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| A vendor makes grilled cheese and skewered rice cakes. Myeong-dong is a cultural melting pot where various creative cross-cultural fusion foods are pushing aside the homegrown street food trio ― gimbap, tteokbokki and sundae. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
Street food in Myeong-dong adapting to international flavors
By Lee Han-na
Seoul's bustling shopping district of Myeong-dong has long been a hot place for international tourists. Streets there are always crowded with foreign visitors.
The district is also a haven for shopaholics ― it is home to chic and trendy eateries, and homegrown cosmetics and almost all kinds of cuisines are available there.
But there is a lesser-known aspect of the busy Myeong-dong district ― the delicious and innovative street foods.
With an increase in foreign tourists year after year, street food there has been undergoing dramatic changes lately. The cross-cultural fusion food is pushing the traditional street food trio ― namely gimbab, tteokbokki and sundae ― out of business.
Street food in Myeong-dong is adapting rapidly to international flavors.
In the middle of alleys, food vendors are everywhere and different types of food are served ― from easy-to-grab snacks and authentic Korean cuisines to even high-end dishes you might expect in a restaurant. The variety, then the quality and ultimately the taste will capture your senses.
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| Fried banana available in two forms: crushed (left) and whole (right) with two syrups: condensed milk and chocolate. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
"Fried banana" is the latest street food offering in Myeong-dong.
Inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, a vendor introduced it just a week ago to attract tourists from Southeast Asian countries. There are two versions: crushed and whole banana and each have different tastes.
Asking for anonymity, the vendor proudly shared his months of research and effort to provide the top-quality food. After many trials which sometimes led him to be burned, he successfully found the right temperature and timing to fry bananas with perfect crumbs from a recipe of seven ingredients.
The tastes differ by temperature and form of the banana. There are two ways of enjoy it ― one with condensed milk which is the authentic way of eating in Southeast Asian countries according to the vendor, and the other with chocolate syrup.
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| A vendor is preparing cabbage omelet in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
For cheese lovers, there is a perfect choice. Aside from the "so-tteok so-tteok" (sausage and rice cake), "rice cake and cheese in sequence on a stick" is on sale. With a rich flavor of milk, the grilled cheese and tteok are the perfect combination to soften the hotness of other street foods.
Meat lovers might wonder if they can find something suitable in Myeong-dong. Unbelievably there is ready-to-go steak on the street, paving the belief that Myeong-dong is truly a cultural melting pot.
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| Steak with mung bean sprouts is served with a special spicy sauce the vendor made. The vendor said his sauce is very popular and fellow vendors repeatedly asked if he could sell it to them, a request he has rejected. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
The vendor of the steak house has been providing the Korean beef steak for about four years. His steak is popular and he has regular clients who visit there for the food. He also shared how he made a chili-like sauce for Chinese customers who want it spicier. His spicy sauce is so popular that he says other vendors repeatedly ask if he could sell it to them.
It is served with thinly sliced tender Korean beef on top of mung bean sprouts. The mung bean sprouts capture the cheesy taste of the beef maximizing the juiciness of the meat.
Seafoods such as scallops, octopus, sea snails, shrimp and even small lobster are also available in Myeong-dong.
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| Fire-grilled fresh scallops with cheese on top. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
Fire-grilled cheese scallops are one of the famous dishes in Myeong-dong. They are freshly served by putting cheese on top of the fresh scallops from the southwestern sea off the Korean Peninsula and grilling them with a strong fire for a few minutes. The owner said customers love it with hot pepper paste and vinegar.
There are blanched octopus and sea snails, and skewered grilled shrimp as well. During winter, tourists also enjoy takoyaki with whole webfoot octopus in it, not to mention the tenderness of the grilled lobsters with melted cheese as a remarkable quality street food in Myeong-dong.
However, it does not mean that simple yet authentic Korean street foods are unavailable in Myeong-dong. In fact, there is a twist on the traditional street food.
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| Fusion foods ― croissant fish bread (left) and cabbage omelet with bacon (right). Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na |
Fish bread, a well-known winter street food in Korea, is also available but with a crispy croissant bread. With the traditional red bean paste filling, there are three other tastes available: cream cheese, chocolate and sweet potato.
There is another convenient and customer-friendly fusion snack ― the Myeong-dong cabbage omelet. The word 'omelet' already gives a friendly image to everyone as a home side dish. This cabbage omelet is like the filling of traditional street sandwiches in Korea, but this time with bacon in it without bread.
The crispy bacon with soft egg omelet compliments the fresh cabbage without a heavy feeling in the stomach. It was aired in a television show once and several times in YouTube videos. The omelet is served with mayonnaise and ketchup on top, a perfect sauce for everyone.
Throughout the food-shopping trip in Myeong-dong you can enjoy the passion and cooking talents of Koreans on the tip of the tongue aside from the trendy styles of Korea. There are many other dishes aside from the abovementioned including juices from seasonal fruits such as strawberry.
Other famous street food destinations like Gwangjang and Namdaemun markets are a perfect fit for traditional and authentic food experience ― including the trio of famous street foods ― but oftentimes, the vendors are not gathered in one place and the places are too narrow to provide seating to properly enjoy the meal. Moreover, the wet markets are better accustomed to provide the livelihoods of the local customers which means lesser trendy ― although unique ― souvenirs for friends.
Myeong-dong, in that aspect, is a good choice for trendy and young shopaholics to experience millennial culture and to save time as well, especially if your travel is booked for only a few days or there are a lot more places you want to visit aside from Seoul.
The street foods are available from 4 p.m. every day except for weekends where they open two hours earlier. From winter to summer, Korean foods to diverse global dishes of your choice are available.
Lee Han-na is the Korea Times intern.
