Must-Try Food in Busan: 2025 Guide to the City’s Best Bites

Discover the best local foods in Busan, from sizzling seafood to sweet ssiat hotteok. A delicious 2025 guide to Korea’s coastal culinary capital.
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Jul 18, 2025
Must-Try Food in Busan: 2025 Guide to the City’s Best Bites

Busan isn’t just South Korea’s second-largest city or a beach lover’s dream, it’s a culinary hotspot packed with local specialties you won’t find anywhere else in the country. Nestled between mountains and the sea, Busan offers a unique blend of land and ocean flavors. Whether you're slurping down cold noodles in the summer heat or grilling clams right next to the ocean, Busan serves unforgettable meals at every corner.

If you’re visiting Busan in 2025, this updated guide will walk you through the must-try foods, the best neighborhoods to eat them in, and the experiences that make Busan one of Korea’s top destinations for food tourism.

1. Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장): Dive into Busan’s Seafood Capital

Welcome to Korea’s largest seafood market and the beating heart of Busan’s food culture. Jagalchi Market is where the city’s fishing heritage comes alive, with rows of live tanks, salty sea air, and endless options of fresh catch hauled in that morning.

Experience tip: Walk through the outdoor market and point to your favorite seafood, vendors will prepare it on the spot and serve it to you upstairs, sashimi-style or grilled with Korean side dishes.

Must-Try Dishes:

  • Hwae (회) – raw fish sliced fresh and served with gochujang and lettuce wraps

  • Maeuntang (매운탕) – spicy fish stew with vegetables and tofu in a bold red broth

  • Jangeo Gui (장어구이) – grilled eel brushed with sweet soy glaze

Where to Go:
📍 Jagalchi Station (Line 1), Exit 10, walk straight toward the oceanfront market

2. Ssiat Hotteok (씨앗호떡): The Street Snack That Changed the Game

Forget everything you thought you knew about Korean pancakes. Busan’s version of hotteok is next-level, crispy on the outside and overflowing with brown sugar syrup, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and crushed peanuts inside. The contrast of textures and the nutty sweetness make it one of the most iconic treats in the city.

Where locals go: The stalls at BIFF Square are the most famous. You’ll often see long lines, especially in the afternoon.

Flavor Notes: Crunchy, sticky, warm, and rich. Best enjoyed fresh off the griddle.

Where to Go:
📍 BIFF Square near Nampo Station (Line 1), Exit 7, follow the smell and the crowd

3. Milmyeon (밀면): Busan’s Chilled Noodle Refreshment

Born out of post-war resourcefulness, milmyeon is Busan’s unique take on the cold noodle dish naengmyeon. Instead of buckwheat, it uses wheat flour, creating a chewier texture that holds up in icy, tangy broth.

Fun fact: Milmyeon is seen as a local pride dish—Busanites will swear it’s better than the North Korean version.

How It’s Served:

  • Cold broth (mul milmyeon) or spicy sauce (bibim milmyeon)

  • Topped with sliced beef, pickled radish, half a boiled egg, and sesame oil

Where to Go:
📍 Seomyeon, try Gukje Milmyeon (국제밀면) or Chuncheon Halmae Milmyeon (춘천할매밀면)

4. Grilled Clams at Cheongsapo (청사포): Ocean-to-Table Experience

Tucked between Haeundae Beach and Songjeong, Cheongsapo is a quiet fishing village turned dining hotspot, where seafood BBQs steal the show. Restaurants here let you grill your own clams, scallops, mussels, and jumbo shrimp at your table, ocean breeze included.

Pairing tip: Order a bottle of chilled soju or makgeolli for the full Korean seaside experience.

What to Order:

  • Grilled clams with cheese or garlic butter

  • Abalone and mussels

  • Shellfish rice porridge (조개죽)

Where to Go:
📍 Cheongsapo Station (Donghae Line), walk 10 minutes toward the beachside restaurants

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5. Bonus Bites You Shouldn’t Leave Without Trying

Even beyond the headline dishes, Busan is packed with delicious hidden gems that capture the city’s coastal and cultural flavor. Here are a few bonus bites that locals swear by:

Busan-style Eomuk (어묵)

Busan is the eomuk capital of Korea, and you’ll find this fish cake snack on almost every street corner. Served hot in broth, it’s cheap, comforting, and available 24/7.

📍 Samjin Eomuk Cafe near Nampo-dong or Seomyeon underground shops

Dwaeji Gukbap (돼지국밥): Pork Soup with Rice

This hearty dish is a Busan essential—pork broth served with rice, chives, and dipping sauces. It’s especially popular with students and locals recovering from a night out.

📍 Bujeon Market area, try Ssangdoongi Dwaeji Gukbap (쌍둥이돼지국밥)

Temple-View Seaweed Bibimbap

Near Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, you’ll find restaurants that specialize in vegetarian bibimbap topped with seaweed, sprouts, and mountain herbs.

📍Haedong Yonggungsa, eat with ocean views after a morning temple visit

Final Thoughts: Come Hungry, Leave Inspired

Busan’s food isn’t just about flavor—it’s about experience. Whether you’re grilling clams on the coast, slurping icy noodles, or biting into a sizzling street snack, the city invites you to eat like a local and savor every moment.

Want to stay close to the city’s best food neighborhoods? Enkostay offers conveniently located, foreigner-friendly accommodations in Seomyeon, Haeundae, Nampo-dong, and Gwangalli, so you’re always just minutes from your next great meal.

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