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What to eat in Gyeonggi

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for Gyeonggi.

Eating in Gyeonggi: a local guide

Gyeonggi wraps around Seoul, and each city in it eats differently. Place names double as dish names here — Suwon ribs, Uijeongbu army stew, Icheon rice — and almost all of them are within an hour of Seoul by train or bus.

What people eat here

  • Suwon galbi Suwon

    Large-cut beef ribs, originally grilled with salt alone. Most restaurants now serve a marinated version alongside.

  • Uijeongbu budae jjigae (army stew) Uijeongbu

    A stew that began around the US army bases, built on ham and sausage with instant noodles added at the table.

  • Icheon rice set meal Icheon

    Rice cooked in a stone pot, surrounded by side dishes. The rice itself is the point of the meal.

  • Idong galbi Idong, Pocheon

    Ribs cut small, marinated and grilled — sized to pick up one at a time.

  • Ox head soup with rice Gonjiam, Gwangju

    Simmered ox head served over rice. The old shops cluster near the motorway junction.

Where the food is

Haenggung-dong, Suwon

Rib restaurants, a fried chicken street and cafes below the fortress walls.

Uijeongbu army stew street

One alley given over to army stew restaurants.

Icheon rice restaurant district

A cluster of large restaurants serving the rice set meal.

Gonjiam

An old town stretch of long-running ox head soup restaurants.

Yangpyeong and Gapyeong

Beef, lacquer-tree chicken soup and riverside cafes, on the countryside edge.

When to go

  • Icheon rice is at its best with the autumn harvest, October and November.
  • Roads towards Yangpyeong and Gapyeong jam badly on cherry blossom and autumn foliage weekends.
  • The army stew street builds a queue in the evening.

Worth knowing

  • Dishes named after a city are concentrated in that city. Most are reachable on the metropolitan rail network.
  • The weight behind one portion of ribs varies by restaurant — check the grams.
  • Suburban food streets usually have parking, but weekend lunchtime queues are long.
  • Army stew is commonly cooked from two portions up.

What it costsArmy stew runs KRW 10,000-12,000 per person, the rice set meal around KRW 15,000, and Suwon ribs from KRW 40,000 per person.

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What to Eat in Gyeonggi — Local Food Guide | TastyLog