Where to Eat in Busan: A Seafood and Street-Food Guide
Jagalchi Market and fresh seafood
Jagalchi is the largest seafood market in Korea and the first stop for any food lover in Busan. On the ground floor vendors sell everything the boats bring in, from live octopus to king crab, and upstairs restaurants will cook your choice on the spot. The classic way to eat here is to pick your fish downstairs and have it prepared as sashimi or grilled above. Mornings are the freshest and least crowded, and the covered hall means it works in any weather.
Dwaeji gukbap, the local comfort dish
If one dish belongs to Busan, it is dwaeji gukbap, a milky pork bone soup served with rice that you season yourself with chives, salted shrimp and chili paste. It is cheap, filling and eaten at all hours, with entire alleys of specialist restaurants near Seomyeon and Busan Station. Order it with a side of the local soju and you have a true taste of the city. It is the kind of honest, warming meal that locals return to again and again.
Street food around BIFF Square
BIFF Square in Nampo-dong is the beating heart of Busan street food, named after the international film festival. The star snack is ssiat hotteok, a sweet pancake stuffed with seeds and nuts that is fried and split open in front of you. All around you will find eomuk, the fish cake on skewers that Busan is famous for, along with tteokbokki rice cakes and fresh gimbap. Grab a paper cup of eomuk broth to warm your hands and wander from stall to stall.
Milmyeon and eating around your day
Milmyeon is Busan own version of cold noodles, made with chewy wheat strands in an icy broth or a spicy sauce, and it is the perfect antidote to a hot summer day. Plan your meals around your route. Start with a Jagalchi seafood breakfast, snack at BIFF Square between sights, and save a bowl of dwaeji gukbap or milmyeon for the evening. If you book a guided food tour, you cover several of these dishes and neighborhoods in one outing with a local who knows the best counters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is Busan famous for?
Busan is famous for fresh seafood at Jagalchi Market, dwaeji gukbap pork soup, eomuk fish cake, seeded ssiat hotteok and milmyeon cold noodles.
Where should I eat seafood in Busan?
Jagalchi Market is the top spot. Pick your fish from the ground-floor vendors and have an upstairs restaurant prepare it as sashimi or grilled. Go in the morning for the freshest catch.
What is ssiat hotteok?
Ssiat hotteok is a Busan street-food classic, a sweet fried pancake split open and stuffed with seeds and nuts. You will find the best-known stalls around BIFF Square in Nampo-dong.