Where to eat in Dongdaemun
Around the old East Gate and the DDP, Seoul's wholesale fashion markets stay busy late into the night. A short walk east, Sindang-dong is home to the city's tteokbokki alley, Seoul Jungang Market and Jangchung-dong's pork trotter street.
14 places our guide covers in Dongdaemun, with what to order, how long the wait is and how to eat each dish.
- 🥩
Angyeong Halmeoni Gopchang 안경할머니곱창
Korean BBQ · Dongdaemun · Since 1973
The oldest name in Hwanghak-dong's pork-intestine alley, open since 1973. Pork makchang (the last section of the intestine) is seared over charcoal briquettes, then finished at your table with salt or a chili marinade; the stir-fried yachae-gopchang with vegetables is the other classic. Strictly for adventurous eaters, and best with soju.
Try: Makchang yangnyeom-gui (mild or spicy)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🍲
Daehwajeong Jinjja Haejangguk 대화정 진짜해장국
Soups & stews · Dongdaemun · Since 1981
A hangover soup house in an alley behind the DDP, feeding Dongdaemun's wholesale traders since 1981. There is basically one dish: a nutty soybean-paste broth with dried cabbage, beef and seonji (congealed ox blood). It opens at 5 in the morning.
Try: Jinjja haejangguk (regular)
Short wait - 🍜
Deokhwajang 덕화장
Korean-Chinese · Dongdaemun · Since 1970
A Korean-Chinese restaurant on Jangchung-dong's food street since 1970, the kind of place local offices and Dongguk University alumni have been coming to for decades. Order the house specials, deokhwa-myeon and deokhwa-bap, alongside classic sweet-and-sour pork and black bean noodles.
Try: Deokhwa-myeon, deokhwa-bap (house specials)
Locals' pickNo wait - 🍢
Mabokrim Halmeoni Jip 마복림할머니집
Street snacks · Dongdaemun · Since 1953
The shop that started Sindang-dong's famous tteokbokki alley. A big pan of rice cakes, fish cakes, ramyeon, chewy jjolmyeon noodles and dumplings is set on a burner at your table and simmers in a sweet, mild sauce of chili paste and black bean paste. Finish by frying rice in what's left.
Try: Jeukseok tteokbokki set (for 2, 3 or 4)
Short wait - 🍜
Ojangdong Heungnamjip 오장동흥남집
Noodles · Dongdaemun · Since 1953
Seoul's best-known Hamheung naengmyeon house, on Ojang-dong's cold noodle street since 1953. The thin, very chewy starch noodles come cold and spicy, topped with marinated raw skate (hoe-naengmyeon), with beef, or in a chilled broth.
Try: Hoe-naengmyeon (noodles with spicy raw skate)
Short wait - 🍖
Pyeongando Jokbal 평안도족발집
Jokbal & bossam · Dongdaemun · Since 1961
The old-timer of Jangchung-dong's jokbal street. Jokbal is pork trotter braised for hours in a spiced soy broth, then sliced and served at room temperature: tender meat, sticky skin. Here it is mild and clean-tasting, with buckwheat makguksu noodles and mung bean pancakes on the side.
Try: Jokbal (small, medium, large, extra-large)
Short wait - 🍦
Taegeukdang 태극당
Desserts · Dongdaemun · Since 1946
Often called Seoul's oldest bakery, open since 1946 and little changed inside: marble floors, chandeliers and old-fashioned Korean breads. Come for the monaka, milk ice cream sandwiched in a crisp wafer shell, and the retro sarada-ppang (salad bread).
Try: Monaka ice cream
No wait - 🍗
Cheogajip 처가집
Soups & stews · Dongdaemun
North Korean-style steamed chicken served in an old house with no sign above the gate. A whole chicken is cooked plain until tender and arrives on a bed of soft chives; you dip it in a tangy soy and chili sauce. Buckwheat makguksu noodles and steamed dumplings complete the meal.
Try: Ibuk-sik jjimdak (North Korean-style steamed chicken)
Short wait - 🥩
Geumdwaeji Sikdang 금돼지식당
Korean BBQ · Dongdaemun
Seoul's most famous pork barbecue, near Yaksu Station, and one of the hardest tables in the city to get. Staff grill thick bone-in pork belly and marbled "snowflake" pork neck over a hot grill until crisp, and you wrap it with fresh basil. Join the queue as early as you can.
Try: Bon-samgyeop (bone-in pork belly)
1 hr+ wait - 🦑
Okgyeongine Geonsaengseon 옥경이네건생선
Market food · Dongdaemun
The busiest table in Seoul Jungang Market. It specializes in half-dried fish and seafood, and the star is thick half-dried cuttlefish grilled over charcoal at the door: smoky, tender and sweet. Steamed croaker and other half-dried fish round out a meal that goes well with beer.
Try: Gab-ojingeo-gui (grilled half-dried cuttlefish)
30-60 min wait - 🥣
Sindangdong Cheon Patjuk 신당동천팥죽
Noodles · Dongdaemun
A tiny red bean porridge shop by Sindang Station. Patjuk here is savory, not sweet: thick red bean porridge with chewy sticky-rice balls, or red bean soup with hand-cut noodles. In summer it adds a rich black-bean kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles).
Try: Saeal-patjuk (red bean porridge with rice balls)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🥩
Useong Galbi 우성갈비
Korean BBQ · Dongdaemun
An old pork-rib joint by Yaksu Market that sells just two things: marinated pork galbi and pork skin. The ribs are first seared over charcoal briquettes in the kitchen, then finished at your table. On warm nights everyone eats outside on oil-drum tables in the alley.
Try: Dwaeji-galbi (marinated pork ribs)
Locals' pick - 🍲
Yaksu Sundaeguk 약수순대국
Soups & stews · Dongdaemun
A Yaksu Market institution for sundaeguk, pork and blood sausage soup. The broth is clean rather than heavy and the bowl is packed with tender head meat. It moved from its cramped alley shop into a new building next door, with the same cooks.
Try: Sundaeguk (regular or large)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🥩
Yukjeon Sikdang (Sinseol-dong main branch) 육전식당 신설동본점
Korean BBQ · Dongdaemun
The pork barbecue that made thick-cut pork famous in Seoul. Whole slabs of pork neck and belly, several centimeters thick, are grilled for you by staff until crisp outside and juicy inside. A steamed egg and kimchi jjigae round out the meal.
Try: Tong-moksal (thick-cut pork neck)
Short wait