Korea Trip 2022: It's (Mostly) All About the Food in Jeonju
Any time someone talked about Jeonju, they talked about how delicious the food was. Many go so far to say that the best food in Korea is found in this city, so there was simply no way I would skip it during my trip. This would be the final leg of my two-and-a-half-week-long trip throughout the southern part of Korea.
From U-Square in Gwangju, I took the bus, paying ₩7,000 (estimated $4.90). I arrived at 전주시외버스공용터미널 (Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal) | Naver link about two hours later, in the late afternoon. As is the case with many bus terminals in Korea, there was a line of parked taxis available. I got one (no cost record) and told the driver to take me to my Airbnb, where I could drop off my luggage and get settled in; I would be in the city for two nights. After doing so, I figured I could do with some dinner, so I headed to the nearest bus stop (which had a heated bench!) and took a local bus to my first destination: 삼천동 막걸리골목 (Samcheon Neighborhood Makgeolli Alley) | Naver link.
Makgeolli Alley is best known for serving (you guessed it) makgeolli, which is often available at virtually any restaurant in the country. But what makes this alley unique is that at these restaurants, customers could order kettles of makgeolli, and the restaurants would give out food to accompany it. The more makgeolli you drink, the more food you receive. Considering what I mentioned in the opening paragraph in this post, you can imagine just how amazing this sounds.
However, there was a catch in my case. Usually it’s groups of people doing this at these restaurants, and I was traveling solo. I had a feeling this could be an issue, so beforehand, after finding out what restaurants were open via a Naver search, I started calling them to see which ones would accept a table for one. My first choice was a no-go, as was my second. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you see it), my third one was willing to seat me.
I had envisioned the alley to be full of people, with most of them drinking makgeolli, chattering in raised (read: drunken) voices that would travel from the restaurants whenever their doors were opened. Imagine my surprise to see it virtually empty, with many businesses that had closed down. I couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy whenever I saw closed businesses during my trip, and this case was no different. Shaking my head, I strode over to 옛촌막걸리 삼천점 (Old Town Makgeolli Samcheon Branch) | Naver link.
Despite being a large space, the restaurant was empty save for two staff. The hostess seated me and gave me a menu to look through. I asked if they would be willing to serve me the makgeolli with incoming dishes, and she said she didn’t recommend it because I was a party of one, and one kettle of makgeolli was a lot. After weighing my options, I ordered the 한상 (Hansang), which cost ₩30,000 ($21.01). What came out included a kimchi pancake, 삼계탕 (ginseng chicken soup), grilled enoki mushrooms and gingko nuts, marinated raw soft tofu, kimchi, raw cucumbers and carrots with ssamjang, stir-fried kimchi with a block of tofu and pork, and - of course - my brass kettle full of makgeolli. As excited as I had been, I was intimidated by the sheer spread of food; I was, after all, just one person! Nevertheless, I began to dig in. I have to say, all of these dishes were quite good, with my favorites being the enoki mushrooms and gingko nuts as well as the marinated raw soft tofu. I sipped on the makgeolli throughout the course of the meal, and it was the perfect refreshment. Was I able to finish everything? Absolutely not, as hard as I tried; I threw in the towel when I felt bloated. Weighed down by the food I ate and slightly buzzed from the makgeolli, I lumbered and swayed over to a bus stop - where I comfortably sat on another heated bench - and returned to my Airbnb, where I eventually drifted off into sleep.
My day began early the next morning, and I was surprisingly hungry. I took a bus over to 남부시장 (Nambu Market) | Naver link, a traditional market sprawling with restaurants and various vendors. I was introduced to 현대옥 남부시장점 (Hyundaiok Nambu Market Branch) | Naver link when watching the Korean show A Nation of Broth on Netflix, where their signature 콩나물국밥 (soybean sprout soup with rice), topped with 쫑쫑선 오징어 (squid), was showcased. While I never really enjoyed a soup with just soybean sprouts (I ate the dish regularly in church growing up and always found it bland and underwhelming), seeing the restaurant and its dish made me curious, so here I was. The restaurant was nearly packed with customers, which was a testament to its popularity. I ordered the exact dish I saw on the show, and in total, it cost ₩9,000 ($6.32). I received the soup, two raw eggs with sesame oil in a bowl, and some banchan. Taking a few sips of the broth, I was very surprised by the level of spice in it; the dish didn’t look spicy at all, but I got quite a kick from the peppers in it. As the hosts did in the show, I spooned some of the hot broth into the eggs to start cooking them, and what resulted was a comforting, nutty flavor. While the dish didn’t convert me into a believer of soybean sprout-centric soups, I did enjoy the dish, and it was a great way to start my day.
After breakfast, I saw that a number of vendors were opening up their stalls for the day, so I started walking around Nambu Market. While I didn’t think there was anything too different between Nambu Market and some of the other traditional markets I’ve been to throughout Korea, I enjoyed exploring the market all the same. When I exited the market’s labyrinth-esque paths and into the outdoors, I saw a lot of activity on the other side of the nearby 전주천 (Jeonju Stream); there were a lot of vendors who had set up their stalls there, and they appeared to be selling fruits and vegetables.
From the market, I started heading east and came upon the nearby 풍남문 (Pungnammun Gate) | Naver link, which is located right in the middle of a traffic circle. Unfortunately, the actual gate was blocked off due to construction, so I could only see its upper parts. Still, it looked impressive in the morning light. I did see a couple art pieces in the 풍남문 광장 (Pungnammun Gate Plaza) | Naver link right next to it and was pleased to see a memorial dedicated to the comfort women, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II. While the Japanese government has apologized a couple times, they’ve consistently objected to the mere mention of these women to the point where they’ll criticize memorials to comfort women around the world, requesting that they be taken down.
I had a haircut appointment at 10:00am, and since I had time to kill, I decided to check out the 전동성당 (Jeondong Cathedral) | Naver link, which is just across the street from the Pungnammun Gate Plaza, beforehand. While the cathedral itself wasn’t open yet, the grounds were, so I took the opportunity to walk around and enjoy the tranquility. From what I could see from the outside, the cathedral was one lovely piece of architecture. It was at this site that Paul Yun Ji-chung and James Kwon Sang-yeon were beheaded in the 18th Century, making them the first Catholic martyrs in Korea. Located around the cathedral were statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Yun, and Kwon.
While there was certainly more to explore in the area around the cathedral, I would be returning later, so I started walking north on 팔달로 (Paldal-ro) toward the vicinity of the barbershop. Since I still had some time to kill, I stopped at PNB 풍년제과 본점 (Poongnyun Bakery Main Branch) | Naver link. Choco pies are very popular in Jeonju, and PNB is the arguably the most well known bakery to sell them, as there are multiple locations in the city; heck, there was even another location on the same street just a few blocks south! They have a good variety of choco pies, and I decided to buy the PNB 바나나초코파이 (PNB banana choco pie), which cost ₩2,500 ($1.76). This location had a cafe on the second floor, so I took the pie up there, finding it completely empty. I sat down at a table and munched on the pie, which was quite delightful. The pie held together very well and wasn’t crumbly, and the banana flavor really came through.
From PNB, I walked a few blocks west along 충경로 (Chungkyung-ro) before arriving at 더스틴바버샵 전주점 (Dustin Barbershop Jeonju Branch) | Naver link. It had been nearly two months since my previous haircut back in the U.S., and my hair had gotten long. I had hoped to get a haircut in Gwangju, but it didn’t pan out. Luckily for me, a Naver search revealed that there’s a Western-style barbershop in the area, and it was very highly reviewed. I called the day before and luckily nabbed the earliest possible time slot on the day I went. When I called, I told the staff member on the line (who turned out to be my barber) that my Korean wasn’t great, and he thought I was messing around because to him, my Korean seemed proficient. He soon realized what I meant when I struggled to communicate what I wanted for my haircut, but we made it work. As he went to work on my hair, we exchanged stories about everyday life in our respective countries. I wish I had asked him for his name, as he put great care into cutting my hair and giving recommendations on how to style it. My haircut cost ₩20,000 (estimated $14.08), which was a steal considering that I normally pay $40 back in the U.S., so I tipped my barber before leaving.
From the barbershop, I walked back to the cathedral area and made a beeline for 전주경기전 (Gyeonggijeon Shrine) | Naver link. While it wasn’t even noon yet, there were already tons of people out and about - most of them seemed to be children and teenagers, so I surmised that several schools had made trips out here for the day. While I got a ticket to enter, they didn’t charge me. The shrine is a historical site that was erected in 1410 and holds the portrait of King Tae-jo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty. The shrine’s grounds are quite large - not as large as, say, one of Seoul’s palaces - and they contain a bunch of buildings that people could peek into, including a mill, offices, and ancestral memorial service buildings.
Upon exiting the shrine, I saw that the number of people outside seemed to have doubled. The streets were fairly packed - not so much that people couldn’t move, but enough so that normal walking speeds diminished. This was for good reason; it was nearly lunchtime, and I was in 전주 한옥마을 (Jeonju Hanok Village) | Naver link, which had no limit of restaurants and food stalls. I was starting to get hungry, so I started visiting the stalls to get some grub.
Once I saw their advertisement for 닭날개볶음밥 (fried rice-stuffed chicken wings), I immediately got in line at 농부의딸 (Farmer’s Daughter) | Naver link. For ₩10,000 ($7.02), I received two boneless chicken wings that were indeed stuffed with fried rice. The wings had been roasted before being topped with sesame seeds and two types of sauces. This dish was delicious, with the chicken being very juicy and the fried rice within seasoned well. The sauces gave the wings a bit of sweetness that I found most welcome.
I stopped in front of 서민갑부마약육전 2호점 (Wealthy People Drug Meat Pancake First Branch 2) | Naver link to buy an order of 육전 (meat pancake) for ₩8,000 ($5.62). Here, thin slices of beef are coated in flour and egg before being cooked on a flat top griddle. Each order of the meat pancakes come with a heaping mound of sliced raw onions and a soy-chili flake sauce. The warm slices of beef, combined with the cold onions and dipped into that sauce, made for many delightful bites.
I’m a sucker for octopus, so naturally, I just had to gravitate toward 문꼬집 (Door Skewer Home) | Naver link. I ordered a 문어꼬치 (octopus skewer) that cost ₩7,000 ($4.91), and the lady warmed one up before drizzling mayonnaise and a thick sweet-soy sauce and also topping it with bonito flakes. I found the octopus to be chewy and grilled to perfection, and the sweet-soy sauce complemented it well.
I was starting to feel full, and I figured I had room for just one more dish. I headed over to 우와한호떡 (Wow Korean Hotteok) | Naver link to purchase a 치즈구이 (grilled cheese) for ₩4,000 ($2.81), as this seemed to be a pretty popular snack in the village. The vendor grilled a small block of cheese on a flat top griddle before squirting a faint white sauce on it that reminded me of condensed milk. I liked the grilled cheese a lot, and it was a nice snack to cap off my lunch.
Now that I had eaten my fill, it was time to walk it all off! There was so much to see in the village, and after a few minutes, I realized one reason why there were so many people here: the village’s terrain is very flat, so walking through it puts little to no strain on the legs. While the main roads certainly were crowded, there’s no shortage of smaller roads and alleys that I could duck into if I wanted to see less people. In addition to the food stalls and restaurants, the village is home to a bunch of cafes, gift shops, specialty shops, and even a few exhibitions. Honestly, I could have spent the whole day here, and I felt that I used my time well.
A significant number of the visitors I saw in the village were wearing hanbok. This was no accident, as there are a lot of businesses from where people can rent hanbok. I thought about a few times, and the urge to try it prevailed. When in Korea, do as the Koreans do, yes? A quick Naver search led me to 한복남 전주한옥마을점 (Hanbok Nam Jeonju Hanok Village Branch) | Naver link, which already had its fair share of customers. I was given a key to a locker, so I put away most of my items before browsing through their racks of hanbok, which came in varying colors and designs. Some staff members gave recommendations, and soon I was out the door wearing not only the hanbok, but traditional Korean slip-on shoes as well. This turned out to be much more fun than I had anticipated. Because I had gone through the village once already (I can’t recommend doing this enough for first-time visitors like me), I had a good idea of where I wanted to take photos of myself at while accounting for the time. I returned to Hanbok Nam with a few minutes to spare, and the one-hour hanbok rental cost me ₩10,000 ($7.02).
While dressed in the hanbok, I wanted to get an aerial view of the village, and this multi-story cafe named 전망 (View) | Naver link looked like a good place to do so. Sure enough, I took the elevator up to the fourth floor, placed an order for a tea called 베리베리크레쉬 (Very Berry Crush) that cost ₩7,000 ($4.91), and climbed the stairs to the fifth floor, which had a balcony from which I could see the entire village. I snapped a couple photos before I was alerted about my order being ready. I picked up my drink and left, sipping on this refreshing and sweet tea as I made my way to more spots to take photos.
After I returned the hanbok, I headed east to the village’s outskirts and then beyond. There’s a path up a hill that leads to 오목대 (Omokdae) | Naver link, a historic site where King Taejo celebrated his victory against Japanese invaders. The site consists of an elevated pavilion as well as a stone tablet enclosed within a barred gazebo. I removed my shoes and walked inside the pavilion briefly, and I was treated to some neat views, particularly of the nearby fall foliage.
From Omokdae, I started to walk across a bridge over 기린대로 (Gilindae-ro) to get to my next destination, and halfway across, I stopped and marveled at the sights. I could see the rooftops of Jeonju Hanok Village, and they were framed by the tall branches of a nearby ginkgo tree, proudly bearing its golden leaves.
After crossing the bridge, I took a declining path down to 이목대 (Imokdae) | Naver link, another historic site that is typically paired with Omokdae. It contains a stone tablet, also enclosed within a gazebo. The site is much smaller than Omokdae, but I still thought it was pretty cool to see.
From Imokdae, I crossed Gilindae-ro and walked for about ten minutes into a village-like area to access 전주향교 (Jeonju Hyanggyo Confucian School) | Naver link. This is a local Confucian school established during the Joseon Dynasty, and it is designated as a historic treasure. The school was originally located at the Gyeonggijeon Shrine before it was relocated in 1603. While the school’s buildings were closed when I went, the grounds were open, and there are plaques describing what the buildings are - with several being shrines honoring the memory of Confucius. The school is also home to a massive ginkgo tree that’s estimated to be over 400 years old.
From the Confucian School, I was only a short walk away from the Jeonju Hanok Village, and as I made my way up a road I had walked before, I did a quick Naver search for a cafe that I could spent some time at. One such result was a tea room called 교동다원 (Gyodong Tea Garden) | Naver link. This place is separated into two hanok buildings: one for people who wish to sit in chairs, and another (the main building) for people to sit on the floor. I opted for the latter, so I took off my shoes and headed inside. I was in the mood for some hot tea, so I ordered 황차 (golden tea) - which is the tea room’s representative tea - as well as 꿀약과 (honey yakgwa), a traditional dessert. The total came out to ₩10,200 ($7.16). The tea arrived in a setup similar to the one I had at in Gwangju, and making myself the tea was quite straightforward. Considering that the day had gotten progressively cooler, the tea warmed me up considerably. The sweet yakgwa complemented the tea perfectly and made for some crispy, scrumptious bites.
It was getting dark by the time I left the tea room, and that meant one thing: it was dinnertime. I already knew where to go, and the restaurant was actually near Dustin Barbershop. It took me about a good 20 minutes to walk from the Jeonju Hanok Village to get to 성미당 (Seongmidang) | Naver link, and luckily for me, they had plenty of seats available. Jeonju is renown for its bibimbap, and that’s what I was getting here at this restaurant, which has been open since 1965. I ordered the 전주전통육회비빔밥 (Jeonju traditional raw beef bibimbap), which cost ₩16,000 ($11.23). A really nice selection of banchan came out first, and I was delighted to see that it included some bulgogi and peculiarly, yellow 도토리묵 (acorn jelly). All of the banchan tasted great, but the bibimbap that followed was the star of the show. Thanks to the raw beef, the ton of vegetables, raw egg yolk, and seeds that I mixed all together with gochujang, each bite I took was a flavor bomb detonation. This dish ended up being the best one I had during my time in the city.
For the second night in a row in Jeonju, I left a restaurant feeling quite full. Walking off what I ate just made sense, so I began doing so in the direction of my Airbnb. However, after crossing Chungkyung-ro, I discovered a slightly roofed path leading to a bustling and brightly lit alley. I began walking north up this path and alley called 전주객사5길 (Jeonju Gaeksa Road Number 5). The alley was full of restaurants, cafes, and various stores. I noticed a multi-story building to the east of this alley and went inside to discover that it was a department store, so I went up and down the floors to see if there were any good gifts that I could get for my family and friends (there weren’t). There were also a bunch of street vendors selling treats like 붕어빵 (carp-shaped bread stuffed with red bean paste), takoyaki, and ice cream. I did pause and think about buying something to eat, but my stomach wasn’t having any of it and urged me to simply move on, so I did.
I woke up the next morning to prepare for a virtual job interview (I got the job after returning stateside!). Afterward, I packed all of my things and took them with me back to Nambu Market. While I certainly returned for breakfast, I was getting it instead at 조점례남문피순대 (Jojeomrye Nammun Blood Soondae) | Naver link. That’s right - I wasn’t going to pass up on having soondae, especially when it’s as well regarded as this one is. It was chilly that morning, so I ordered a 순대국밥 (soondae soup with rice), which cost ₩8,000 ($5.66). The soup contained not only soondae, but also other bits of offal. Slightly pungent? Sure. But delicious and made just for me? Absolutely.
After leaving Nambu Market and passing by Pungnammun Gate, I couldn’t help but walk toward Jeonju Hanok Village. While I just had breakfast, I wouldn’t say I was full - so really, would it hurt to eat just a little more before I left the city? No, I decided.
A good number of people I saw yesterday were eating chicken skewers, so I went over to 한옥문꼬지 (Hanok Door Skewer) | Naver link, which had drawn a large crowd the day before. I bought a 치즈닭꼬치 (순한맛) [cheese chicken skewer (mild)] for ₩5,000 ($3.54), and the vendor warmed one up. It had a nice bit of spice that combined well with the melted cheese. Was eating this a good decision? Yes.
What harm could a little dessert do? My next stop was 딸랑구 찹쌀떡 (Daughter Rice Cake) | Naver link, which was selling some delicious-looking rice cakes. I opted for a single 생딸기찹쌀떡 (fresh strawberry rice cake), which cost ₩3,500 ($2.48). The rice cake itself was chewy and elastic in the best way, and I relished the flavors from the strawberry and red bean paste. Was eating this also a good decision? Oh yes.
It only felt right that I was leaving Jeonju full. I returned to the same PNB location from the day before to buy some choco pie gift sets for my extended family. By now, I was carrying a lot of stuff with me, so I got a taxi via Kakao T and instructed the driver to take me to 전주역 전라선 (고속철도) [Jeonju Station Jeolla Line (Express Railroad)] | Naver link; the total fare came out to ₩7,600 ($5.38). After I arrived at the station, I got on a KTX train that would take me to 충청남도 (South Chungcheong Province); the ticket cost the equivalent of $14.82.
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