Located near Gyeongbeokgung Palace in Seoul, Tongin Market gives you the perfect opportunity to sample traditional Korean food by creating your own lunchbox for an affordable price.
Sample traditional Korean food at the Dosirak Lunchbox Café
Have you heard of Tongin Market ? When visiting South Korea, you should definitely add this traditional market to your itinerary. It’s located in Jongno-gu, close to the famous Gyeongbeokgung Palace and the Seochon area, so it’s the ideal place to go get lunch after your visit. The unique thing about Tongin Market is the Dosirak Café. For 5 000 won ($3.70/€3.50), you can create your own unique lunchbox with several type of traditional Korean dishes from the different vendors. The perfect affordable lunch in Seoul! If you visited other markets such as Gwangjang market, you might find that Tongin is quite smaller, but in my opinion, it’s definitely a must!
How Does it Work ?
When you enter the market, you will see signs indicating the location of the café. Once you reach the second floor, you can buy brass coins to use as a currency in the market. The coins are sold as a set of 10, and each set costs 5,000 won. You can purchase several sets, but in my experience, one set per person is more than enough for a full meal. They will give you a plastic tray, and you can now go back to the market to start building your lunchbox.
I recommend walking around the whole market before making your choice, as there are many different dishes to choose from. Note that not all vendors accept the coins, so make sure to check if they have the Dosirak LunchboxCafé sign.
The price will vary from stall to stall, but each portion will generally cost between one to three coins. Once your tray is full, you can go back to the café on the second floor to sit down and enjoy your meal. You can also purchase rice or soup for 1,000 won to complete your meal if you want, either with cash or with your remaining coins.
Here is what I ended up choosing :
- Omelet Rolls
- Cheese tteok (Rice cake stuffed with cheese), my favorite!
- Vegetable pancake
- Japchae (noodles with vegetables)
- Spicy fried chicken
In the end, I had one coin left, so I kept it as a souvenir. The meal was very filling, and the food was delicious, altough a bit oily, but that’s usually the case with all street food.
General Information
Address of the market:
18, Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로15길 18
The market is open everyday from 7am to 9pm. It’s closed on every third sunday of the month, and Dosirak Café is closed on Mondays.
My conclusion
I highly recommend Tongin Market! I think it’s a pretty unique experience, and you get to try several traditional Korean food for a very affordable price. It’s the perfect place to add to your Seoul itinerary.