[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Hit up these four locations for tasty foodie trip away from Seoul

K-campus

Published: 13 Oct. 2023, 09:10

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Hit up these four locations for tasty foodie trip away from Seoul

Byeongyeong Market in Gangjin County, South Jeolla, hosts an outdoor event ″Bul-geum Bul-pa″ every Friday and Saturday until Oct. 28. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Y2K, vintage fashion and old-style camcorders. Retro is the new black in 2023.

Taking blurry shots of old streets dating back to the 20th century is deemed fashionable, and so is getting secondhand electronic gadgets that are peeling off at the edges. This ongoing trend comes from the appreciation of the past, its stories and, in particular, its fashion. But does the trend extend to the food scene?

This fall, make your way down to Korea’s southern cities and counties and walk through their hidden, lesser-known streets and neighborhoods to add a tasty twist to your weekend away from Seoul. There are cities already well-known for their many travel destinations and vibrant food scene, but even there, there are old streets and areas still not as well known among tourists, not to mention foreigners, meaning they will provide you with an authentic local experience.

Here are four places you need to visit that are fashionably retro in the southern parts of Korea, compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization and curated by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Byeongcheon Sundae Street
천안 병천순대거리

Byeongcheon Sundae at Byeongcheon Sundae Street in Cheonan, South Chungcheong. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Sundae, or Korean blood sausage, often filled with glass noodles, is a common street food. Cheonan in South Chungcheong is home to the unique Byeongcheon Sundae, an authentic delicacy of Byeongcheon-myeon. Byeongcheon Sundae is more wholesome and stuffy compared to sundae typically found on streets in Seoul.

There are sundae stalls and restaurants on the old street thirty minutes away by bus from the city’s downtown, dubbed Byeongcheon Sundae Street. This outdoor marketplace opens on dates ending with 1 or 6. Around 20 stalls are continuing the tradition.

Aunae Market is another name for the marketplace, which sprung to life around the 1960s. Leftover pork from a large meat processing plant in the area gave birth to the town’s then-new delicacy.

Byeongcheon sundae is unique in that the intestines used for it are rinsed with extra care, with salt and flour, meaning it doesn’t have the typical pork odor.

Sundae in this region tends to replace glass noodles with other vegetables and nutritious ingredients, which is why the sundae soup served here is much less greasy and more savory. The broth for sundae soup — sundaeguk in Korean — is often boiled with ginger and green onions, sometimes with medicinal herbs for a deeper taste. The mild taste of the broth and sundae makes it easier for sundae novices to try the soup.

82 Aunaesundae-gil Byeongcheon-myeon, Dongnam District, Cheonan City, South Chungcheong
(충청남도 천안시 동남구 병천면 아우내순대길 82)
Phone number: 041-521-2031
Website: https://www.cheonan.go.kr/prog/tursmCn/tour/sub01_03_05/view.do?pageIndex=5&cntno=15

Choryang Yukmi Street
부산 초량육미거리

Choryang-dong in Dong District, Busan, has many restaurants serving six well-known dishes of the neighborhood, one of them being milmyeon, or cold wheat noodles. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Choryang-dong in Dong District, Busan, is home to many traditional dishes and historical sites. The street facing Busan High School across an eight-lane road is often referred to as Choryang Yukmi Street, yukmi meaning “six tastes” in Korean. Choryang Ibagu — ibagu means story in Busan dialect — Street also starts here, where a walking course through the old neighborhood begins.

Dwaeji galbi (marinated pork chops), dwaeji bulbaek (grilled pork slices with stir-fried vegetables), dwaeji gukbap (pork and rice soup), milmyeon (cold wheat noodles), eomuk (fish cake) and hagfish comprise the “six tastes” of this neighborhood. These dishes became popular during the Korean War (1950–1953) when war refugees from all over the nation came to the city and created a dynamic food culture. They became popular among the working class during the 1960s and 70s as factory workers sought for food to pair with alcoholic drinks after work.

It is common to find restaurants in this part of the city that have been in operation for generations, serving the same food for decades.

B200 Jungang-daero, Dong District, Busan
(부산 동구 중앙대로 200)

Hadong Jaecheop Village
하동 재첩특화마을

Jaecheop, or corbicula, is a specialty of Hadong County, South Gyeongsang, and is cooked into hangover soup. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Hadong-eup in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang, is the hometown of refreshing dishes made with jaecheop, or corbicula, harvested from the Seomjin River. The clams are a rich source of protein and known to help reduce fatigue, which is why it is cooked into hangover soup.

Jaecheop Village is located in Sin-gi-ri, Hadong-eup. Established in December 2009 to promote the Seomjin River’s specialty, the village presents a variety of dishes made with the clams, such as jaecheopguk (corbicula soup), jaecheop hoemuchim (seasoned raw corbicula), jaecheop deopbap (corbicula over rice), jaecheop pancakes and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup).

If you are into the chewy, rich seafood flavor, head to the village this fall for a healthy and delightful jaecheop dish. Restaurants serving different dishes are most likely to have been running for over 30 years.

346 Sin-gi-ri, Hadong-eup, Hadong County, South Gyeongsang
(경상남도 하동군 하동읍 신기리 346)
Phone number: 055-880-2371

Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi Street
강진 병영 돼지불고기거리

Pork bulgogi is grilled over a briquette fire for a richer taste at restaurants on Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi Street in Gangjin County, South Jeolla. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Pork bulgogi (marinated meat) is an all-time favorite dish for Koreans who cannot decide what to eat. Marinated pork with side dishes and a warm bowl of rice is a heartwarming package, considered soul food by many for its taste and affordability.

Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi Street in Gangjin County, South Jeolla, materializes Koreans’ love for pork bulgogi in the form of a street. Once you enter this street, you may be bewildered by the fiery, appetizing smell of pork bulgogi.

The bulgogi there is cooked on the grill and has a smoky flavor as it is roasted over a briquette fire. A plus factor is that you get a bowl of rice and many side dishes together — even when you order just one serving of bulgogi.

If you are a fan of outdoor festivities, you should not miss Byeongyeong Market. The market hosts “Bul-geum Bul-pa,” which literally translates to “fire Friday’s bulgogi party,” until Oct. 28. The event takes place outdoors every Friday and Saturday and involves a lot of cultural programs such as performances by local musicians, not to mention an act on Jeong Yak-yong (1762–1836), historical figure from the Joseon Dynasty period (1392–1910). The attendance fee is 9,000 won ($6.7).

Byeongyeongseong-ro, Byeongyeong-myeon, Gangjin County, South Jeolla
(전라남도 강진 병영면 병영성로)

BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]