Places & Food
Namdaemun Market Food Guide: Heuirak Galchi, Buwon Myeonok, Hotteok and Fruit Skewers (Hours and Addresses)
AT A GLANCE
- Where
- Namdaemun Market, Jung-gu, Seoul; Exit 5 of Hoehyeon Station (Line 4) is the closest
- Heuirak Galchi
- 22-6 Namdaemun-sijang-gil, Mon–Sat 7:00–20:30, closed Sundays
- Buwon Myeonok
- 41-6 Namdaemun-sijang 4-gil (Buwon Arcade), opens 11:00 Mon–Sat, closed Sundays (closing time differs by source)
- Signature dishes
- Braised hairtail and grilled fish; cold noodles and chicken salad
- Street food
- Fruit skewers and hotteok (varies by stall)
- Check
- Hours and closing days differ by shop
Namdaemun Market is one of Seoul’s biggest traditional markets, with food alleys such as Hairtail Alley and Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) Alley, plus bowls, stationery, bath goods and much more. It has been especially busy lately with people in their 20s and 30s and visitors from abroad. I went to the market and here are the places I ate: Heuirak Galchi for braised hairtail, Buwon Myeonok for Pyongyang-style cold noodles and chicken salad, and street hotteok and fruit skewers.
The hero image is my own photo of a hotteok with hand-drawn lines and writing added, and the photos in the article are also my own. I blurred the background of the fruit skewer photo so passers-by cannot be recognized.
Why is Namdaemun Market popular right now?
As more foreign visitors come to Korea, Namdaemun Market is back in the spotlight as a first stop for shopping. Many people come for restaurants shown on TV, and its bowl shops and flower market have become a “cozy shopping” route among younger shoppers. Hankyung, June 18 (in Korean).
People in their 20s and 30s shop for bowls, sauna goods and stationery. Many sauna items cost ₩2,000–7,000. You can buy them online too, but in person you can compare colors and sizes, which is part of the appeal. News Wire, Sept. 4 (in Korean).
Location and hours
- Location: Hoehyeon Station (Line 4, sub-name “Namdaemun Market”), Exit 5, is the closest.
- Hours: They differ by shop. Many shops close on Sundays, so check before you go.
Many shops close on Sundays. Both restaurants below are closed on Sundays, so go on a weekday or a Saturday.
1. Heuirak Galchi (희락갈치)
- Location: 22-6 Namdaemun-sijang-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Hairtail Alley)
- Hours: Mon–Sat 7:00–20:30, closed Sundays (it may close early on holidays and Saturdays)
- Signature: Braised hairtail, mixed grilled fish
Heuirak Galchi is known as a 50-year-old classic restaurant in Hairtail (galchi) Alley. Several restaurants serving braised hairtail cluster there, so you can look around and compare before choosing one.
The braised hairtail comes in an aluminum pot. It was delicious. Hairtail has bones, though, and it is a little hard for beginners to pick the meat off. The restaurant also sells other grilled fish, so I recommend ordering the stew with some grilled fish to try a variety.
Listed prices are ₩14,000 for braised hairtail (per person), ₩14,000 for mixed grilled fish, ₩14,000 for braised mackerel and ₩12,000 for grilled Spanish mackerel. Diningcode (in Korean). Prices can change.
2. Buwon Myeonok (부원면옥)
- Location: 41-6 Namdaemun-sijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Buwon Arcade)
- Hours: Opens 11:00 Mon–Sat, closed Sundays. Sources differ on closing time (8 or 9 p.m.), so call 02-753-7728 to check.
- Signature: Pyongyang-style cold noodles, chicken salad, mung bean pancake
A “Centennial Business” notice hangs at the entrance. It is a Pyongyang-style cold noodle restaurant that started in 1960.
A sign at the stairway asks you to wait on the left side. The menu board looked like this. (It is the board as I saw it on my visit.)
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Cold noodles, spicy cold noodles | ₩12,000 (large ₩14,000) |
| Warm noodles (winter menu) | ₩12,000 |
| Spicy pork salad, chicken salad | ₩16,000 |
| Mung bean pancake (bindaetteok) | ₩6,000 |
The noodles taste mild, like Pyongyang-style naengmyeon. The broth is plain and clean rather than punchy.
The chicken salad was new to me. I rarely see it at other restaurants, so it felt fresh, and it was delicious. The owner even added vinegar for us and showed us how to eat it, which I really appreciated.
I did not get to try the mung bean pancake this time. It has its own cooking area, so it comes out fast, and it was so popular that the guests around me kept ordering it. I want to try it next time.
3. Street food: fruit skewers and hotteok
Fruit skewers
Along the middle of the street in Namdaemun Market there are food stalls.
One of them sold fruit, and as someone who loves fruit I had a melon skewer.
Fruit is a hassle to peel and clean up, so I often end up not buying it. That is why it was so nice to eat such good fruit this easily.
Hotteok
Stalls selling hotteok (a sweet pancake) are all around the market. The flavors vary, so you can pick one to suit your taste. While I waited, I saw that the seed hotteok (the basic one) and the vegetable hotteok were the most popular.
The filling is very hot. Hotteok is made fresh, so the inside is scalding. Be careful!
Browsing is part of the fun
I focused on food here, but the reason Namdaemun Market is a hot topic now is the fun of browsing and buying all kinds of things. Stationery such as squishy toys, bowls and bath goods are all fun to look through.
Before you go
- Many shops close on Sundays, so go on a weekday or a Saturday.
- In Hairtail Alley, look around several restaurants before choosing.
- At Buwon Myeonok, a sign asks you to wait on the left side of the stairs. The entrance is a narrow stairway, so watch your head.
- Let the hotteok cool a little before you eat it.
- Street stalls may not take cards. Bring cash or be ready to pay by bank transfer.
- Hours and prices can change.
Who it suits, and who it does not
A good fit
- You want classic restaurants and street food together in a market alley
- You like browsing bowls, stationery and bath goods
- You like plain, clean flavors such as Pyongyang-style naengmyeon
Not a great fit
- Crowds are hard for you
- You can only go on a Sunday (many shops close)
- You find picking hairtail bones a hassle (start with grilled fish)
FAQ
How do I get to Namdaemun Market? Exit 5 of Hoehyeon Station on Line 4 is the closest.
Is it open on Sundays? It depends on the shop. Heuirak Galchi and Buwon Myeonok are listed as closed on Sundays.
What is on the menu at Buwon Myeonok? Cold noodles, spicy cold noodles, warm noodles (winter), spicy pork salad, chicken salad and mung bean pancake.
How much is the braised hairtail? Sources list ₩14,000 per person. Check before you go.
More to read: Haebangchon’s Sinheung Market cafes and restaurants and Hanjeongseon, the fruit mochi shop with long lines.
Checked on October 2, 2026. Hours and prices can change. Also used: Diningcode, Heuirak Galchi, Siksin, Buwon Myeonok, Seoul traditional markets guide (all in Korean).