Hongdae is one of the best places to experience Korea’s youth where a lot of trends start and culture begin. Not only music and fashion, but also food! When people go to Hongdae, there are too many restaurants to choose. To save your time, we’ve narrowed down the scope to 10 must-visit Korean restaurants in Hongdae.

🍲Pork Gomguk Soup- Okdongsik

Firstly, the Michelin Award-winning store captured the hearts of all the foods that come to taste the delicious pork broth with rice. The soup is made of black pork bones and slow-cooked meat. The sliced pork is soft and tender and perfectly mixed with rice and soup. There is no MSG or artificial ingredient. Kimchi is also fresh and well fermented, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is comfortable. There are only 100 dishes served every day, so come early.

• Address: 44-10, Yanghwa-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Nearest station Hapjeong Station
• Time: Lunch 11:00-14:00, dinner 17:00-19:30 (until sold out)
• Price: 8,000KRW- 14,000 KRW

🥘Hong Ma Garlic Tteokbokki

Spicy Korean rice cakes, called tteokbokki, are the most popular street food in Korea If you are in Korea, you should try spicy tteokbokki. Here, Hong Ma Garlic Tteokbokki is best harmonized with crispy garlic. You may think garlic tastes too strong, but most Koreans love the taste. In addition, you can order other street menus such as cream cheese Gimbap, Garlic fried shrimp and Onion rings.

• Address: Seoul, Mapo-Gu Hongik5ro AhnGil24 
• Located in alleyway 
• Time: 11:30 a.m.-11p.m.
• Price: 7,500KRW

🍖Myth Jokbal 

Jokbal, pig hocks are what Korean love to eat. Maybe it’s unfamiliar with you, but it is also a traditional food. Jokbal is made by steaming a pig’s boat in a rich stock containing various spices to remove the unique smell of pork. The flavor of the jokbal is determined when the unpleasant smell is added to the strong seasoning. The form of pig’s feet depends on the season and preference. In summer, people prefer cold jokbal, or cold jokbal salad. This dish features a strong mustard flavor at the base of the soy sauce.

• Address: Eoulmadang-ro 123-1, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Located near Hongdae Shopping Street
• Time: 12:00 – 04:00
• Price: 29,000KRW – 35,000KRW

🥓Yoon’s Grill  Korean Barbeque

Yoon’s grill is one of the most delicious Korean barbecue restaurants in Hongdae. It offers side dishes such as Samgyeopsal and spaghetti, soup, fried rice and noodles at an affordable price. You can also try various kinds of fusion foods to mingle with Korean barbecue. Take this Smoked Pork Belly Set. For this set, you can enjoy the smoked pork belly, but also you can choose two types of meals. The most popular meal is the “Casserole Black Miso soup”. Everything is delicious here! It takes about 10 minutes on foot from Hongik University subway station.

• Address: Seongmisan-ro 184, Mapogu, Seoul
• Locate in Yeonnamdong near Dongjin Market, Gyeongui Line Forest Park.
• Time: 12:00 – 22:30 / Break time 15:00 – 17:00 / Closed MONDAY
• Price: 7,000KRW – 13,500KRW

🐙Gaemijip Hongdae

Gaemijip is the name of a famous restaurant in Busan. The restaurant is famous for its octopus (octopus, pig intestines, and shrimp-covered stew). Gaemijip opened a shop in Hongdae, Seoul! Foreigners who are good at spicy taste can also enjoy the Nak-Gop-Sae (small octopus). You can choose the toppings for the spicy stew. Some menus only have octopus and others have Nakji (small octopus) and shrimp. Depending on your preference, choose the toppings. Nak-Gop-Sae comes out with a bowl of rice.  After eating all the toppings, you can make a delicious bibimbap with bean sprouts, chives, seaweed powder, and Nak-Gop-Sae. 

• Everyday 11:00 – 22:30
• Address: 20-12, Jandari-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Price: Nak-Gop-Sae (small octopus) 10,000won

🍗Hongdae Dakgalbi 

Korean Dakgalbi is stir-frying seasoned chicken with ingredients such as sweet potato, cabbage, sesame leaf, green onion and rice cake in red pepper paste seasoning. They usually use chicken thighs and legs. At the end, it is fashionable to put cheese in a pan. A lot of Dakgalbi restaurants in Hongdae aslo offer cheese fondue. So after the cheese melts, you can dip your chicken in it, and apparently it is really popular among Chinese travelers. 

🍢Izakaya Yakitori dotori

I’d love to recommend a Japanese Izakaya in Mangwon-dong which is close to Hongdae . It’s hard to find something as good here in Seoul, but would love to know any if you have a favourite!  It has been consistently good over the years. Must popular menu is a set of 5 different pieces of ggochi such as fried meat, fried vegetables and so on. Peple usually go to the Izakaya after dinner or at midnight, so the restaurant opens after 7pm. Gonna be a good chance for you to try Korean-Japanese food with alcohols. 
 

• Address: 223-102 Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Price: 10,000~20,000 won
• Everyday except Sunday : 19:00pm ~ 03:00am
• Last Order: 02:00am 

🥓Pyeonbaek jjim

Pyeonbaek jjim is a beef menu that is steamed with beef, seafood and various vegetables in a cypress tree frame. It is characterized by steaming beef without roasting it to create an unusual taste and texture. Scented cypress and tender beef make a perfect combination. Pyeonbaek means cypress tree. The cypress tree is known to be effective in improving immunity and relieving insomnia and stress. Pyeonbaek-flavored beef and fresh vegetables is perfect for consumers looking for a relaxing meal.

Steamed beef

• Address:442-4 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Price: Pyeonbaek jjim  11,000 won/pex
• Everyday :  11:30AM–10PM

🍝We Ball 

If you want some Italian food, I strongly recommend you to try We Ball’s food. It is the most famous meatball restaurant in Mangwon-dong. The restaurant’s interior is so neat that guests often visit it to eat delicious food and to take some insta-photos. Especially the pasta, pizza, meatball are the most popular. 

• Address: Donggyo-ro 9-gil, Mangwon 1(il)-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul 
• Price: Meat ball:15,000won  Olive Shrimp:14,000won … 
• Everyday :  11:30AM–10:30PM ( break time 3:00-5:30pm)

🍚Taeyang Sikdang

From pork stew, Spanish shrimp dish Gambas, Indian-style spicy chicken curry, to salmon-covered rice with a Japanese look, the restaurant’s nationality is unpredictable just by looking at the menu composition. “I have made it possible to serve beer and rice lightly rather than going to a food restaurant in a certain country, so the food has become very diverse. Maybe that’s why the old man from the neighborhood comes alone and drinks with the dish.” the owner said.

• Address: 87 Poeun-ro, Mangwon 1(il)-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Price: 9,000won ~ 
• Everyday except Monday :  11:30AM–8:30PM ( break time 3:00-5:30pm)