dong is also filled with endless streets of cosmetic stores, clothing boutiques and plenty of great deals.

From perennial favourites such as the Hweori Gamja and Ddeokbokki, here are 20 Best Street Foods You Must Try When At Myeong-dong. Well, you can’t shop on an empty stomach, right?

#1 BEEF STEAKS

Who says you can only have steak at a proper restaurant? You can find a few stalls in Myeong-dong selling beef steaks done on the spot for you. Do not be surprised to find a crowd around these stalls because it is impossible to resist the heavenly aroma of these sizzling beef steaks.

#2 BUNGEO-PPANG

Bunggeo-ppang (“carp bread”) is a golden and crispy fish-shaped pastry which is traditionally stuffed with a sweet red bean paste. If you are not fond of red bean, you will be able to find alternative versions of this street food at Myeong-dong, where the Bunggeo-ppang is filled with other fillings such as pastry cream and chocolate.

#3 CHEESE DDEOKBOKKI

You may know what Ddeokbokki is but have you tried cheese ddeokbokiki? Instead of pairing the rice cake with the standard spicy sauce, this one grilled lightly and wrapped with cheese and sweet condensed milk. Definitely a sweet treat you should not miss out!

#4 DDEOKBOKKI

Ddeokbokki—or stir-fried rice cakes—is one of the more famous Korean street foods that most would know, popularised by various Korean dramas. Primarily consisting of small rice cakes, fish cakes, boiled eggs, scallions are examples of the kind of ingredients that are often added to the sweet and spicy mix.

Hot and fulfilling, this would be a good street food to have especially during the cold winters in Seoul.

#5 EOMUK GUK

A good street food to have during the cold and harsh Seoul winters, Eomuk Guk encompasses fish cake skewers served with hot broth. Not only will this be a good snack or light meal to have, Eomuk Guk is often ordered as a side dish whilst partaking in alcoholic beverages.

#6 FISH CAKE SKEWERS

If fish cakes in soup are too boring for you, go for these skewers wrapped with fish cake! There are many choices for you to pick from but our favourite of the lot goes to the sausages wrapped with fried fish cake.

#7 GIMBAP

Gimbap is a quintessential Korean dish that all must know. It is the Korean variant of sushi, which comprises rice and various meat and vegetable fillings compressed together in sheets of dried laver seaweed. The rice is also seasoned with salt and sesame oil.

#8 GRILLED OCTOPUS SKEWERS

Aside from Eomuk Guk, grilled octopus is another popular street food snack in Korea that is often paired together with an alcoholic beverage or two. Simply marinated with salt, the octopus skewers are crispy and chewy and you would find yourself finishing this snack before you know it.

#9 HONEY VANILLA ICE CREAM BREAD

Those who are looking to satisfy their dessert cravings can look out for this stall offering Honey Vanilla Ice Cream Bread. While the concept is nothing new, the ice cream treat is a choice that cannot go wrong—especially during humid and hot days in Seoul.

#10 HWEORI GAMJA

Also affectionately known as the Tornado Potato, Hweori Gamja is recognised as South Korea’s famous spiral street food. Served with various seasonings such as chilli, cheese or barbeque powder, you can also enjoy a sausage encased in Hweori Gamja itself.

#11 JAJANGMYEON

A timeless classic, Jajangmyeon is a Korean Chinese noodle dish featuring noodles tossed in black bean sauce. While it looks unassuming, Jajangmyeon is actually very popular among the locals who eat it on a frequent basis. This savoury dish is perfect for those who are looking for something to fill their tummy up.

#12 JAPCHAE

Japchae is huge in Korea and you can find it in many Korean eateries and restaurants. It is essentially stir-fried glass noodles with beef, bean sprouts, onion and vegetables. You can have it as a main or appetiser.

#13 KOREAN EGG TOAST

Yes, the Korean egg toast is as simple as it sounds—a half-boiled egg is fused with a deep fried bun. You have to eat this when you are in Seoul. Period.

#14 KOREAN GRILLED CHEESE LOBSTER

Albeit not the cheapest street food that you can find in Myeong-dong, the Korean grilled cheese lobster is worth a try if you lover seafood. Layered with a thick slab of cheese, the Korean grilled cheese lobster is a sinful treat worth indulging in.

#15 LOOP CHURROS

Loop churros are beautiful to look at and they make for great pictures to post on your social media sites. Churro stalls usually have a decent selection of toppings for customers to choose from—chocolate, strawberry, rainbow sprinkles and nuts.

#16 MANDU

Similar to the Japanese Gyoza, the Korean term ‘mandu’ means dumplings and if you have been to Korea, you would know that this is a must-try over there. Common fillings include minced meat and vegetables but they differ among stalls.

#17 MILKY BEE ROSE ICE CREAM

Although this is not a street food that you can purchase from street vendors, the Milky Bee rose ice cream is still found along the streets of Myeong-dong. Get your fix of this rose-shaped ice cream (similar to the famous Amorino ice cream) at Milky Bee, an ice cream parlour along the streets of Myeong-dong.

#18 RAINBOW COTTON CANDY

Not satisfied with just having a single-coloured cotton candy? Make sure that you seize the opportunity to grab some rainbow cotton candy during your visit to Myeong-dong. Skilfully prepared and presented in a cone shape, this is a pretty street food that will be sure to brighten up your Instagram feed.

#19 SAUSAGES

Sausage skewers can be found everywhere in Myeong-dong and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to variety; there are those with cheese fillings and others wrapped with bacon. This is a sinful snack that we are willing to forgo our diet for!

#20 TAKOYAKI

Takoyaki is a flour-based snack that is shaped like a ball stuffed with different types of ingredients such as octopus, crab meat and squid. You get it piping hot from the pan and the Takoyaki balls are served with bonito flakes, mayonnaise and sweet sauce.

Looking for more food recommendations in Seoul? Read our Seoul Food Guide.

Strolling along the streets of Seoul means feasting on Korean Street Snacks non-stop. The sheer number of push cart stalls is mind-boggling, and we found ourselves eating along the way, every day. Well, that is only because there are so many kinds of awesome street snacks and we really coudn’t resist but try them one by one.

You know, that satisfaction you get when you have conquered all the street snacks there are so that you can earn bragging rights.

But we prefer to tempt. We had a ball of time trying all these irresistible Korean Street Snacks That You Must Try When in Korea, and we bet our last dollar you wish you could lick your screen now.

#1 TTEOKBOKKI

Arguably the number 1 Korean street food, Tteokbokki (also known as ddeokbokki or dukboki) is made of soft rice cake, fish cake and sweet chilli sauce. If it is your first time to Korea, you must try this. It is a very quintessential Korean dish.

#2 BULGOGI & JAPCHAE

Old-fashioned goodness. Just old-fashioned goodness that even the locals are obsessed with. A plate of piping hot beef bulgogi always works for us, and we are totally for the idea of doing it the messy way; just hold your plate and stand by the stall to eat. Sometimes, these bulgogi stalls sell japchae (stir-fried Korean sweet potato noodles) too.

#3 KOREAN KOGO – FRENCH-FRY CORN DOG

Probably one of the most sinful street snacks, but we have selective awareness and it activates every time we chance upon a stall that sells these gorgeous Corn Dogs. Quite essentially sausages wrapped in bread/ batter, then deep-fried to a golden brown, Corn Dogs are so bloody awesome. Best eaten with ketchup!

#4 DRIED CUTTLEFISH

God knows why the world loves them Dried Cuttlefish! Stalls that sell these are everywhere, and for some unbeknownst reason, these dehydrated cuttlefish are totally nothing special but everyone just needs to have one helping when in Seoul!

#5 EGG BREAD

Simple, unadulterated joy; that is what Korean’s Egg Bread is all about. Typically priced at just W2,000, the Egg Bread is widely enjoyed by both locals and tourists alike. These can be found almost all over Seoul for they are among the most popular street snacks, and we kid you not when we say we ate one every day during our time in Seoul.

#6 FRIED SHRIMP

This is another of those nothing-special-but-we-love-them snack. Well, it ain’t just us. There is a reason why so many stalls sell this street snack. Just because they are good ol’ prawns coated in a savoury batter, and munching on them while sightseeing is just more enjoyable.

#7 CRAZY KOREAN ICE CREAM CONE

This is your Instagram’s best friend. We promise this photogenic cone will get you more likes than usual. These ice cream cones come in a few flavours, and are averagely 32cm tall; well, because one scoop of ice cream is just not enough to please us anymore.

#8 KOREAN KIMBAP

Yes, this is really what we all know as sushi, or to be more specific, maki rolls. Kimbap is the Korean version, usually bigger in size and each roll makes one serving portion. Stuffed with pickles and selected meats, Kimbap is fuss-free but oh-so-comforting.

#9 MAIZE

On first look, you would probably dismiss it. How exciting can maize get, right? But that is when we are all wrong. God knows why the Koreans are blessed with better creativity, but these peeps actually grill their maize with the simplest of ingredients and produce the tastiest maize! Think honey, butter and cheese. Just like that, we were sold.

#10 POTATO CHIPS ON A STICK

Potato chips of a different league; that’s all. These amazingly cute snacks are a hot favourite, and there are many stalls in Korea that sell them. Every stick is effectively one potato sliced with a specialized slicer, then coated with seasoning before being deep-fried. Just don’t think about calories; eat it.

#11 ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Roasted Chestnuts might be an ubiquitous snack but that is not gonna stop Koreans from loving it. Their fragrance always stop us in our tracks and eating a pack in winter is exceptionally heartwarming.

#12 SAUSAGES

Yes, yes and yes. Because we all love those chunky, meaty treats. They come in all sorts of flavours – black pepper, cheese, whatever. Honestly, almost any flavour is possible. And the Koreans sure love theirs with chilli!

#13 YAM CHIPS

Another form of simple pleasure is the Korean-style Yam Chips that they sell by the road side. Typically served in a cup, fresh yams are shredded, then deep-fried to provide that distinct crunch.

#14 JAJANGMYEONG

Comfort food at its best, Jajangmyeong (or better known as zha jiang mian) is something that you can eat any time of the day. It is a noodle dish doused in thick minced pork sauce and vegetables.

#15 BANANA MILK

Alright, this is not exactly by the streets, but they are widely available at convenience stores and supermarkets. You have to try this Banana Milk; we know many of you Singaporeans are big fans of it like we are, yes? Together, we celebrate our love for this simplicity as such.

For more recommendations, read our guide on the best places in Seoul.