The Tastiest Food In All Of Samcheongdong
Samcheongdong is a windy road tucked away to the side of Gyeongbukgung Palace full with charming cafes, tasty restaurants and cutie pie boutiques. Located in the are of Bukchon almost. There is a ton of Hanok (Korean traditional home). Some of which have been converted to cafes, restaurants and wine bars even. The ambiance of Samcheongdong is different from other areas of Seoul in that it has an air of calmness to it. The tranquilness is what attracts people to the area. A number of cafes in the area has rooftop terraces for customers. The view is great to oversee what is going down on the streets below you. For now, lets just check out what there is to eat in this area.
Retrona Pie Tart and More (레트로나파이):
A paradise for tart addicts. This spot specializes in handmade pies. Along with pies, there is also tarts and bread on the menu. The flaky light texture of the pie makes this all the more delicious as you wanna avoid dropping even one piece of it. The interior is charming and pleasant that blends with the desserts very well. Make this spot your dessert stop after dinner. The tarts are from 2,500won to 3,500won, cake is from 5,000won to 7,000won, tea and coffee is 4,500won to 7,000won. The banana crunch pie is highly recommended and the tart selection is quite big. Tiramisu, Rasberry field and Earl Grey Chocolate to name a few.
Palette Soul (팔레트 서울):
Not much info on this one but it does has its fans. There is 13 different kinds of macaroons on the menu to enjoy with your coffee. Or tea, if that is more your thing. A cozy café to drop by whenever you drop by Samcheongdong. The honey milk tea is great with macaroons. Try the wasabi macaroon or pistachio macaroon if you are feeling dangerous.
Mukshidonna (먹쉬돈나):
There is several branches of this restaurant found all over Seoul. Here, they are masters in ‘spicy tteokbokki cake’ which comes out on a hot stove. You can normally find tteokbokki on the street yes, but here, they provide a comfortable seat to customers who wanna savour the spicy taste of tteokbokki and take your time doing it. The fried rice after is well worth ordering. Don’t skip this. You will regret it. Only 4,000won – 6,000won per one person portion. A must for spicy food lovers.
Snow Tree House (눈나무집):
The Snow Tree House serves up Pyeongan-do style noodles served in a special cold kimchi broth (막국수). They add in beef slices is a nice touch. The prices is affordable and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The rice beef café (떡갈비) too is another food you must give a go. This spot is famous for the various celebrities who have stopped by here. You must give this place a try at least once.
Cook n’Heim (쿡앤하임):
A restaurant that makes awesome home-style Italian dishes along with New York style food. An awesome thing to know about this place is that it is run out of a remodelled hanok. The Italian-style burger served of focaccia is worth trying. The shrimp and crab pasta is pretty damn tasty too. Another awesome thing about here is that there is even an art gallery to enjoy. So anyone who loves art with their burger will be at home here. Prices go from 6,500won to 9,000won roughly. The burger might be big enough for 2 people. The New York burger is recommended.
Samcheongdong Sujebi (삼청동 수제비):
This place is hands down the standout restaurant in Samcheongdong. It is very common to see lines for here. Locals are big on this spot. Their ‘sujebi’ (hand dough soup) is that good according to locals. Serving locals for decades, they must be doing something right. The gamjajeon (감자전) also is worth trying at least one, it is made from potatoes ground on steel plates. The sujebi will melt on your tongue, thanks to the strong taste of the sujebi, this restaurant garners lots of attention. The prices start from 7,000won going up to 15,000won. Always a full house at dinnertime and on the weekends. A tip to help you get your food quick is to decide the menu while you wait outside to be seated.
Cheonjin Poja (천진 포자):
Cheonjin Poja is famous for its Chinese style dumplings. A local speciality that comes from Tianjin, China. The dumplings are made by a Chinese chef. There is only dumplings on the menu and that what makes they so good. The place itself is on the small side so there is often lines with people waiting to be served. The prices are very decent, so extra portions are encourage if you crave more after the first batch. Everything on the menu is under 10,000won. The seafood dumpling comes highly touted as something you must try.
Bab Jeom Restaurant (밥점):
A hidden gem, they have said. Its homey atmosphere and traditional style interior to enjoy. Which likes to give customers the feel of eating at home. The kimchi jjim (김치찜) which is made from ripe kimchi and braised pork served together, to order this dish you must order 2 portions. It is 7,000won per portion. A 1 person portion is not possible. Sogogi Dobap (소고기 덥밥), this Japanese dish too is on the menu costs only 6,000won.
Saetbyeoldong (샛별당):
Only a tiny hole in the wall really but it has some crowds that flock to it for its delicious chicken skewers (닭꼬치). Chicken skewers are popular in Korea and when someone does them well, business tends to flow their way with great ease. At Saetbyeoldang, there is 2 types to choose from, Soy sauce or spicy. There is a line usually, but it moves quick. The cheap prices might weaken your resolve to only eat one. One skewer will only set you back 2,000won. The soy sauce chicken is a great first time option if you are worried about how spicy the spicy skewer might be.
Ramyeon Ttaenggineun Nal (라면 땡기는 날):
From the outside, this place just looks like any other restaurant when you gaze upon its tiny signboard and small interior space. This might fool you into thinking it is just another run of the mill ramyeon joint. But surprise surprise, it is much more than that. The difference about this place to other ramyeon places is that that ramyeon doesn’t come out in a bowl here, instead it is served on a hot pot called “Ttukbaegi” in Korean. So thanks to this hotpot, the ramyeon stays hot till you slurp down that final noodle. The prices of a bowl is quite low. There is also cheese ramyeon and Jjampong ramyeon on the menu. The prices start from 2,500won upwards. The cheese ramyeon especially is super duper declicious and not as hot as the other dishes thanks to the cheese on top.
Samcheongdong is only a small village really but it is really adept at hiding its little treasures really well, Make sure to walk each back road and alleyway. There is shops, cafés and restaurants hidden everywhere. You are more than likely to find something really awesome or delicious that isn’t on this list and that is still highly unknown by the masses. Bon Appetite!
