Top 7 Cheap Restaurants To Keep Cash In Your Pocket
You are on a budget and wanna eat cheap? Where in Seoul can you go to have a delicious meal and not empty out your coffers? Actually there is a few options out there to consider. Once you know where to look then it will become a habit. Rather than eat like a tourist and pay over the top for the same food a local would pay a thousand won for. So let me introduce you to a few options out there, especially in Seoul that offers low priced tasty meals that feel like you are getting value for money.
Hansot Doshirak:
Hands downs, the best takeout place for lunchboxes in Seoul. Affordable, cheap and delicious and open till late at night. Prices ranges from 2,000won to 10,000won. You can get meat, rice and vegetables with salads available too. There is over 50 lunch boxes on over. So you might end up battling with yourself about what to eat. The service is good and fast, Most meals are prepared fast and usually come out of the kitchen within 5 minutes. Also there is instant soups ( to prepare at home) and cold beverages are on sale too. They have a huge menu available too.
This is definitely the most casual food I’ve had in Korea. Whilst we were eating several people came in and got take out. It’s like student food meets airplane food, and I really enjoyed it. If you’re on a bit of a budget then it’s actually kind of perfect.
Pomato:
This chain is a solid place for cheap eats. The restaurants are clean with neatly arranged furniture and the food is pretty decent with affordable prices. The best part is that is never closes!
Not everything on their menu is extremely cheap, but their menu is extensive and won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Their is a variety of kimbab , Katsu, Omelettes, stir fries, Chinese food, stews, and noodle and rice dishes on the menu. There is also English translations to make ordering easier!
They have a small assortment of side dishes, varies with restaurant and day including soup, kimchi, radish, and boiled eggs for instance which is all self-serve (meaning you get it).
Chicken Mayo and Jajangmyeon are in particular delicious for me. The Chicken Mayo is just 4,000 won is a whole chicken katsu, mixed with a bunch of scrambled egg strings in rice topped with seaweed. They also give you mayo and katsu sauce, to which you then pour the 2 sauces over the dish and mix it all up and then eat it up. Scrumptious!
Kimgane:
Kimgane is a casual cheap eat franchise that sells gimbab, noodles and rice. They have a lady at the front of the restaurant making fresh kimbap which looks like sushi. Everything is good value and inexpensive. Table water, cutlery, tissue and kimchi is all self-serve. I really liked the kimchi here as it was crunchy and wonderfully flavoured with the right amount of spice. The staff are friendly and service is very prompt and efficient. Don’t expect superior service here as it is a casual restaurant that offers authentic Korean meals at very affordable prices.
The way this place makes kimbap, makes eating kimbap very tasty. There is a clean refreshing taste to it. Make sure to order some kimbap with your main dish.
Charles Sutbul Gimbap:
Stepping foot into any Charles Gimbap and you might feel like you walked into a BBQ joint. The aroma of its most popular dish, Sutbul Gimbap is the culprit. It is a gimbap roll with soy sauce marinated grilled pork.
The reason I recommend this franchise is that while its cheap, its portion can be quite generous I think. This place is popular with the younger crowd. Since the kimbap is quite huge, expect a struggle to get it to your mouth with the chopsticks. And chewing and swallowing is a feat only master kimbap eaters can do.
There is plenty of variety on hand so make sure to give your taste buds a bit of a workout.
Supermarket:
The reason I recommend the supermarket is the cheap food on hand. Supermarkets in Korea have surprisingly good sushi for one. Also there is food samples scattered over the supermarket for customers to taste. Samples include pasta, fruits, yogurts and even meat. If you are the civil type then one piece maybe two is ok. But if you are one of those who doesn’t worry about what others are thinking of you. Then, you can keep eating it. Beer is cheap too here obviously. Look out for the german beers if available. Nice bitter taste to it.
Bapburger:
Bon Gouuse Bap Burger is a popular Korean style fast food joint known for the very cheap and tasty cheap rice burgers it has own its menu. The rice burger is basically rice with some ingredients stuffed in the middle of it. In this case rice is used as the bun for the burger. It’s a quick snack for teenagers and students especially and you can even have instant ramyeon as a side dish if you wish. It is a franchise so finding it throughout Korea shouldn’t be hard. You can find some branches near Hongdae, Sinchon, SNU for example.
Prices range from 1,500won – 3,500won and there is a huge selection on offer. From spicy to plain. If you want something safe then I recommend the chicken mayo bap burger.
Pizza School:
Maybe one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved meals is pizza. In Korea, Pizza is loved as much as any other country and therefore there is a handful of places to get your cravings sorted. If you need a quick, cheap fix then pizza school is your only option.
With a good range of pizza on offer starting from 5,000won and rise up to 12,000won for the more fancy pizza. Now why would you want this pizza? Well yes its cheap for one whole pizza. Its greasy and feels like junk food, so its like a weight is lifted off you when you are scoffing down this pizza.