What To Eat and Do at Seoul’s Mangwon Market
We’re visiting Seoul’s Mangwon Market, a smaller market compared to the popular Gwangjang Market. Don’t discount the smaller size, this traditional market might have just as much food at fairly affordable prices. From some of the most popular street foods, to some of the shops, cafes, and delicious restaurants nearby, we’re exploring everything this market and this neighborhood has to offer!
Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu
We’re back in Seoul with my mom and my sister! Since I’ve already taken my mom to visit all the places we’ve visited last time, we’re trying a new spot I’ve never visited before. Today, we’re visiting Mangwon Market, a traditional market in Mapo-gu that so many locals recommended to us, and we’re trying some Korean Grilled Intestines for dinner!
Mangwon Market is smaller, and much less chaotic than Gwangjang Market, which honestly made it feel even more charming. The vendors here are so friendly, and the prices here are super reasonable. Plus, the food options are literally endless. I was genuinely so impressed by everything we tried, and I already can’t wait for the day I get to return to this market again for round two. Plus, it’s located in a quieter neighborhood packed with the most charming boutiques and cafes!
How To Get To Mangwon Market
Mangwon Market is in Mapo-gu, a more quiet, residential area compared to Gangnam, Jongno, or Myeongdong. However, Mapo-gu is also home to Hongdae, which is super popular nightlife area more popular with toursist. Mangwon Market is easy to get to via public transportation. It only takes about 10 minutes to get from Hongdae to Mangwon Market. Here’s how get to Mangwon Market:
- Start at Hongik University Station. Take Line 2 (Green Line) one stop to Hapjeong Station.
- Transfer at Hapjeong Station to Line 6 toward Bonghwasan.
- Ride one stop to Mangwon Station.
- Exit Mangwon Station via Exit 2, and walk straight about 3 minutes.
What To Eat At Mangwon Market
Exploring the street foods at Mangwon Market was the perfect way to start the day. My mind was completely blown by how many food option this market has to offer! It was honestly impossible to choose just one thing. So, we fully let our instinct take the lead. If something smelled good, look good, or had a line, we are trying it. Truly, not a single bite was disappointing!
Korean Chicken Soup 9.5/10
The first thing that caught our attention was this little chicken soup stall. It ended up becoming one of my top three meals of this entire trip! Cham-mat Herbal Chicken Gomtang or 참맛 한방 닭곰탕 is a wholesale distributor of poultry, but is also a cozy sit-down spot. This little stall specializes in gomtang, or herbal chicken soup, a clean and soothing chicken soup simmer for hours with traditional Korean herbs.
For 7000 won, or 8500 won for the special version with more chicken, you get a small dish of kimchi and bean sprout banchan, a bowl of rice, and a sizzling bowl of hot chicken soup. The broth is incredibly clear yet so so rich, with a gentle garlic flavor. The chicken is tender, shredded right into the broth and seasoned with sprinkle of salt and chopped green onion.
On the tables, you have dishes of salt, Korean chili peppers, or chili paste you can dip your chicken into. Paired with kimchi in a bowl of rice, you suddenly have the ultimate cozy nourishing meal. It is absolutely a must try!
Korean style Beef Meatballs 8.5/10
Next was Mangwon Tteokgalbi, which sells Tteokgalbi, or Korean Grilled Short Rib Patties. These freshly pan fried beef patties were one of my absolutely favorite street food I’ve tried this trip. Seeing and smelling them pan-fry these patties already made them so irresistible.
Made with fresh Korean short ribs, each meatball is almost the size of my fist! They were juicy, savory, and paired so perfectly with the signature honey horseradish sauce. At 2 giant meatballs for 7000 won, it was definitely worth the price. You can also purchase 1.5 pound of raw meatball mix for 12,000 won to cook at home. It’s so good, I’m still thinking about them till this day.
Twist Donuts 8/10
If you know how much I’m obsessed with the Twisted Doughnuts at Gwangjang Market, the twist donuts at Mangwon Handmade Croquette (망원수제고로케) blew my mind. This stall sells both Korean twisted doughnuts and croquettes, with super affordable prices ranging from 1000 Won to 3000 Won per item.
Of course, we immediately got 2 of their freshly-made twisted doughnuts, or kkwabaegi, for 1000 won total. These traditional glutinous rice donuts were on another level. Covered with slightly-crunchy sugar, they were so much chewier compared to the ones at Gwangjang Market. Somehow, the more you chewed it, the yummier they got. These are dangerously addictive. Highly, highly recommend!
Korean Street Toast 7.5/10
Of course, we couldn’t say no to Korean street toast at Isaac Toast. The whole menu is extremely affordable at around 3300 to 5500 won, making it perfect for a quick, budget-friendly breakfast or snack while exploring the rest of the market. There’s tons of different flavors, ranging from classics to extra hearty sandwiches.
We ordered a Potato Special (포테이토 스페셜) for a taste. The slices of sweet toast are smothered in butter, and toasted. Then, it is sandwiched with savory ham, fluffy square-shaped eggs, thick hash brown, and crunchy cabbage. Honestly, what more can you ask for?
Bungeoppang 9/10
One of my favorite bites of the day was this Bungeoppang, or Korean fish shaped pastry. They’re from Hwanggeum Bungeo-pang, a popular stall here at Mangwon Market. They’re all made fresh to order! I love watching them make these pastries step by step in those cast iron molds. She first pours in the batter from the giant kettle, then add in chunks of either red bean or custard.
I love that they kept all the crispy edges, which had a more toasted flavor. Paired with the lightly sweet filling, it was the perfect balance of texture and flavor. They’re about 1000 Wons per piece, so if you’re nearby, definitely try one of these fish pastries!
Hotteok
Another thing to try in Mangwon is hotteok. There’s so many stalls selling these deliciously hand-made pancakes in so many different flavors. We grabbed one from Teumsae Hotteok 틈새호떡 that was making them fresh to-order in cast-iron pans. They have a crispy, chewy dough, but the inside is steaming hot, filled with honey and crunchy seeds. For 2000 Won per pancake, it’s totally worth it!
Fresh Fruit
It’s really hard to miss the vast array of fresh fruits and produce in Mangwon Market. Everything was super fresh, super reasonably priced, and genuinely high quality. There was so many different kinds of fruit, it was almost hard to choose. But, we ended up circling back to Mangwon Market before going home to bring some giant green grapes and sweet strawberries to enjoy back at our hotel!
Things To Do Near Mangwon Market
If you do make a trip out to Mongol Market, I highly recommend spending a couple extra hours just walking around the neighborhood and exploring the restaurants, stores, and cafes nearby. This area has such a local, laid-back, effortlessly cool vibe compared to other parts of Seoul. It is a lot quieter, a lot more homey, with so many small businesses and local artists tucked into every little street.
Shopping
Unlike in Myeongdong or Gangnam, there’s not as many huge popular named brand store here. Since it’s a quieter neighborhood, there’s actually a ton of artisan boutiques and small businesses in this area that are super adorable. You’ll find everything from cute home goods and stationary shops to clothing and lifestyle stores. It’s perfect for me, since everything is so cute and super functional! I even got the cutest outfit for my labubu!
Cafe Hopping
The best part about being in Mapo-gu the abundance of cute cafes. I’m so surprised that whereever we went, we somehow were able to find tasty desserts and really delicious coffee or matcha. For a family with different tastes in coffee, they certainly had everything we wanted. Whether you’re craving the classic ice americano, a creamy latte, or something sweet after all that market food, there’s always something for everyone.
It’s not just about the coffee, it’s about the whole experience: the vibe, the specialty drinks, dessert, and aesthetic. My mom loves coffee, so I was so excited to take her cafe hopping. In between shopping and exploring, whenever we felt tired, we would just slip into a random cafe. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of the cafe culture here. It’s a perfect way to slow down, rest your feet, and people watch for a bit.
Korean Beef Intestines 땡숯곱창
Gopchang Grililed Korean beef intestines, crispy and chewy inside. Rich, savory, and deeply satisfying with umami flavor
For dinner, we finally tried something I’ve been waiting to eat for so, so long: Gopchang or Korean grilled intestine. We headed to Ttaengcho Gopchang (땡초곱창), a popular local spot, for a casual dinner. Here, they only specialize in mainly one thing: pork intestines. I always think it is a good sign when a restaurant only specializes in one dish, because you just know that they’re going to perfect it.
They offer both large and small intestines, both salt roasted or covered in spicy sauce. We decided to get two orders of their small intestines, one of each flavor. The set also comes with fresh veggies to wrap them in, some raw garlic and peppers, and a few sauces. They were chewy with a slight crisp on the outside. The flavor is rich but not heavy at all and packed with that deep smoky flavor from the grill.
For intestines, there’s always a worry of a gamey, or unclean flavor, but here is absolutely not the case. This is definitely one of those meals that surprised me in the best way possible. At about 13,000 won per order, it’s also pretty affordable. I highly recommend trying at least once during your trip to Seoul!
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