Food · Busan · South Korea
What to eat in Busan
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Busan, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Brit in Seoul, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Pork and rice soup, Wheat cold noodles and Fish cake. Choose live fish and shellfish at the ground-floor stalls in the Jagalchi market building, then eat them as raw fish and spicy stew in the restaurants upstairs, overlooking the port. Side dishes (banchan) are free and usually refillable; ask politely for more.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Pork and rice soup
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 2
- Tipping
- Tipping is not customary in restaurants, taxis or hotels, and staff may refuse it.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Pork and rice soup (Dwaeji gukbap)
Busan's signature comfort food: a milky pork-bone broth with slices of pork, served with rice, chives, salted shrimp and chilli paste to season at the table. Many shops serve it around the clock.
Where: The gukbap alley in Seomyeon and long-running shops near Busan Station and Busan National University.
Dish
2.Wheat cold noodles (Milmyeon)
Created by refugees during the Korean War who substituted wheat flour for buckwheat, milmyeon are chewy noodles in an icy, tangy beef broth or with a spicy sauce. A summer staple.
Where: Milmyeon specialists across the city, especially around Gaya and Seomyeon.
Street food
3.Fish cake (Eomuk)
Busan is famous for its fish cakes, made from ground fish and fried in sheets, skewers or croquettes stuffed with cheese or shrimp. In winter, skewers simmer in broth at street stalls.
Where: Long-established fish cake shops in Yeongdo and at Busan Station, and street stalls in Nampo-dong.
Street food · Vegetarian
4.Seed-filled pancake (Ssiat hotteok)
A fried sweet pancake cut open and stuffed with a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts over the brown-sugar syrup filling, a Busan twist on the classic hotteok.
Where: Stalls at BIFF Square in Nampo-dong; follow the queue.
Dish
5.Raw fish (Hoe)
Sliced raw fish such as flounder and rockfish, eaten wrapped in lettuce with garlic, chilli and chogochujang sauce, followed by a spicy stew made from the bones (maeuntang).
Where: Jagalchi Fish Market and the Millak Raw Fish Center near Gwangalli Beach.
Dish
6.Nakgopsae
A spicy stir-fried stew of small octopus, beef tripe and shrimp cooked at the table, then topped with rice or noodles to soak up the sauce. It originated in Busan.
Where: Nakgopsae restaurants around Seomyeon and Beomil-dong.
Street food
7.Spicy glass noodles (Bibim dangmyeon)
Sweet potato glass noodles tossed with fish cake, spinach, pickled radish and a spicy-sweet sauce, sold from tiny stalls with stools.
Where: Food alleys in Gukje Market and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market.
Dish
8.Cold pig's trotters (Naengchae jokbal)
Sliced braised pig's trotters served cold with jellyfish, vegetables and a sharp mustard sauce, a Busan variation on the classic jokbal.
Where: Jokbal Alley in Bupyeong-dong near Nampo-dong.
Dish
9.Grilled hagfish (Kkomjangeo gui)
Chewy hagfish grilled over charcoal with vegetables and a spicy sauce, a long-standing Busan drinking food for adventurous eaters.
Where: Restaurants around Jagalchi and in Gijang.
Dish
10.Daebyeon anchovies
Large spring anchovies from Gijang's Daebyeon port, eaten raw with vegetables in a spicy salad (myeolchi hoe) or grilled, and celebrated at a port festival in spring.
Where: Seafood restaurants at Daebyeon port in Gijang, especially in April and May.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Busan soju
Busan has its own local soju brands, slightly milder than the national ones, drunk with raw fish and grilled meat or mixed with beer as somaek.
Where: Every restaurant and convenience store; ask for the local brand.
Food experiences
Jagalchi seafood feast
Choose live fish and shellfish at the ground-floor stalls in the Jagalchi market building, then eat them as raw fish and spicy stew in the restaurants upstairs, overlooking the port.
Bupyeong Kkangtong night market
In the evenings, a lane of Bupyeong Kkangtong Market fills with food stalls selling global and Korean street food, from grilled skewers to bibim dangmyeon.
Late-night gukbap
Finish a night in Seomyeon with a bowl of dwaeji gukbap in one of the round-the-clock shops on the gukbap alley, a local ritual after drinks.
Beachside raw fish at Millak
The Millak Raw Fish Center near Gwangalli lets you buy fish on one floor and eat it upstairs with views of the lit-up Gwangan Bridge.
Quick bites and street food
- Fish cake — Long-established fish cake shops in Yeongdo and at Busan Station, and street stalls in Nampo-dong.
- Seed-filled pancake — Stalls at BIFF Square in Nampo-dong; follow the queue.
- Spicy glass noodles — Food alleys in Gukje Market and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 2 are usually vegetarian: Seed-filled pancake and Busan soju. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Side dishes (banchan) are free and usually refillable; ask politely for more.
- Many Korean restaurants seat you on the floor and serve dishes for at least two people; solo diners do better at gukbap and noodle shops.
- Press the call button on the table, if there is one, to call staff.
- Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, including small restaurants.
- Pour drinks for others and let them pour yours; turn your head slightly when drinking in front of elders.
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in restaurants, taxis or hotels, and staff may refuse it. Upmarket hotels sometimes include a service charge in the bill.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Annyeonghaseyo | Hello |
| Gamsahamnida | Thank you |
| Eolmayeyo? | How much is it? |
| Igeo juseyo | This one, please |
| Gyesan-hae juseyo | The bill, please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Busan famous for?
Pork and rice soup, Wheat cold noodles, Fish cake and Seed-filled pancake. Busan's signature comfort food: a milky pork-bone broth with slices of pork, served with rice, chives, salted shrimp and chilli paste to season at the table.
+Is Busan good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Seed-filled pancake and Busan soju.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Busan?
Tipping is not customary in restaurants, taxis or hotels, and staff may refuse it. Upmarket hotels sometimes include a service charge in the bill.