Foodie’s Guide to Busan
Busan is located at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, has its own dialect and a generally warmer weather than South Korea’s capital city — Seoul. With so much to see and do, there is never be a dull moment in Busan, a city that is second to none for its food, and not just Korean barbecue or tteobokki.
Starting off with something light, the kimbab is a staple Korean food. You can find this savory seaweed-wrapped rice roll almost everywhere, even in convenience stores, at a wallet-friendly price. My favorite kimbab comes stuffed with charcoal-grilled pork belly, pickled vegetables, crabstick and omelette. With so many different fillings to choose from, make sure to grab one on the go!
The haemul pajeon (seafood scallion pancake) is a must-eat when you’re in Busan. Made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, freshly chopped green scallions and seafood, this is a nutritious sider that will surely please everyone at the table. If you’re not a fan of seafood, try the classic kimchijeon, this combination would never go wrong. Make sure to pair this with more kimchi and for drinkers, a sip of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) for the ultimate taste!
Busan’s people are known for their hospitality, so it’s no wonder that the city’s iconic dish is a hearty warm stew. Dwaeji gukbap (pork rice stew) appears straightforward — a milky broth decorated with a few slices of pork and some spring onions floating around — but it’s the heart that goes into its preparation.
A gentle reminder that if you are not too familiar with eating pig organs, maybe skip the naejang gukbap, unless you’re an adventurous eater! You’ll find heaps of stomach, liver, intestine and blood sausage in your bowl.
To spice up the stew, pick from a variety of side dishes — banchan — that is served with your meal. This includes pickled radish, pickled cabbage, garlic, fermented shrimp sauce, pepper and gochujang (Korean chili paste). Also, if you’re visiting during winter or the rainy months, nothing beats this hearty bowl of pork rice stew to warm you up!
Another local delicacy perfect for cooling down in the summer heat is milmyeon. Similar to the typical naengmyeon (cold noodles) in taste, milmyeon is made from wheat and served either with cold broth or to be mixed with chili paste.
To really get across the ‘cold noodle’ concept, you might find your meal served in a pre-refrigerated steel bowl and with the noodles twisted over a heap of shaved ice to keep everything icy-cold.
Talking about culture shock, I was very surprised by a pair of scissors on the table the first time I went to a restaurant for milmyeon. Later, i found out that Koreans prefer to cut their noodles shorter to make them easier to chew, so don’t be alarmed if your meal is served together with a pair of kitchen scissors. For a tangy kick, add a dollop of mustard and vinegar to your noodles.
I’m a huge fan of noodles and I honestly think that the regional variant of kongguksu is enough to send any food-lover over the rainbow! Equally weird and intriguing, this is wheat noodles in cold soy milk (and yes, that is a bowl of ice cubes).
I tried mine in a cosy little store beside the gate to Gamcheon Culture Village. It also takes a bit of skill to eat kongguksu since it’s recommended to have each bite with a dab of sea salt and some kimchi. While I expected it to taste more like dessert than a meal, I was surprised by the flavorsome combination of sweet and savory. I definitely recommend kongguksu to everyone visiting South Korea.
As professional foodies, your trip to Busan would not be complete without a bowl of mulhoe. Fair enough, (hoe is pronounced ‘who’ with the ‘e’ in elephant). Despite its humble fishermen beginnings, mulhoe or sliced raw fish in cold broth, has grown into a country-wide favorite. I went to a restaurant right on the shoreline of Cheongsapo beach to guarantee maximum freshness but you can also find this in many restaurants in town, like next to Songdo beach.
Although a meal of mulhoe might cost a bit more than the others on this list, the spread of banchan you’ll get with this is definitely worth the price! From traditional kimchi, scallion pancake to pickled cucumbers, marinated sesame leaf and even fresh abalone and sea cucumber, pair your fish with different banchan for a whole new flavor in every bite.
With this introductory list to Busan’s food culture, start planning your next big trip to South Korea to feed your body and your mind.
