Korea Trip: Breakfast at Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market in Seoul.
It had been my dream to eat at one of the food stalls here.

So, I took the train from Mapo Station toward the market.
The area around the market in the morning is filled with a different kind of quiet bustle than during the day, with crowds of commuters and students, delivery workers heading to shops, and taxis waiting for passengers all intermingling.

As I entered the large, dome-like arcade, I was first greeted by a row of bedding shops and clothing stores as marked on the map. It was interesting to see clothes featuring familiar characters like Crayon Shin-chan among them.

After walking for a while, the heat suddenly intensified, and I reached an area with constant crowds. I figured that from this intersection onward was the food-centric part of the market.

The grandmothers at the food stalls were energetically calling out to tourists like us.
As we passed by, they handed us menus as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
So, we just sort of sat down at that stall, haha.

I tend to go through life without much of a plan, so I just end up going wherever I'm invited.

But to cut to the chase, it was a great decision.
The items piled up in front of me looked more generous and had a wild, market-like appeal that really whetted my appetite compared to the other stalls.

We ordered
oden, tteokbokki, and dumplings, and they were all delicious!

My personal favorite, the dumplings, were plump and packed with meat, with juicy dough and plenty of savory broth.

The oden was in a seafood broth, and the thin fish cakes, similar to hanpen, and the warmth of the soup really soaked into my body. The seaweed sprinkled on top was a nice touch, too.

The tteokbokki was thicker and chewier than the kind in Japan, and it was coated in a rich, sweet and spicy sauce. It felt like a more luxurious version than what I've had in Japan.

The food was served to each of us individually, but the price remained the fixed amount listed, which felt like a great deal.

I think we ate until we were full for about 1,500 yen.
In won, that's about 15,000 won.

The portions were larger than I expected, and I was almost too full.

Gwangjang Market opened in 1905 and is said to be Korea's first public market. It started as a small market primarily for trading agricultural products, firewood, and charcoal, but it gradually expanded its area to become the bustling market it is today, about 120 years later.

After leaving the market, we walked toward Dongdaemun. It was the perfect breakfast experience on a cold Korean morning.