South Korea offers a lot of delicious cuisines, but some of the tastiest (and cheapest!) are the various street foods, available from street carts parked in several districts of Seoul. As the day turns to late afternoon, many street vendors wheel out their carts in popular places like Myeongdong and Hongdae and start selling their freshly made wares. Most of them stick around until 8 or 9 at night, and sometimes even later, so that customers can enjoy delectable treats even as a late-night snack. The wide variety offers something for every palate, whether one prefers sweet, salty, or savory.   

Tteokbokki

First on the list is tteokbokki, a favorite amongst both tourists and locals. It’s made of chewy rice cakes and a sweet and spicy chili paste sauce. Some vendors also add in fish cakes or onions, and the broth which it’s cooked in may or may not contain anchovies and other flavorings. What makes tteokbokki unique is that each street vendor’s recipe is a little different, so each place serves a unique taste! Some taste a little more fishy, some are sweeter, and others are spicier. There’s quite a lot of variety available for such a simple dish, but each is equally delicious. Foreign customers may notice that vendors will warn them beforehand that the tteokbokki is spicy, just to make sure they’re okay with it. But an easy way to indicate one is ready for the heat is to tell the vendor “매운 걸 잘 먹어요” (“maeoon geol jal mogeoyo”; “I eat spicy things well”). Tteokbokki is usually packaged in a to-go bowl with toothpicks to make it portable. Most single portions of tteokbokki cost around only 3,000 won, making it a very affordable snack option.

Fried Mandoo

“Mandoo” is a Korean-style dumpling which can be found both boiled or fried. The fried versions aren’t as crispy as the Japanese gyoza, but they’re soft with just the right amount of crisp. The oil gives it that filling fried flavor without being too overpowering, and the inside of the dumplings are filled with various ingredients. Usually there is a vegetable variety, a kimchi variety, and a pork variety. There are also clear noodles and seasonings inside, typically green onion, garlic, and ginger. Mandoo are an ideal street food because they’re easy to eat and not very messy. They are also really easy to order! Simply point to the dumplings and say “이거 두개 주세요” (“eegeo doogae juseyo”; “Please give me two of these”). Here, the “두” can be replaced by other native Korean numbers to indicate the desired amount. Dumplings are also pretty cheap— around 1,000 won a piece!  

Potato Tornado

One of the most interesting and unique options out there, “Potato Tornados” are spirals of fried potato on a stick. There is also a variety available with a hot dog in the middle of the spiral! These fried treats can be dipped in dry cheese or garlic rubs to add some extra flavor, but they’re great on their own too. The plain version tastes just like a potato chip, only a little bit softer. They aren’t too oily but can still curb that greasy food craving. Be careful when eating these though! The tip of the stick is spiked, so it’s best to eat it from the side or by pulling small pieces off. Potato Tornados cost only about 2,000 won, so it’s easy to fill up on! 

Pizza in a Cone

Another interesting street food is the Pizza in a Cone. These snacks are exactly what they sound like—pizza ingredients with the dough wrapped up in a cone shape! This design makes it portable and easy to eat while walking up and down the busy streets. Several types of pizza are offered, including margherita, bulgogi (Korean-style marinated beef), and spicy chicken. The dough is soft like real pizza dough, and the ingredients are layered inside with plenty of sauce and cheese to balance it out. Pizza cones are microwaved on the spot so as to be served fresh and piping hot. Though it looks small, this snack is unexpectedly filling, and although microwaved pizza may not sound like the most appetizing option, it’s actually really delicious! Pizza cones typically cost around 6,000 won, but they’re definitely worth it.

Ice Cream Bungeobbang

Originally, “bungeobbang” is a fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste, but Myeongdong has a different take on it. Instead of red bean paste and a closed piece of pastry, some vendors sell an open-mouthed fish-shaped pastry filled with ice cream! The dough is soft and becomes even softer as the ice cream begins to melt. This particular version came topped with a sprinkle of matcha powder and a slice of real honeycomb! At about 4,000 won, it’s a refreshing summer treat and a great new take on an old favorite.   

32cm Ice Cream Cone

Yes, that’s right, a 32 centimeter ice cream cone! This giant ice cream cone, just over a foot in length, is very popular in the Myeongdong area. Flavors such as strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and green tea are readily available. The ice cream is extra cold in order to help it hold its shape (so beware the dreaded brain freeze). Though it only costs 2,000 won, the ice cream is of great quality and very creamy. These frozen treats are quite difficult to eat while navigating the crazy crowds of Myeongdong, so pull over to a less-crowded side street to make the experience more enjoyable. It does melt quickly and start to make a mess, so remember to bring plenty of napkins! Most vendors offer a bowl option for an extra 1,000 won.

Gelato Waffle

Something that may be a little unexpected as a street food option is the waffle and gelato combo. A thick layer of whipped cream is sandwiched between a doughy waffle and fruit-flavored gelato and then drizzled with chocolate syrup. The gelato is nice on hot days, and with the various fruit options, there’s something for everyone. The whipped cream tastes like a real cream mixture and not like instant spray can whipped cream. Though the gelato, cream, and syrup are all sweet, the waffle itself tastes more like bread batter than typical waffle batter and is a little more difficult to eat with the plastic spoon than the other ingredients. These snacks run about 2,000 to 3,000 won.

Lightbulb Smoothies

Available in Hongdae for about 5,000 won from a stall on the street where employees wear lab coats, lightbulb smoothies are, quite literally, smoothies inside of a glass lightbulb. Customers can choose from flavors such as watermelon, strawberry banana, and blueberry. Though the smoothie tastes like most smoothies (a.k.a. delicious) the point of this drink is in its presentation! The glass of the container makes it feel like a real lightbulb and the straws even have little lights on them for effect (but don’t worry, these aren’t real lightbulbs. Though that would be a really cool upcycling idea). These drinks can be purchased elsewhere in Korea, sometimes in a soda variety instead of a smoothie.