Eating Out in Sinchon and Hongdae

EDITOR’S NOTE: Traveleater Max of Max on the Move shares with us his favorite dishes in Seoul’s student districts.

In 2020, I lived in Sinchon for eight months whilst studying at Ewha Womans University. I’ve been coming back every year since then. That’s why the neighborhood still feels a bit like home to me. I love wandering through the streets there without any particular plan, having a coffee and then popping in somewhere for a bite to eat.

Sinchon feels small and cosy, even though you’re right in the heart of Seoul. Around Ewha and Yonsei, there are plenty of options for eating well even on a tight budget. In this guide, you’ll find the dishes I keep coming back for – grilled pork belly, spicy mala, fried chicken with beer, and my favorite soups. And of course, there’s always room for dessert afterwards.

Sinchon for Chilling Out and Hongdae for shopping

In Sinchon, I can do a bit of shopping at a leisurely pace, sit in a café, and just chill out without it getting too hectic. That’s exactly the mix I like. I’ll tell you more about life there in my Sinchon Guide.

When it comes to clothes, we prefer to go to Hongdae. My wife really likes the Korean fashion brands. SPAO, 8seconds, and MUSINSA STANDARD all have branches in Hongdae. It’s easy to combine shopping there with an evening meal.

Hongdae is busier and considerably noisier in the evenings. Sinchon remains my favorite spot for a relaxed afternoon. But you don’t have to choose – on subway Line 2, Sinchon and Hongik University are just one stop apart.

Korean BBQ with samgyeopsal

When we go out for Korean BBQ, we almost always order samgyeopsal, or pork belly. For me, that’s the classic choice. The meat is placed on the tabletop grill until it’s nicely browned. Depending on the restaurant, you either grill it yourself or the staff will help you.

I like it best as a little wrap. Place a piece of meat in a lettuce leaf, add a bit of sauce, and wrap it up. The savory ssamjang paste goes well with it. With the side dishes on the table, you can experiment to find the combination you like best. After the first few bites, you’ll soon have found your own favorite mix.

The small side dishes are called banchan. They’re usually included with a BBQ and can often be topped up. If you’re dining alone, check the minimum order. Many restaurants in Seoul require at least two portions of meat. Also make sure you know whether the price is per portion or per person. In Hongdae, a 150 g portion of samgyeopsal costs around KRW 15,000.*

*Estimated prices listed in this article are from November 2026.

Mala at Mido Maeunhyangsot in Sinchon

Mala is my favorite dish. It originally comes from China, but to be honest, I think it tastes best in Korea. In Sinchon, I recommend Mido Maeunhyangsot for this. Especially for a dish I love so much, I’m glad to have a place I can go back to.

It’s important to note the difference between Malatang and Mala Xiang Guo. Malatang is the soup version. With Mala Xiang Guo, the ingredients are stir-fried with spices (pictured below). The tingling sensation of Sichuan pepper combined with the heat is typical. You choose your own ingredients, such as vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and meat.

Ask about the price beforehand, as the weight often plays a part. At Mido, malatang costs around KRW 1,900 per 100 g and mala xiang guo around KRW 3,000 per 100 g, so depending on your selection, a bowl usually ends up between KRW 10,000 and KRW 24,000.

 

Be sure to order the sweet pork with the honey and orange sauce to go with it. For me, this sweetness goes perfectly with the spicy Mala. If there are two of you, it’s worth sharing both. As for the level of spiciness, I’d start off a bit more cautiously on your first visit.

Fried Chicken with Yangnyeom and Beer

My favorite sauce for Korean fried chicken is yangnyeom. It’s sweet, spicy, and depending on how it’s prepared, can be quite hot. I like this sauce best on crispy chicken pieces. If you can’t make up your mind, ask for a mixed order with and without sauce.

My tip for Hongdae is bb.q Chicken. Order Yangnyeom Chicken and have a beer with it. That’s exactly how I like it. This combination is called chimaek, a portmanteau of “chicken” and “maekju”, the Korean word for beer. After a spot of clothes shopping, it’s a great way for us to continue the evening in a relaxed atmosphere.

When ordering, check the portion sizes. A whole chicken is quite different from a small plate for one person. An order like this is easy to share between two people. At bb.q in Hongdae, a whole chicken costs around KRW 25,000 and a draft beer around KRW 5,900.

Eating on a Budget in the Student District

For a light snack between meals, kimbap, ramyeon, or tteokbokki are good options. Kimbap are stuffed rice rolls, whilst tteokbokki are rice cakes in a sauce that’s usually spicy. You’ll often find dishes like these in simple snack bars. Convenience stores are also handy when you’re in a hurry. A basic kimbap roll costs around KRW 4,000 and a portion of tteokbokki around KRW 6,500.

Buldak Ramyeon is ideal for anyone who wants to try spicy Korean instant noodles. But don’t underestimate the variety on offer. In the photo below, you can see the “2x Spicy” pack. You’ll also come across kimchi all the time, often served as a side dish that goes with your meal.

Another tip is the food hall in the basement of the Hyundai Department Store in Sinchon. There you’ll find ready-made meals and banchan to take away. Compare prices, as a department store food hall isn’t automatically the cheapest option. As a Swiss person, I was particularly pleased to find something there – I actually found Emmi raclette cheese in the supermarket.

Samgyetang is My Favorite Soup

My favorite soup in Korea is samgyetang – a small whole chicken with ginseng and rice in a light, sometimes almost white broth. After eating lots of spicy food, it’s a welcome change. You get a proper meal where you can take your time picking the meat off the bones.

Samgyetang is traditionally eaten in Korea even on hot summer days. For me, though, it doesn’t have to be a particular time of year. If the first things that spring to mind when you think of Korean food are chilli and red sauces, give this soup a try. At well-known samgyetang restaurants, expect to pay around KRW 20,000 per person.

Haejangguk and Kimchi Jjigae

I love haejangguk too. In English, it’s usually called “hangover soup”. There isn’t actually a single set recipe for it. Depending on the variation, it might include, for example, meat, bones, vegetables, or congealed blood. So do check the ingredients rather than just ordering by the English name.

I don’t always spot it straight away on the menus of the restaurants I happen to be in. It’s best to search specifically for 해장국 in a map app and have a look at the menu photos. Of course, you don’t need a hangover to do this.

Another recommendation of mine is kimchi jjigae. This stew, made with fermented kimchi, is rich, tangy, and often spicy. Depending on the recipe, ingredients such as pork or tofu may be added. Served with rice, it’s a good choice if you fancy something warm and filling. In Hongdae, a serving costs around KRW 11,000.

Sundae and Swiss Black Pudding

Sundae is often described as Korean black pudding. As a Swiss person, the concept is familiar to me, as we also eat black pudding at home. However, the Korean version is different. Many varieties contain glass noodles, which give it a distinctive texture.

If you’re already familiar with black pudding, Sundae makes for an interesting comparison. If you’re unsure, start by ordering a small portion to share. A portion costs around KRW 4,500 at a simple snack bar. Also common as street food, a plate at a market stall is around KRW 7,000 to KRW 10,000.

Bingsu with Chocolate or Strawberries

When it comes to bingsu, my wife and I actually have different preferences. I prefer chocolate bingsu. My wife doesn’t like chocolate, so we usually end up having strawberry bingsu these days. I’m fine with that, even though chocolate remains my personal favorite.

Bingsu consists of finely shaved ice, often milk-based, with various toppings. The portions can be quite large and are ideal for sharing. Strawberries are a fruity variation; green tea with red beans is another combination. A basic bingsu costs around KRW 10,000, and more elaborate flavors KRW 12,000 to KRW 20,000.

I particularly like Sinchon for a coffee or a longer break. The neighbourhood is full of students sitting in cafés with their laptops. I like just having a drink there and staying for a while. You don’t have to spend every afternoon sightseeing.

Practical Tips for Eating Out

If you don’t speak much Korean, photos of the menu and Papago’s camera translation feature can help. At a kiosk, you can look out for a language option. Make a note of restaurant names in Korean too, so you can find them more easily on Naver Map or KakaoMap. Before heading out specifically to a place, check the opening hours and the last order time.

At a BBQ restaurant, check the minimum order. At a Mala restaurant, check the price per weight. With chicken and bingsu, it’s worth checking the portion sizes before everyone orders their own. That way, you might still have room for a second stop.

My Picks for an Evening Out

I’d go for grilled samgyeopsal, mala with sweet honey-glazed pork, or yangnyeom chicken with beer. Just pick whatever takes your fancy. If there were two of us, I’d then share a bingsu, for us, almost certainly with strawberries.

Sinchon remains my go-to spot for unwinding and enjoying a cosy meal. Hongdae is the place to go if we want to browse for clothes and have a livelier evening. Ever since my eight months there in 2020, I’ve been coming back every year. To this day, the food is a big part of what I look forward to most.

About the Author

Max is a Swiss travel blogger who writes about his travels on Max on the Move. He lived in Sinchon for eight months in 2020 whilst studying at Ewha Womans University and has been returning every year since. All the photos in this article are his own.

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All photos in this article are owned by Max of Max on the Move.

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