Gwangjang Market

If you eat one meal in a Seoul market, eat it here. Gwangjang Market, in Jongno near the old East Gate, traces its origins to a company formed in 1905 to establish it, which makes it one of the oldest permanent markets in Korea, and it remains a sprawling, working place with thousands of shops selling silk, hanbok fabric, bedding, vintage clothes and kitchenware. For visitors, though, everything revolves around its covered food alleys, where rows of stalls, each run by a cook surrounded by mounds of ingredients, serve diners perched on benches around the counters. The star is bindaetteok, a thick mung-bean pancake mixed with kimchi, bean sprouts and pork, ground from soaked beans on stone mills in front of you and deep-fried in a shallow pool of oil until the edges crackle; dip it in soy sauce with onions and drink it with makgeolli, cloudy rice wine. Mayak gimbap, the "addictive" seaweed rice rolls, are thumb-sized, filled with carrot and pickled radish and served with a mustard dip. Yukhoe Alley serves seasoned raw beef topped with egg yolk and pear, a Seoul classic. Elsewhere you will find hand-cut kalguksu noodle soup, mandu dumplings, blood sausage, pickled raw crab, fried fish cakes, and the market's newer generation of sweets. The market became internationally famous when it appeared in the Seoul episode of Netflix's Street Food, and evenings now bring locals and visitors alike to the busiest stalls.

A few tips make the visit better. The food alleys are busiest at lunch and from early evening onward; mid-afternoon is calmer, and weekday evenings have the best atmosphere. Many of the textile shops close on Sundays, but most food stalls trade every day until evening. Prices are posted at many stalls, and the market association has pushed for clear, consistent pricing after complaints in recent years about inflated prices and skimpy portions charged to tourists, so check the board before you order and do not hesitate to move to the next stall. Most stalls now accept cards, but some prefer cash. Sit where there is space, point at what you want, and eat at the counter; it is perfectly normal to share benches with strangers.

To get the most out of it, graze. Order one pancake and a plate of mayak gimbap at one stall, a bowl of noodles at another and finish with yukhoe or dumplings. The famous bindaetteok stalls have queues but turn tables quickly. Vegetarians can manage with the plain mung-bean pancakes and vegetable gimbap, but ask about pork and fish sauce. If you want guidance, food tours of the market run most evenings and explain the dishes and the market's history.

The market sits beside Cheonggyecheon, the restored stream that runs through downtown, so you can walk off your meal along the water toward Gwanghwamun, or head east to Dongdaemun and the DDP for night shopping. Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine are about fifteen minutes on foot. Jongno 5-ga Station on Line 1 and Euljiro 4-ga Station on Lines 2 and 5 are closest.