Ho Seonsaeng Jeon — Restaurant in Seoul

A super fun spot in the heart of Gwangjang Market to explore a wide variety of makgeolli! They have a walk-in refrigerated section stocked with shelves of makgeolli and other traditional Korean liquors, all organized by flavour profile. Browsing and picking what to try was so much fun. If Seoul didn’t have so much to see (and so little time), we definitely would’ve stayed to try more bottles.

The staff wasn’t overly hands-on—about average for Korean restaurants—but when I asked for help, she gave great suggestions. The Nurungji makgeolli she recommended was an absolute standout. Bonus points: the flavor map and food menu are available in English, making it a very traveler-friendly experience.

The food was delicious overall, though I do wish the spicy items delivered more of that classic Korean heat. The bibimmyeon was milder than expected, especially when paired with the yookjeon (battered and pan-fried meat), and the kimmari lacked enough spice to stand up to the sauce. It also wasn't as high-energy as their instagram stories show but to be fair, it was Tuesday...

Seems like an interesting new craft beer/spirits joint, which is unusual in Gwangjang. Wasn't around when we visited late last October. Nice trendy addition to the somewhat repetitive stalls of Gwangjang.

We grabbed the deep-fried croquette to go, and my it was simply amazing when fresh off the fryer. Crispy and flaky panko batter with generous fillings of mince pork meat and cheese, topped with an amazing spicy mayo-ish sauce. It's a sizeable portion as well for just 5000W, understand that it's pricier for a dine in price though.

Dare I say, this was the best rounded meat croquette we've had, even better than the ones I've sampled in Japan. Best street grub we had in Seoul...

Stopped into this place while Gwangjang Market. We were looking for some Korean Soju and found something better! A self serve ju bar. The experience was great and we had a wonderful variety of Korean rice wine! Highly recommend! The staff, atmosphere and concept were wonderful! Super fun and...