Cuisine in South Korea

South Korean cuisine is very different from quintessential Asian food and may initially challenge expats’ palates. Perseverance is crucial - there are many regional delicacies worth sampling.

Western food is readily available in the major cities like Seoul and Busan with a multitude of western restaurants to choose from. However if it's Korean food you're after you'll be spoiled for choice even in the smaller towns.

Barbecue-style restaurants, serving beef or pork that you cook at your table, can be found on almost every street corner. There are also faster kimbap (rolled rice in seaweed, much like sushi) take-aways every few hundred meters or so and it's easy to find places serving piping hot soups (jigae) and rice dishes such as bibimbap.

Where to eat

Some of the better restaurant areas in Seoul are Gang-nam district, Itaewon and Nopsakyeong. While in Busan, eating options with sea views can be found in Haundae and Gwangan. The area around Pusan National University has a fair amount of both western and Korean delights and is perfectly situated for those who enjoy a drink or two after dinner. The blocks around Seomyeon subway station have a number of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues as well as numerous shopping opportunities.