Barbecue holds a significant role in Korean culinary tradition and has been deeply ingrained within it. There are plenty of Korean barbecue restaurants in Seoul. However, amidst this abundance, one can still encounter subpar barbecue options, so you have to know where to head to.

Ggupdang (also known as Kkubdang in Korea) is one of the most popular Korean BBQ restaurants in Seoul at the moment and it specialises in pork cured for 15 days before being grilled over Binchotan charcoal.

The original outlet is located near Sinsa Station, and they have a second outlet in Seongsu-dong which is often touted as the Brooklyn of Seoul. You can have a fantastic Korean BBQ meal at Kkubdang without breaking the bank.

There is only pork on the menu and they are affordably priced below 20,000 won per portion.

Ggupdang is best known for its signature Pork Shoulder Blades and it is soft, tender, juicy and super flavourful.

They also serve other parts including Grilled Pork Belly, Grilled Skirt Meat, Pork Cheek Meat, Back Ribs (limited to 2 servings per table) and Pork Neck.

Also not to be missed are their Doenjang-jjigae (Bean Paste Stew) and their modern take on the Korean Jjajangmyeon with cheese and truffle oil.

Doenjang-jjigae (Bean Paste Stew) is one of the most popular Korean stew dishes made with Korean soybean paste (doenjang) which is a type of fermented bean paste made of soybean and brine. Ggupdang’s rendition (W9,000) is excellent; hearty and packed with flavours.

The purists will not appreciate their Jjajangmyeon (W6,000) as it comes with lots of cheese and truffle oil. But we absolutely loved their modern take on the traditional Korean Jjajangmyeon.

The waiting time at Kkubdang can be as long as 1-2 hours during dinner. Fortunately, there’s a quicker way to get a table without queuing if you are okay with eating Korean BBQ in the middle of the afternoon. The trick is to go there when they open. Ggupdang’s original outlet at Sinsa opens at 3pm while the Seongsu outlet opens at 4pm. We reached at about 3.50pm and got a table immediately when they opened at 4pm.

Ggupdang (Kkubdang)
615 Gangnam-daero, Jamwon-dong
Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-545-9600

Building, 10, Gyeonggi Association
Room 104, 20-gil Seongsui-ro, Seongdong-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 50-71358-6564

If you are looking for the best Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul, look no further than Mongtan which specialises in straw-grilled aged beef short ribs and pork neck.

The waiting time at Mongtan can be as long as 2-3 hours, but trust us, it is definitely worth the wait. We’ve also included tips on how you can get a table at Mongtan.

Located within walking distance from exit 8 of Samgakji Station near Itaewon, Mongtan is one of the most popular Korean BBQ restaurants in Seoul, with locals and tourist alike flocking here to try their famous straw-grilled aged beef short ribs.

A 280-gram whole beef rib is marinated and grilled in the kitchen over a straw fire with charcoal.

After which, the staff skillfully cooks it on a hot sizzling plate at the table before cutting it into small pieces.

The Udae Galbi was tender, juicy and absolutely stunning; this was the best meal that we had during our recent trip to Seoul.

They offer several dipping sauces and wasabi to go along with the beef short ribs.

And if you still have space for more food, Mongtan also serves Straw-Grilled Pork Neck (17,000 won for 150g). We didn’t get the Pork Neck as we ordered additional portions of the Udae Galbi.

Complete your meal with their solid Doenjang-Jjigae (8,000 won). The other dishes on the menu are Soondubu Stew (8,000 won), Spicy Onion Fried Rice (5,000 won), and Cold Noodles (8,000 won)

How to get a spot at Mongtan:

They open for lunch at 12pm, but the queue starts as early as 10am. Mongtan doesn’t allow reservation and you have to queue up to put your name on the waiting list. If you do not have a local Korean number, just let the staff know and they will indicate it on the waiting list. However, that will mean that they will not be able to call you once the table is ready.

The restaurant informed us that they might call us earlier and we would have to get there within 10 mins or they will give up the table for someone else.

We reached the restaurant at 11am and we were told that our table would be ready at 1pm. We eventually got our table at 1.10pm.

The 2-3 hours waiting time may sound scary, but instead of waiting at the restaurant, you can hang around and explore the nearby neighbourhood after putting your name on the waiting list. You can also choose to get a table for dinner and come back later.

You have to check out Mongtan, one of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in Seoul!

Mongtan
50 Baekbeom-ro 99-gil
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Seoul Coffee is a popular and Instagrammable cafe that is tucked in one of the alleys in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, a must-visit neighborhood in Seoul which is filled with many beautful cafes, local shops and underrated eateries.

A hanok-themed cafe, Seoul Coffee aims to create an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Seoul in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Step inside Seoul Coffee and you will be greeted by the scent of aromatic coffee and desserts.

Seoul Coffee is best known for its iconic butter loaf breads—available in two flavours: milk and squid ink—which come with two slabs of butter.

Other than that, they also have a selection of desserts (prices range from 4,500 to 7,500 won) including Chocolate Fudge Cake, Cheesecake, Tiramisu and Cube Ice Cream.

It goes without saying that Seoul Coffee serves excellent coffee. From hand drip coffee, to cold brew, and flat white, Seoul Coffee has got you covered with their quality brews (5,000 – 7,000 won).

You have to include Seoul Coffee in your list of cafes to visit in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village. It is one of our favourite cafes in Seoul to have a coffee and dessert while enjoying some time off.

Seoul Coffee
166-31 Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82 2-6085-4890

Layered is a dessert cafe in Seoul which has an amazing scones and cakes selection. Dessert lovers are in for a real treat here.

It has the most impressive scones line-up we’ve ever seen. There are 13 different types of English scones (both savoury and sweet) as well as a dozen rustic English cakes on display.

Cafe Layered has 2 outlets in Yeonnam-dong and Bukchon (near Anguk station). You can also find it at The Hyundai Seoul’s food hall.

We dined at Cafe Layered’s outlet at Yeonnam-dong when we were exploring the quaint neighbourhood. The cafe is in a two-story bricked building which is located at 223-20 Yeonnam-dong in Mapo-gu.

Some of the scone flavours (prices range from 4,500 – 5,00 won) include:

• Classic Butter Scones
• Fresh Milk Cream Scones
• Matcha Scones
• Cranberry Cream Cheese Scones
• Sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Scones
• Basil Pesto Scones
• Double Chocolate Scones
• Spring Onion Cream Cheese Scones
• Cinnamon Pecan Scones
• Caramel Butter Scones
• Earl Grey Fig Scones
• Strawberry Compote Scones

Frankly, everything looked amazing and it was a challenge trying to pick from this line-up. If you like savoury scones, the Spring Onion Cream Cheese Scone is the bestseller at Cafe Layered. We had the Earl Grey Fig Scones and it was absolutely delicious.

The options for the rustic English cakes (7,500 – 8,000 won) include:

• Dark Chocolate Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Cherry Chocolate Cake
• Mango Cake
• Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake
• Victoria Butter Cream Cake
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake
• Black Forest Dark Chocolate Cake
• Juicy Lemon Home Party Cake
• Tiramisu Espresso Coffee Cake
• Mint Chocolate Cake

Do note that you need to order a drink per person regardless of the number of cakes and scones that you get.

If you are planning to visit Cafe Layered at Bukchon, here’s a sneak peek at the other outlet which is housed in a hanok.

The dessert display at Cafe Layered’s Bukchon outlet.

With its amazing scones and cakes selection, this homely cafe has firmly established itself amongst our top 5 favourite cafes in Seoul.

Cafe Layered
223-20 Yeonnam-dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul

2-3 Bukchon-ro 2-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul

Singapore has opened up our borders (selectively) and we are seeing some hopes of travel with the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) that are slowly rolling out. Among the VTLs, South Korea is one of them and we jumped at the chance of traveling almost immediately when the news was released.

Tickets booked, luggage packed, PCR tests taken. We were ready for our first vacation after two long years. We had waited so long for this surreal moment! Traveling in pandemic times meant many more procedures and restrictions, and the new norm may be daunting, but hey, we aren’t complaining! At least we get to travel!

This new norm is probably here to stay for a while, and if you are still unsure of what to expect for your next flight out via the Singapore – South Korea Vaccinated Travel Lanes, here’s what we can share from our recent experience when we flew SIN>ICN, and then ICN>SIN.

With all the required tests and documents to prepare, The Singapore – South Korea is perhaps the most complicated VTL route. Here’s our Singapore & South Korea VTL Guide which includes useful tips and important things that you must take note of before, during and after your trip.

SINGAPORE > SOUTH KOREA

Here’s a checklist of the important things that you need to remember for your trip:

• Apply for K-ETA
• 14 days travel history in Singapore and/or South Korea only
• Print out your Notarised vaccination certificate
• Travel insurance policy
• Pre-departure PCR test within 48 hours of your flight
• Book a non-stop flight to South Korea
• Take PCR test on arrival in South Korea (advanced booking on Safe2GoPass required)
• Take PCR test/Antigen Test on department in South Korea (advanced booking on Safe2GoPass required)
• Advance booking of your on-arrival PCR test at Changi Airport
• Complete your SG e-arrival card 3 days before arrival in Singapore

Tip: Please print a copy of all the important documents and bring them along with your passport everywhere you go to.

APPLY FOR K-ETA

You also must apply for a K-ETA at least 24 hours before your flight to South Korea. Do note that everyone needs your own K-ETA (including children), you cannot just apply 1 K-ETA for the entire family. It costs around 10,000 KRW (around S$11.27) per person.

The results for the K-ETA will usually be received within 24 hours of application. We got the approval very quickly, but there’s no harm to just apply for the K-ETA earlier.

K-ETA is valid for 2 years once issued.

14 DAYS TRAVEL HISTORY IN SINGAPORE AND/OR SOUTH KOREA ONLY

In order to qualify for the Singapore & South Korea VTL without quarantine, you must make sure that you have spent the past 14 days in Singapore and/or South Korea only.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT A COPY OF YOUR NOTARISED VACCINATION CERTIFICATE

If you are vaccinated in Singapore, please use the Notarise portal to download a notarised copy of your digital vaccination certificate as it comes with a QR code and it will be very useful when you are trying to prove your vaccination status in South Korea. Please print out a copy of your vaccination certificate and bring it along with your passport everywhere you go to.

South Korea is super strict and you need to show your vaccination status when you are dining out or entering shopping malls and shops.

Children who are under the age of 6 who are unvaccinated are able to travel to South Korea and be exempted from quarantine. Children who are over the age of 6 who are unvaccinated may still travel to South Korea, but will be subjected to quarantine for 10 days. Please refer to Embassy of South Korea’s website for more details on this.

Most staff at restaurants/shopping malls will just check the hard copy of your vaccination certificate, but the stricter ones will require you to use their app ‘COOV’ to scan the QR code.

Tip: set the language of ‘COOV’ app to Korean and click on the first button (as shown above) to scan the QR code of the notarised copy of your digital vaccination certificate so that the verification of your vaccination status will appear in Korean.

TRAVEL INSURANCE WITH COVID-19 MEDICAL EXPENSE COVERAGE

Travellers taking the Singapore – Seoul VTL are required to purchase travel insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000,000 KRW (around S$33,799) for COVID-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs. Make sure to check that the travel insurance policy has Covid-19 medical expense coverage.

And please print and carry a physical copy of the insurance policy when you are in South Korea.

PRE-DEPARTURE PCR TEST WITHIN 48 HOURS OF YOUR FLIGHT

Travellers from Singapore to South Korea are required to take a pre-departure PCR test within 48 hours of your flight. For example, if your flight is on 20 Jan 2022 at 2300hrs, you may take the test on 18 Jan from 0000hrs onwards.

Please refer to this list of MOH-approved Covid-19 Test providers in Singapore to find a clinic for your PCR test. Children aged 5 and below need not take the PCR test.

There are many clinics that provide Covid-19 PCR tests at home and they will send someone to do the PCR tests at your place.

We booked our PCR test at home 48 hours before our flight and we got the test results 24 hours later. We highly recommend doing this as it really saves you the hassle of travelling to a clinic and queuing up just to do your PCR tests.

BOOK A NON-STOP FLIGHT TO SOUTH KOREA

It goes without saying but you need to book a non-stop flight to South Korea from Singapore on Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines or Scoot.

And for those of you who are travelling on a VTL for the first time, you can simply book any non-stop flight from Singapore to South Korea. But you have to book a VTL flight back from Seoul to Singapore and the airlines will highlight those flights via the VTL labels.

TAKE PCR TEST ON ARRIVAL IN SOUTH KOREA

Book an on-arrival PCR test at Incheon Airport via Safe2GoPass before departing from Singapore. Do print out a copy of the email confirmation from Safe2GoPass so that you can show them to the staff when you are at Incheon Airport’s testing centre.

You can see the schedule of the time it takes for the test results to be out on Incheon Airport’s website.

After taking the test, you may proceed to your accommodation in South Korea using taxi, private vehicle, designated bus or train for international travellers to isolate and wait for the results to be out. Public transport would not be allowed starting from 20 January 2022 due to tightened measures.

You will get the results via email and once you have received a negative result, you are free to go out. But until then, you are required to stay at the hotel/accommodation while waiting for the results.

We took our PCR test at Incheon Airport at around 3.30pm and we got our negative test results by 5.30pm when we got to the hotel. So even if you are only reaching South Korean after 3pm, your test results should be out in the evening (instead of 8am the following morning) and you won’t have to waste the first night of your trip.

If you are planning to travel to other parts of South Korea, please note that you are not allowed to take domestic flights until you receive the negative result for the on-arrival PCR test.

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TAKE SELF-ADMINISTERED ART ON DAY 3 AND 5

Travellers entering South Korea from Singapore will have to carry out a self-administered ART on days 3 & 5 (your arrival day is counted as day 1) of your trip. For example, if your arrival day is 20 Jan 2022 (day 1), you will take the ART on 23 Jan 2022 (day 3) and 25 Jan 2022 (day 5).

Remember to bring along some ART test kits before travelling to South Korea. You have to take a photo of the ART result together with your passport for self-recording.

TAKE PCR TEST ON DAY 6 OR 7 IF YOU ARE STAYING IN SOUTH KOREA FOR 8 DAYS OR MORE

If you are staying in South Korea for 8 days or more, you will be required to take a COVID-19 test at a designated hospital/clinic on the 6th or 7th day of your arrival. You won’t have to isolate and can continue with your activities after taking the PCR test.

Refer to this list of medical institutions that provide PCR testing.

VERIFICATION OF VACCINATION STATUS WHILE IN KOREA (NEW)

As of 14 Jan 2022, the vaccination certificate issued to someone who has received 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine is considered to be valid for 6 months (180 days) from the date of administration of the 2nd dose.

For example, if the 2nd dose was taken on 10 July 2021, the vaccination certificate would be valid till 06 January 2022, 2359hrs. However, if you have received a booster shot (3rd shot), the vaccination certificate would be valid from the date of administration of booster shot and would not have an expiration date.

Under the tightened measures in South Korea, VTL travellers who completed their primary series of vaccination more than 6 months ago would not be allowed to visit certain public areas and facilities including restaurants if they did not receive a booster shot.

TL;DR Take your booster shot before travelling to South Korea if possible.

SOUTH KOREA > SINGAPORE

14 DAYS TRAVEL HISTORY

In order to travel from South Korea to Singapore on the VTL, you must have spent the past 14 days in Singapore, South Korea, and/or any other VTL country designated by Singapore.

APPLY FOR VTP (not applicable for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents

Short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will need to apply for a VTP between 3-60 days before their intended arrival in Singapore. No fee is applicable.

A VTP is not required for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

TAKE PRE-DEPARTURE ART-PCR 2 DAYS BEFORE FLIGHT

All VTL travellers must take a pre-departure ART/PCR within 2 days of their flight from South Korea to Singapore. The test must be taken at an MOH-recognised institution.

We did our pre-departure ART at Incheon airport and we booked our test 3 hours before our flight. Do take note that the results for the antigen test will take an hour and you will need to wait for the results to be out and get the test centre to print out the certificate before you can check in.

Please go earlier so that you won’t miss your flight. We chose to do it at Incheon Airport as it is more convenient and accessible and we did not want to go through the hassle of finding a test centre in the city during our trip.

Like what you did with the on-arrival PCR test at Incheon Airport, book an pre-departure ART test at Incheon Airport via Safe2GoPass before departing from Seoul. Do print out a copy of the email confirmation from Safe2GoPass so that you can show them to the staff when you are at Incheon Airport’s testing centre.

FILL UP THE SG ARRIVAL CARD ON ICA’S WEBSITE

Reminder to fill up the SG arrival card with electronic healthy declaration on ICA’s website before flying back to Singapore, it will save you a lot of time when you are clearing the custom at Changi Airport.

TAKE A DESIGNATED VTL FLIGHT TO SINGAPORE

Book a VTL flight back from Seoul to Singapore and the airlines will highlight those flights via the VTL labels.

ON-ARRIVAL PCR TEST AT CHANGI AIRPORT

The on-arrival PCR test (S$125/pax) at Changi Airport was super efficient. You can prebook and prepay for it online before landing in Singapore. Remember to print out a copy of your booking and receipt for a smooth process.

You will have to self-isolate until negative result is received. We took our test at 10.30pm upon arriving at Changi Airport and we got our test results via email around 4 hours later at 2.35am.

DAY 2 TO 7 SELF-TESTS

VTL travellers entering Singapore after 23 Jan 2022, 2359 hours via both air and land checkpoints will only be required to do unsupervised self-administered Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) from Day 2 to Day 7 of their arrivals if you need to leave their place of residence or accommodation.

There is no need to submit your results, but you need to be tested negative before going out.

Prior to this, the current testing regime requires VTL travellers to conduct unsupervised self-administered ART on Days 2, 4, 5 and 6 and supervised ART on Days 3 and 7 from their arrival in Singapore.

Have a safe and fun trip to South Korea!

Flying to Incheon Airport does not get you straight to Seoul City and there are a number of ways to travel there. To save time for your travels, the fastest way is to take the express train from the Airport Railway.

For first timers in Seoul, it can be rather confusing to find your way to Seoul Station from the airport as you will have to find your way to the travel center to get your train tickets and then find your way to the train station.

That is why we came up with a comprehensive guide to show you How To Travel From Incheon Airport To Seoul City with ease. You are very welcome!

If you happen to find yourself in need of anything, you can first head to the information counter at Incheon Airport. However, heading to the city is not as difficult as you think it is—as long as you follow our guide!

Since most of us would need to stay connected to the internet, it is advisable to get your wifi routers first before leaving the airport. With internet access, it will be easier for you to search on information when you are in the city itself.

In Incheon Airport, there will be signs that will lead you to the train lines. Simply follow the sign boards that read ‘Airport Railroad’.

After following the signs, you will eventually arrive at the Airport Railroad Travel Center. Find the AREX (Airport Railroad Express) information counter to enquire and purchase your train pass.

The express train tickets will set you back at W7,000 (S$8.35) per person. This is inclusive of W500 ($0.60) deposit which you can get back later.

When you are done buying your train tickets, look out for this sign that reads ‘To Seoul Station’. That is the direction you should be going towards to catch the express train.

At the station, you have to know where your train will be stopping at. There is the normal railway train (which takes you longer to get to the city) and the express train. If you are feeling unsure, simply ask any staff who is working that day or get other passengers to help you.

That’s it! You are finally on your way to Seoul City. The ride takes about 43 minutes so you can take a short nap or use the free wifi that is being provided on all AREX trains.

Heading to Seoul? Read our guide on the best places to discover in Seoul.