5 Places To Eat In Myeongdong, Seoul 2019

Updated: Sep 8, 2019

Amidst the endless shopping that you can do in Myeongdong, there are also plenty of food options for to refuel and recharge. Besides the street food stalls that open from 4pm onwards, there are also many restaurants for you to choose from. Here are my 5 recommendations for eating out in Myeongdong.

Wangbijib (왕비집) Korean BBQ Restaurant

For all meat lovers out there, K-BBQ is truly a paradise. So if you are in Korea, you simply HAVE to try Korean barbecue as it is likely to offer higher quality meat at reasonable prices. One of the best places to try K-BBQ in Myeongdong is Wangbijib. The sheer influx of both locals and tourists are testament to how good this place really is.

Wangbijib offers a wide range of decadent high-quality meat at decent prices. Also, all the meat is cooked using a charcoal grill to enhance the flavour. If you are new to Korean barbecue, fret not, as the staff is trained to help cook your meat to perfection for you. You just have to sit back and get ready to eat. While waiting for the meat to cook, feel free to start on the various free and unlimited side dishes to fill you up.

The beef portions were so tender and it easily melts in your mouth, whereas the pork belly was equally juicy. Simply put, the quality and cook of the meat is definitely better than most that I've had in Myeongdong at a similar price.

Tip: If you happen to get lost in the area, feel free to ask other shop-owners around you and they will be able to direct you.

Address: 26, Myeongdong 8ga-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea Opening Hours: Daily 11:30am to 11pm

Geumgang Bogeul Bogeul (Mix/Squid Stew)

If meat isn't your thing, then consider trying a stew! Hidden in the alleys of Myeongdong is a 47 year old restaurant that specialises in Seokkeojjigae 섞어찌개 (Mix Stew). Don't be fooled by the unassuming storefront as just a quick scan is enough to see the many accolades that this restaurant has earned!

They have a variety of stews available and each stew is priced per helping. In addition, you can choose to order various add-ons to for your stew, from sausages, various kinds of noodles, squid tofu etc.

We ordered the Squid Stew (10,000 won/helping) that consisted of squid, pork, udon, tofu and vegetables in a moderately spicy soup base. We also ordered an additional portion of ramyeon.

The stew had a much lighter consistency than what I was used to eating, but I think this actually allowed me to enjoy the soup as it felt more refreshing. The plethora of both the pork and squid do a good job in elevating the taste. Moreover, I actually can't compare it any other stews that I've tried before so it was definitely an interesting dish. The restaurants is also very generous with their proportion of ingredients so this place was definitely worth it at it's price point.

Address: 20 – 8 Myeongdong 7ga-Gil Jung-Gu, Seoul Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 10pm

Gobong Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup)

Samgyetang (Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup) is one of the most iconic summer food in Korea. It is widely known as a food that helps to fight the summer heat in Korea. There are also two versions of this dish, one that has a lighter broth and the other with a thicker brother. Nonetheless, both versions featured a whole chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and various herbs.

In Myeongdong, Gobong Samgyetang, which was featured in the Michelin guide in 2017, offers the thick broth version of Samgyetang. They have two Samgyetang dishes: their signature Sanghwang Samgyetang (16,000won) and the Hanbang Samgyetang (18,000won). The Hanbang Samgyetang tends more towards the herbal side compared to their signature.

I ordered their Sanghwang Samgyetang (pictured below) and the rich broth did not disappoint. Despite it being rich, it was not greasy and still felt quite light on the palette. The chicken was also cooked nicely and was very tender. While the broth might taste slightly bland to some, do note that this is because they provide salt that you can add to flavour the dish to your taste. Also, they provide free Ginseng Liquor to go along with your meal for free, which is a nice plus point.

If it's your first time trying Samgyetang, I highly recommend this place. It is a good place to get a full experience of enjoying Samgyetang (not all places serve Ginseng Liquor) and they provide an entire guide in English to help you enjoy the dish properly.

Do note that it does get crowded during lunch hour, with locals and tourists coming here for their lunch break. Nonetheless, despite the crowd, we managed to get a seat pretty quickly after a few minutes wait.

Address: 21, Myeongdong 7-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04534 South Korea

Opening Hours: Daily 9am - 10pm

Sulbing (Bingsu Dessert Cafe)

Bingsu is a shaved ice dessert that is often infused with condensed milk and various toppings, such as fruits, red beans etc. It is a refreshing dessert that can be easily shared among friends. If you're looking to try Bingsu, look no further than Sulbing. Sulbing is a chain restaurant known especially for their Bingsu dessert. And this chain can easily be found in Seoul and it remains popular among students and tourists. In Myeongdong alone, there are two outlets and both are usually crowded with people.

I'm a big fan of Injeolmi Bingsu, so I had to try it in Sulbing. Unfortunately, I was way too excited to try it and I didn't manage to snap a picture. But I loved it for SO MANY REASONS. Firstly, the ice is very finely shaved and melts very nicely in your mouth. Specifically for the Injeolmi flavor, it doesn't taste overtly sweet as it balances out the condensed milk. With the crunchy almonds and chewy mochi, there was also a nice mix of textures. I definitely recommend giving this flavour a try.

But if Injeolmi isn't your cup of tea, then do try their fruit flavours as those are really popular as well. Aside from their standard menu, they also often offer very interesting seasonal flavours that are well worth trying.

Address: 22, Myeongdong 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea | Namgyeong Bldg. 2F Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm

Loco Quan 401 Haha's Restaurant (Korean BBQ)

I'm such a HUGE HUGE fan of Running Man, so I just had to include Haha's restaurant in this list. Haha's restaurant does offer a decent range of meat and the quality of meat (while not as good as Wangbijib) was still quite above average in my opinion. The prices were also around the mid-range and common in the Myeongdong area. So I do think you are getting a pretty good value for your money in general. While I definitely went there because of Haha's popularity and Running Man, I would return because the meat was flavourful and it doesn't pale in comparison to other places. Similar to Wangbijib, the staff will also help you to cook your meat so no worries about that.

Tip: If you're lucky, sometimes Haha drops by to provide fan service in the restaurant!