I love visiting Korea’s markets for their vibrant atmospheres and bustling crowds, but there’s an additional reason why I was super excited to visit Gwangjang Market, and that was none other than food!!!
Gwangjang Market was made famous internationally by Running Man, but it really took off when it was featured in Netflix’s Street Food.
Many locals do come here to eat a piping hot bowl of comforting kalguksu (handmade noodles). So if you want to see a gathering of the most authentic and delicious Korean cuisine, Gwangjang Market is the one to visit.
We didn’t research beforehand on what to eat in Gwangjang Market. However, being the typical Singaporeans that we are, we immediately sensed that this stall was worth checking out – all because of the long queue!
This popular stall sells Gwabaegi, a Korean twisted donut made from rice flour and typically covered in sugar.
Plus an endorsement by Brie Larson?? You bet that we were going to try this out and see exactly what the hype is about!
Behind-the-scenes of making Gwabaegi feat. the long long queue behind us!
Look at this beautiful donut coated in sugar and cinnamon! The dough was crispy and buttery, and the icing was really the perfect way to top it all off.
The hype is 100% worth it. Even if you have to endure the long queue to get to this, I would still recommend you do it!!
I also bought a bottle of (overpriced) Hallabong juice. This is a specialty from Jeju, but we didn’t get to go on this trip and I was really craving Hallabong so I succumbed and bought this. Oops.
Some other delicacies you’ll see around (and should definitely try!) include:
- Bindaetteok – Mungbean Pancakes
- Tteokbokki
- Mandu
- Naengmyeon
- Yuk-hoe or Steak Tartare
2023 UPDATE: I finally got the chance to go back to Gwangjang Market and take a closer look at the other stalls!
Of course, we didn’t miss out on the Gwajaebi this time and the queues got EVEN LONGER. Good news is now they seem to have some queue management in place to ensure you don’t block other stalls or spill out onto the road.
I also finally saw the ahjumma from Gohyang Kalguksu, the stall featured in Netflix Street Food! Unfortunately, her business was booming and there was no space for us to sit, not with the crowd around her stall. Nonetheless, it was exciting to see her in person. Hopefully we’ll get to try it next time!
DIRECTIONS
Address: 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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- BUY & TRY: Korea Street Food Guide
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