Must-eat Iconic Dishes in Busan

Busan, with its coastal location, is renowned for its seafood dishes. It boasts a rich culinary scene shaped by diverse influences from refugees during the Korean War. This blend created unique specialties like pork soup, Milmyeon, and Naengchae Jokbal. Explore Busan’s iconic dishes and the best places to try them.

Pork soup, made with a rich broth simmered from pork bones and served with sliced pork and rice, is a quintessential Busan dish. Although it may seem simple, served in a traditional stone pot, the hearty broth and generous portions of meat make for a satisfying meal. Choose from variations like Naejang Gukbap, Meori Gukbap, or Sundae Gukbap, and adjust the seasoning with the spicy sauce or shrimp paste.

Milmyeon originated during the Korean War as a substitute for Naengmyeon, using wheat flour instead of hard-to-get ingredients like potatoes or buckwheat. While it resembles Naengmyeon with its cold broth and seasoned sauce, the charm of Milmyeon lies in its smoother, thicker noodles. In summer, enjoy the cold Mul-milmyeon or Bibim-milmyeon, and in winter, savor the warm On-milmyeon with Kimchi topping for a comforting, spicy flavor.

You have to eat it without cutting it with scissors to fully feel the chewiness of wheat noodles. Adding just the right amount of vinegar and mustard boosts its umami flavor.

Grilled over charcoal, sea eels are enjoyed with just the skin removed, offering a chewy and mild flavor. Originally used for leather products, sea eels became a food source during the Korean War when refugees began consuming them to stave off hunger. In Busan, sea eels are prepared in two distinct styles. With the Gijang style, it is grilled live over straw fire and eaten with just a sprinkle of salt. With the Jagalchi style, it is stir-fried with plenty of onions and a spicy seasoning mix.

In Jagalchi Market, Oncheonjang, and Gijang, you'll find the Sea Eel Alley, a hot spot for eel restaurants. Here, you can savor grilled sea eels as well as fresh eel sashimi, including both conger eel and pike eel.

Busan's waters are a treasure trove of diverse seafood. While most fish are farmed and available year-round, sashimi should be enjoyed in its peak season to truly savor its flavor. In Busan, you should try sea eels in July, ridged-eye flounder and rockfish from March to June, and halibut from September to December.

· Blowfish: November-March · Sea eel: July · Ridge-eyed flounder: March-June · Rockfish: March-June · Bass: June-August · Halibut: September-December

This Busan specialty features thinly slices of pig's trotter topped with shredded jellyfish, cucumber, and carrots, drizzled with a mustard sauce. The chewy texture of the pig's trotter and jellyfish, combined with crunchy vegetables and the tangy mustard sauce, creates a perfect harmony. For an authentic taste, head to the Bupyeong Jokbal Alley, where you'll find a concentration of renowned Naengchae Jokbal restaurants.

This dish features seafood like octopus, oysters, and shrimp layered on green onions, fried in a flour and glutinous rice flour batter. Beaten eggs are added and the lid is covered to steam, giving it a soft, moist texture, unlike other crispy types. Dongnae Pajeon is uniquely served with a tangy spicy dipping sauce instead of soy sauce.

This is a soup made with pufferfish, bean sprouts, and water parsley. Bokguk settled in Korea in 1970 when the Korean-Japanese founder started selling Bokguk in Busan. While Japanese-style pufferfish soup uses only the pufferfish, Korean-style adds ingredients like bean sprouts, water parsley, and radish, enhancing the refreshing flavor. You can choose between a clear broth, which is without red pepper powder, and a spicy version, which includes red pepper powder for a spicy kick.

This street snack, which gained fame starting from the Nampo-dong area, is a must-try local treat. A variety of nuts and seeds are stuffed into a Hotteok, which is deep-fried until submerged in oil. Unlike regular Hotteok, this seed-filled version is crisp and crunchy, with a delightful nutty flavor that bursts with every bite.