We see this question pop up a lot. So many people are familiar with Korean dining and there’s no hiding that many times it is oriented towards group dining. While there are restaurants that focus group dining options towards solo diners, here we’re going to focus on more traditional options for eating by yourself.
Option 1: Haejangkuk
Haejangkuk is a great option for the solo diner that wants to get a deep taste of Korean food. Typically, the Haejangkuk restaurant will offer a handful of choices that one can select from to order. Some of the most common are Ppyeohaejangkuk (spine-meat), Seonjihaejangkuk (thickened blood) or Namulhaejangkuk (bean sprout). However, there is a vast diversity of Haejangkuk depending both on tradition and region.
Haejangkuk is often a little spicy and can be ordered extremely spicy. It is a delicious post-hangover option but it also is a not so heavy hearty dish that will leave on completely full.
Option 2: The Dosirak or Kimbap Place
This is a must mention stop for a solo diner. Now, I know that everyone talks up getting Kimbap at the convenient store but the solo traveler should absolutely find one of these places. Dosirak places specialize in making a wide variety of lunch boxes and you can customize your order to meet your tastes. It’s a fast, easy and tasty way to get what you want. Bonus for the traveler is that many Dosirak places will use kiosk ordering, so it can remove the stressful side of ordering through the language barrier.
Like the Dosirak joint, a Kimbap place belongs together on this list. Typically, it’s a lunch spot that stays open for dinner. To contrast, often the Dosirak place will close for dinner. The Kimbap place’s menu will be different from the Dosirak place and focus more on traditional presentations of Korean food. There do tend to be two types of Kimbap places. One specializes just in Kimbap and will make top-tier Kimbap ceratinly worthy of eating. However, the other will offer a massive menu that can please almost any diner. Choose accordingly. My local Kimbap of this manner has about 40 items on their menu and will serve anything from Kimchi Kimbap to Omurice and cheese stuffed Tonkatsu.
Option 3: Tonkatsu and Udon
It’s going to be a lot of food but Tonkatsu and Udon is a fantastic and consistent option for the solo diner. Tonkatsu is everywhere in Korea. However, to really get the best Tonkatsu, I’d recommend strongly to look for sirloin Tonkatsu. This is going to be the pretty pink medallions that will have you thinking about them again and again. Toss a little wasabi on top and it’s hard to beat the match of these flavors together.
Option 4: The Mandu House and Kalguksu
Mandu-focused, or Korean dumplings, restaurants are commonplace in Korea. These are the places with the steaming bamboo boxes shooting steam out into the street that you may walk by in the streets of Seoul or Busan. Often, they will have a serious menu that extends far beyond dumplings. My go-to dumpling house serves a wide array of Mandu, steamed and fried, as well as a handful of stews and soups.
Mandu kalguksu is a light seafood soup that includes knife-cut noodles. It’s a great option for the person who isn’t too interested in spicy food but like the cool taste of seafood. A good Kalguksu can be found all over the place and will leave one satisfied and full without feeling sluggish.
Option 5: Jjajangmyeon and Jjampong
There is a little bit of controversy over Jjajangmyeon and Jjampong as Korean food but it’s certainly at least Koreanized Chinese food. Jjajangmyeon is a black bean noodle dish that typically contains pieces of beef in the sauce. The sauce has a light but rich flavor and a unique texture. This is a great cheap option for the traveler who is going to walk a lot and needs energy.
In contrast to the deep black sauce of Jjajangmyeon, Jjampong is a spicy red seafood stew with noodles. Now, both of these foods will stain, but in my experience nothing stains red quite like Jjampong does. The broth holds lightly to the noodles and seafood and the spice is such a nice compliment to the squid or octopus that makes up its meat component. A good Jjampong will offer a variety of textures and complimentary flavors.
Bonus: Fast Food or Chicken!
I said I wouldn’t mention tteokbokki and I’m going to stick to that. However, I do think people should consider grabbing some fast food in Korea. Lotteria offers a nice Korean twist on American-style fast food. Some of the more Koreanized menu items are cheese balls and the burgers depending on their seasonal specials. Further, McDonald’s in Korea uses a localized menu. Sometimes the items are quite delicious and cycle out pretty quick. I still wish they’d bring back the Boseong Green Tea-Fed Pork Burger. It was delicious.
Last, and honestly, any solo traveler should grab some takeout chicken and eat it at the hotel or in a park. This is a quintessential Korean experience. There’s no shame in eating almost the whole box of chicken as a tourist or tossing it in the fridge to eat as a late night snack. Often travelers will be curious enough to try cheese sprinkle but classic is extremely good, too. Bone-in or boneless, too, both are great! Take advantage of the half-half ordering option, too.
Happy eating!
-Hans
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