Baek-sundae stir-fry with dipping paste · Photo: 송유진 / CC BY 2.0 kr (Wikimedia Commons)
KoreaSeoulSillim-dong Baek-sundae: Seoul's Sauce-Free Stir-Fried Sundae, From Street Stalls to Sundae Town
In front of Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, whole buildings are packed with sundae stir-fry stalls. Here is how the 'white' version, fried without red sauce and dipped into a special paste, came about, and how to eat and order it.
A Sundae Alley That Began With Street Stalls
Sillim-dong Sundae Town grew out of the sundae stalls in and around the local market. According to the Gwanak-gu district office, stalls began clustering naturally from around 1967, and one dish in particular took hold there: sundae stir-fried on a griddle with vegetables and pork intestines. Some newspaper reports say stir-fried sundae first appeared in the market around 1977, when only two shops sold it, so the exact starting point varies between sources. The big change came in 1992. Dedicated buildings went up, the sundae shops scattered around the market moved inside, and the two Sundae Town buildings now standing in Seowon-dong were born. The layout you see today, with tiny griddle counters lined up stall after stall on every floor, dates from that move.
White vs. Red: What Sets Baek-sundae Apart
Sundae Town really has two signature dishes. One is the red stir-fry made with gochujang-based seasoning; the other is baek-sundae, literally 'white sundae.' The Gwanak-gu office describes it as sundae, intestines, chewy noodles, assorted vegetables, rice cakes and mushrooms stir-fried with nutty ingredients such as sesame oil and perilla seed powder, but with no spicy sauce at all. Instead, you dip each bite into a separate seasoning paste the shops serve on the side. That makes the same ingredients taste quite different. In the red version the sauce coats everything, so heat and depth come first. With baek-sundae you taste the toasty perilla and the sweetness of the vegetables first, then season each bite yourself with the dip. If you are wary of spicy food, the white version is the easier place to start.
Born From a Customer Who Asked for the Sauce on the Side?
No record pins down exactly when or by whom baek-sundae was first made. The story local media most often call the likeliest goes like this: hikers coming down from Gwanaksan stopped at Sundae Town, ordered stir-fried sundae, and asked the cooks not to fry it in the sauce but to give them the seasoning separately. That request eventually hardened into a menu item of its own. Sillim-dong sits close to Gwanaksan's hiking trails and Seoul National University, so it has long been full of hikers, students and people cramming for state exams. Cheap, filling griddle sundae suited them perfectly, and Sundae Town is still described as a favourite with young diners. Other origin stories also circulate, though, so treat the hiker tale as 'what people say' rather than settled fact.
How to Enjoy Baek-sundae
Once you order, staff usually stir-fry everything on the griddle right at your table. When the sundae, intestines, noodles and vegetables have come together and turned golden in the oil, it is ready. Dip bites into the seasoning paste a little at a time. Each shop's paste tastes slightly different, and some regulars make a point of comparing them. Ingredients near the edge of the griddle crisp up and stick, so stir now and then rather than leaving it too long. According to the Gwanak-gu office, some shops also offer sundae fried rice, stir-fried squid or stir-fried intestines. If you go as a group, order one white and one red and compare the two side by side, which is a very Sillim-dong way to eat.
Ordering Tips and Getting There
Sundae Town is on Sillim-ro 59-gil in Gwanak-gu, about 150 m from Exits 3 and 4 of Sillim Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. According to the district office, shops generally open from noon to midnight all year round and do not take reservations. Parking means using paid lots nearby, so public transport is easier. Inside, near-identical stalls line several floors, which can make choosing one a little daunting on a first visit. If you have no favourite, pick one that looks reasonably busy. Most places sell by portions of two servings or more, and prices and ingredients vary slightly, so check the menu board before you sit down. Griddle cooking also means your clothes may come away smelling of it.