If you have read my Seoul food guide, you might already have an idea of what to expect from this article. In this article, I’ll take you through our entire culinary experience in Busan, South Korea. From all the research we did before finalising our itinerary, to why we picked the restaurants and cafes we did, and what our experience was at each of them.
Unlike Seoul, we did not have all our meals and restaurants planned for Busan. We had a few places that we definitely wanted to visit; But for some meals, we had kept the itinerary open to find places spontaneously. Again, I’ll admit that looking for restaurants when you are already hungry is never a good idea. If you can, I would definitely recommend keeping a few tentative restaurants in your itinerary. It took us quite some time to figure out where to eat for the meals we had kept our itinerary open for spontaneous dining. Hopefully, this article will help you decide where to eat in Busan and keep a few places in mind for your trip.
Where to Eat in Busan : Busan Food Guide, Every Place We Ate At, and What We’d Do Differently
Haeundae Market
Our stay was near Haeundae Beach, and we had finalised Haeundae Market as our first stop in Busan to try what the city had to offer. Haeundae Market is also right next to the beach, and it is full of food stalls and restaurants. You can get almost any kind of seafood and meat in the market.
The market was decently crowded, and some of the stalls had queues as well. There were lots of things to try, and we tried a few. Upon entering, we came across a shop that was making coin-shaped pancakes. We tried a freshly prepared pancake from there, and it was a decent experience.
We then went further into the market, there were lots of shops, so it was quite difficult to decide what to eat. There was a shop selling fried snacks and seafood fritters that had a long queue. We took an assorted plate covering all the available options, but I did not enjoy it much, as it was quite oily and the thick layer of batter was not very appetising to me. They were also selling fish cakes and tteokbokki. Since we did not enjoy the fish cakes much at the Mangwon Market in Seoul, we decided not to try it again.
There was another shop selling grilled skewers. We wanted to try eel, so we decided to try the eel skewers from there. I think the preparation of eel is very important, and a bad preparation can make it completely inedible or much less appetising. We did not like how the eel was prepared and the sauces used, and we could hardly finish it. The eel we had at Jungsik was what kept my belief alive that eel could actually be good. Otherwise, I would have completely refrained from trying eel again in my life.
Honestly, the food in Haeundae Market was not as good as what we had tried at the markets in Seoul. Busan felt much more touristy, and perhaps because the market caters to tourists from different regions and countries, the Korean touch and taste seemed to be missing.
I do not recommend going to Haeundae Market specifically for the food. You can explore the area and check out the shops, but if you want to have a meal, you should wait until you reach the main food street, which is right next to the Haeundae Market.
Haeundae Galbiga Masitda, Haeundae
We then went to Haeundae Street, which I mentioned in the last paragraph. This street is full of restaurants and shops, and there is a huge footpath in the middle meant just for walking. This is a really nice street to spend some time on and see what Haeundae has to offer. I highly recommend visiting this area even if you have already eaten and don’t want to eat anything.
Here we went to a place called Haeundae Galbiga Masitda. It is a Korean barbecue restaurant that offers a traditional Korean BBQ experience. We decided to try Hanwoo beef and ordered Hanwoo beef brisket and Hanwoo boneless short ribs, along with some additional cheese.
Hanwoo is a really tasty meat. It is full of flavour, and I can assure you that you can never go wrong with Hanwoo. The food here was good, and we really enjoyed it. However, one thing I noticed was that even though Hanwoo is a really good meat, getting the best out of it still requires expertise, attention to detail, and dedication to the craft.
The Hanwoo we tried here was good, but the texture, cooking, and flavours were better at Born and Bred. At Born and Bred, there was a chef dedicated to each table who would ensure that each cut had rested sufficiently and was cooked to perfection before serving. The chef would even recommend pairings to help us get the best out of the meat.
People often complain about places that charge more for Hanwoo and recommend trying it at cheaper places. I am not saying that this place was not good or that it was particularly cheap, but the flavours and the experience we had at Born and Bred were actually worth the extra price we paid.
I do recommend this place if you are looking for a Korean BBQ experience, particularly if you want to try Hanwoo. I tried it myself and was not disappointed. But if you can, you should also check out Born and Bred.
Nakdonggang Ori Jib, Bupyeong-dong
THIS IS A HIDDEN GEM!
We had no idea about this place and possibly would never have included it in our itinerary. In Busan, we had kept our itinerary open for a few meals, and this was one occasion when I was happy that we did. Not every time we kept our itinerary open did we find something really good, but I think we were lucky this time.
Our itinerary for the day included Gamcheon Culture Village and BIFF Street. For lunch, we decided to find a place near BIFF Street and specifically looked for a duck restaurant, as Busan is quite famous for ori bulgogi (marinated duck BBQ). We happened to come across this place called Nakdonggang Ori Jib on the Naver app and decided to give it a try.
This restaurant is a cosy little place that was empty when we arrived. We ordered seasoned grilled duck, which came with a lot of side dishes (banchan), steamed egg, and a pumpkin pancake. The banchan was actually very impressive, with pickled bean sprouts, cabbage salad, white kimchi, pickled onions, pickled cucumbers, raw marinated crab, and a few more dishes. I really liked the raw marinated crab here. It was spicy, sweet, and very fresh. I liked it even more than the raw marinated crab we tried at Hwahaedang in Yeouido. The pumpkin pancake and steamed egg were also very delicious.
The star of the meal was definitely the duck. It was cooked right at our table. The marinated duck was placed on the stove grill and left to cook while we ate the pancake and some banchan and watched a Korean TV serial on their television. The entire experience of having duck BBQ here was really nice and something I highly recommend.
The duck was quite delicious and we liked it quite a lot. The marinade was slightly sweet and less spicy, and the meat was really flavourful. The entire dish with enoki mushrooms and spring onions came out really well. This is a place I highly recommend, and you should definitely include in your itinerary.
Thrill on the Mug, Dongsam-dong
Thrill on the Mug is a famous Instagram recommendation, and chances are you have already come across it. We included it in our itinerary because it has spectacular views, and we were not disappointed. The views are great, and the breeze there was very relaxing. We tried a few items from their menu, and all of them were decent. The food was nothing particularly special and would not be a reason for me to recommend this place. But if you are looking for a cafe with great views, this is a good option.
Moolbora & Anju Ilche, Gwangalli Beach
I think I had slightly underestimated Gwangalli Beach while planning our itinerary. Before visiting, it was just another beach destination on our itinerary. But it turned out to be a very lively area with hundreds of restaurants, if not more.
Our initial itinerary included Gwangalli Beach and dinner in the area. Finding a restaurant for dinner was not an easy task, as there are so many restaurants to choose from. We eventually decided upon a restaurant called Moolbora, and the place was quite good. The restaurants around Gwangalli are mostly gastro-pub-style places, which are quite perfect for a beach destination.
The next day, we had initially planned to dine somewhere in Cheongsapo, but with limited options there, we decided to return to Gwangalli and have dinner there instead. We randomly walked into another restaurant called Anju Ilche. It looked like a relatively new establishment, and the service there was really prompt. The food was good, and the overall experience was also pretty good.
I definitely recommend including Gwangalli beach in your itinerary and checking out the restaurants near Gwangalli Beach. There are so many places to choose from. We tried two restaurants there, and the overall experience was worth recommending.
Jayeondo Salt bread
With rustic minimal decor, three ingredients and only a single item on the menu, Jayeondo was one of the few viral places that actually lived up to its hype. Their salt breads are genuinely good, and with just three ingredients, they have done a remarkable job of bringing out the best flavours.
The buttery aroma around the place itself will make you go hungry. They have an outdoor seating area under the shade of a tree, with a view of the ocean. Sitting there and enjoying a good salt bread is an experience in itself. I highly recommend checking out this place and trying their salt bread.
Menu by Gordon Ramsay, Shinsegae Centum city
I have to admit something here. I made a wrong assumption that we would probably get bored of Korean cuisine by this time and might need a break from it. I used this as an excuse to include Menu by Gordon Ramsay in our itinerary. Gordon Ramsay needs no introduction, and an opportunity to eat at one of his restaurants was going to be an experience in itself.
Now, why do I call it a wrong assumption? Because we did not get bored of Korean cuisine at all. In fact, we were still wanting to try more and more dishes and were nowhere close to getting bored. Korean cuisine is really good, and every other place we ate at only cemented this belief further.
Now, coming back to Menu by Gordon Ramsay, our itinerary for the day included Shinsegae Centum City, and we had reserved our lunch at Menu by Gordon Ramsay for the reasons I mentioned earlier. We ordered their Bulgogi Burger and Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips. The burger was quite good and again, I will repeat myself by saying that you cannot go wrong with the quality of meat in South Korea.
After trying the fish and chips, I realised that it is not something I personally like, so I will refrain from commenting on it. You might enjoy it if you are into fish and chips. The place is good and definitely worth recommending.
However, if you gave me a chance to go back in time, I would probably skip Menu by Gordon Ramsay. On the same floor of Shinsegae Centum City where Gordon Ramsay is located, there is a huge food court offering a variety of food choices, with many many stalls with really cool concepts and food options. The food court is just mind-boggling, and we would have loved to explore some of the places if we hadn’t already been full.
So, If you are planning to visit Shinsegae Centum City, this is one such rare occasion where I would recommend keeping your itinerary open.
Bibibidang, Busan
THIS IS A HIDDEN GEM!
Bibibidang is a traditional Korean teahouse that we discovered during our research on Reddit forums for offbeat places. It is near the Cheongsapo port, and we had kept it in our itinerary for our evening tea experience after taking the Sky Capsule ride from Mipo to Cheongsapo.
One thing I would like to flag is that we had decided to walk to Bibibidang from the Cheongsapo station exit, which appears to be just about 900 metres away according to maps. However, the walk is very steep, with an elevation difference of about 100 metres. So, if you are not looking for a hike, you should consider taking a taxi instead. We walked, and although the climb was a bit tiresome, Bibibidang made up for it, and it was all worth it in the end.
Bibibidang has a great view of the ocean. This alone is a compelling reason to come here and have a traditional Korean teahouse experience. They have various options to choose from, and their menu is quite extensive. They also offer a set menu with a curated tea experience for two people.
We opted for their set menu “Yeon-in Tea Set”, which includes sweet pumpkin sikhye, sweet pumpkin bingsu, seasonal flower tea (magnolia tea), and a platter of various bite-sized snacks. Everything looked really pretty and was very delicious.
We really enjoyed having tea and snacks while watching the sunset over the ocean. The memory of sitting there, soaking in the view while enjoying their tea and snacks, is something that is completely etched in my memory. It was totally worth climbing all those steps and walking up that steep path because, in the end, it was all worth it.
Final Words: Busan is Good
Busan’s official city brand slogan is “Busan is Good”. At first, it seemed like a simple tagline that had not been given much thought. But after coming back from Busan, I can now understand why simply saying “Busan is Good” is more than enough. Busan is a place you need to experience for yourself. It is really pretty, the beaches are beautiful, the food is amazing, and if you’re wondering where to eat in Busan, there is plenty to explore. Everything about the city just screams, “Busan is Good”.
