The Ultimate Seoul Food Guide: Budget Friendly Edition!

As you prepare to arrive in Seoul (or if you're already in Seoul), you might be excited to explore the wonderful food that the city has to offer. You may have scrolled through hundreds of TikToks and Instagram Reels showing the same handful of “MUST TRY” restaurants in Seoul. As a major foodie (as millennial as it sounds) I have explored the cracks and crevices of the city's food scene, and we DO NOT gatekeep here! So here are my top eats in Seoul that are also budget friendly, cause college students deserve to eat good food too! To make this guide more comprehensive, I will be organizing my recommendations into 3 separate categories: Best Breakfast, Biggest Bang For Your Buck, and Must Tries.

Best Breakfast/Brunch

Starting off with the most important meal of the day! One of my Best Breakfast recommendations is in Seongsu-dong, one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city, dubbed ‘the Brooklyn of Seoul’, making it the perfect place to fuel up before a long day of shopping and exploring. The other is a bit of a trek away from the city near Seoul National University, however it is just a 30 minutes from Seoul Grand Park and Zoo!

Maple Top (₩15-19k/person)

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Maple Top is the epitome of a trendy American breakfast diner with a matching interior vibe. It has a plethora of options from sweet, savory, to a mix of both. The menu features many flavors of the fluffiest pancake stacks, chicken and waffles, omelets, and mixed breakfast platters. The plate sizes are quite big for the price and are perfect for sharing and splitting the bill, making the price per person around $10-15USD. We ordered a stack (6) of blueberry pancakes and the American breakfast plate that comes with potatoes, two slices of bread, two eggs (your choice of sunny side/over easy/scrambled), two slices of bacon, and a sausage patty. Overall the food was amazing, the pancakes were fluffy and came with a side of blueberry compote, butter, and syrup while the breakfast platter offered the perfect savory balance. This place is perfect for those who are suckers for a classic American breakfast.

Yoseon (₩7-11k/person)

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Yoeseon is what I would call a hidden gem in terms of brunch spots. Although it is on the outskirts of Seoul, it is a perfect spot to start your day, especially if you are planning to visit Seoul Grand Park later in the day. Yoseon has a cute and simple menu and a matching interior and exterior aesthetic. The menu features many different sandwiches, soups, greek yogurt and pastries. We ordered the basil cream grilled baguette, sweet pumpkin corn soup, and a custom bowl of greek yogurt. The basil baguette was perfectly crunchy and was covered in a creamy and flavorful basil cream. For the greek yogurt they offered many toppings, but I chose blueberry compote and shine muscat grapes which was the perfect choice for a sweeter menu option. Finally, the soup was perfectly creamy and flavorful and the perfect warm addition to the meal. All of this food was only $20USD which makes it a perfect budget friendly brunch spot!

Biggest Bang For Your Buck

Whether you're running low on funds or just want to find a cheaper meal to save money, I got the spots for you! This category includes the best food with the best portion sizes at the best price. Within this category there is one shareable spot and one solo dining friendly spot that offers the best food that won't break the bank!

New Order Club Yeonnam (₩10-12k/person, group of 3)

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New Order Club is my first pick for the biggest bang for your buck. It is a small pizza place right near Hongdae that offers the most unique pizza toppings including sweet corn, french fries, chicken tenders, and more. They also offer traditional pizzas like cheese, hawaiian, pepperoni, and meat lovers. They also offer fried sides like french fries, chicken tenders/wings, and onion rings. I recommend visiting New Order Club with a group of people as this is the key to getting the best bang for your buck. Large pizza sizes range from ₩30-36k or $20-$25USD and are the perfect size to split between 3-4 people. With a group of three we ordered a large meat lover's pizza topped generously with sausage, ham, and pepperoni on a perfectly crispy crust. We managed to finish all of it and only paying $9USD each definitely made it taste even better!

KATSUP 카츠업 (₩7-10k/person)

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KATSUP is a chain restaurant that specializes in pork katsu sets. This location is right in Sinchon which makes it very convenient when looking for a cheap and tasty dinner close by. KATSUP has one of the best curry katsu dishes I’ve had during my time here. The sets also come with a side of rice, miso soup, salad, and other side dishes. Each set is less than $8USD which makes it extremely popular. There is usually a wait since the restaurant itself is very small and homey so be prepared to wait outside for a little bit. But trust that it is worth it! My go-to order is the pork cutlet with curry sauce, the katsu is perfectly crisp and juicy and pairs perfectly with the warm and flavorful curry on top. It is one of my favorite comfort meals especially in the cold winter months. 

Must Tries

These last two spots are my must try places to eat in Seoul. These spots definitely have the longest wait times, but for good reason as they are two of the best meals I’ve had in the city. 

Gyukatsu Jeong Seongsu Branch (₩14-16k/person)

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While this restaurant is more on the pricey end of this budget friendly guide, trust that it is 100% worth it. This is the one place that I contemplated gatekeeping, but it was way too good not to share. Gyukatsu Jeong specialized in, you guessed it, gyukatsu, or deep-fried beef cutlet. The set comes with raw gyukatsu that you cook to your liking on a small hot stone placed at your table. Served with a bowl of rice, salad, and kimchi, this meal is absolutely delicious and a must try experience. While the basic set is delicious I recommend ordering the set with the tamago (egg) rice bowl as it elevates the dish so much. However, this place probably had the longest wait time so I recommend adding your name early and killing time by exploring or shopping in Seongsu.

Myeongdong Kyoja (₩10-12k/person)

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Myeongdong Kyoja, one of Korea’s Michelin star restaurants, is one of the most popular or recommended must try restaurants in Seoul. Located right in the busy Myeongdong street, it is a restaurant that only offers four menu items, specializing in dumplings and noodle soup. It was one of the first meals I had when I arrived in Korea and I will definitely return before I leave. This restaurant is usually very busy so the workers tend to work really fast to get as many customers in and out so I recommend knowing what you want to order before coming in. I recommend ordering the chopped noodles which had an amazing texture and served in this amazing silky broth. We also ordered steamed dumplings which were filled with flavorful minced pork and vegetables. Sitting right under $10USD per person, this was a perfect first meal to have in Seoul as it captured the feeling of authentic homemade food for an amazing price.

Conclusions

That concludes my very lengthy Seoul foodie guide! I hope that these recommendations find themselves on your must try food lists. If you visit any of these spots and really enjoyed it or want any other recommendations feel free to reach out to me on instagram: @drea.alonzo! Happy eating!