Seoul's Gwangjang Market: Tradition and Street Food

Gwangjang Market is within walking distance from my house, but strangely, I don’t find myself going there often.

I used to think of it as just a place with endless rows of tasty street food and thrift shops, but recently, Cafe Onion set up shop at Gwangjang Market, and it’s become a hipster hotspot for the young and trendy.

88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Cafe Onion sits right at the entrance of the market, and even on a weekday afternoon, it was bustling with young people.

Their menu seems different from the Seongsu branch, and everyone was munching on pies—so I figured eating a pie at this Onion must be a thing.

That wasn’t the goal for today’s visit, so I just admired it from a distance. Next time, I’ll come hungry for pie.

🐟 Chonggak's Bungeoppang (Fish-Shaped Bread)

The reason I found myself here was because, during a recent chat with a foodie friend, the topic of street food came up. Then I remembered a YouTube video about the legendary Gwangjang Market bungeoppang, and, well, here I am—on impulse!

The video warned of long lines and an early sell-out of ingredients, so one must come prepared for possible heartbreak. Sure enough, the line was massive.

The location? Conveniently right next to Cafe Onion. While waiting for the fish bread, I could sneak peeks at the “cool kids” lounging at Onion. Efficiency at its finest.

The mysterious “Chonggak” (Bachelor) himself—or not—was grilling these fish breads along with two cheerful aunties. They only sell 5 pieces per person, and there are five flavors:

🍕 Pizza, 🍠 Sweet Potato, 🫘 Red Bean Cheese, 🍮 Custard, and 🌰 Walnut Red Bean.

Well, no way I’m leaving empty-handed, so I went all-in and tried one of each.

These bungeoppangs were thick, crispy, and generously stuffed. As someone who lives for the crispy tails and fins of fish bread, this was basically heaven on earth.

They neatly packed my 5 flavors into two bags, and honestly, picking a favorite was nearly impossible—they were all that good. But if I had to choose?

Pizza and Original Red Bean took the crown for me. Still, I’d recommend getting all 5 and experiencing the full spectrum of bungeoppang perfection.

🥞 Soonhee's Bindaetteok (Mung Bean Pancake)

No trip to Gwangjang Market is complete without the iconic bindaetteok, and the king of all bindaetteoks is, without a doubt, Soonhee’s.

Gwangjang Market is famous for bindaetteok, yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), and mayak gimbap (addictive mini rolls), but Soonhee’s bindaetteok is like Beyoncé—top-tier popularity.

This was actually my second visit. Fun fact: I live so close to Gwangjang Market, yet a friend in England told me she hoards frozen Soonhee’s bindaetteok in her freezer. (Seriously, how does she even get them there?!)

Last time, I casually nibbled on a cup-sized portion, but this time, I went all in. I grabbed a seat and ordered a piping-hot pancake fresh off the grill.

It was gloriously thick, crispy, and visually irresistible—basically food porn before even taking a bite. And the taste? Oh, my friends, worth every second of that line.

For context: we had already devoured 4 servings of pork neck, doenjang (soybean paste) rice, and 5 bungeoppangs at this point. My stomach was beyond full—possibly reaching “about to burst” status.

And yet, this bindaetteok was so good, I couldn’t stop. Even my foodie friend from abroad was clapping in joy.

As a bonus, I grabbed a pack of mayak gimbap (sold at Soonhee’s too) since I wasn’t in any condition to hunt for another stall. Shockingly, we finished every bite.

Revisiting Gwangjang Market after such a long time was, as expected, a delightful feast. Next time, I’ll be back for Onion’s pie and might even go for the famous yukhoe.

Gwangjang Market—where diets go to die and happiness reigns supreme. 🥳