Ikseon & Euljiro익선·을지로 · 로컬 가이드

Bestie tip · Three stops: bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake) at the stalls with the grinding wheels, mayak gimbap (the little 'addictive' rolls) with the mustard dip, and yukhoe (raw beef) in the alley with the long row of specialists. Pick stalls with prices posted.

Bestie tip · Don't add vinegar or mustard until you've tasted the broth plain. 'Mul' (물) is the cold soup version; 'bibim' is spicy. Order a plate of 'pyeonyuk' (boiled beef) to share; that's what the regulars do.

Bestie tip · Don't add vinegar or mustard before tasting. Order 제육 (boiled pork slices) to share, then the noodles. Summer queues are long; it's a winter dish for the regulars.

Bestie tip · Mix the sauce: soy, vinegar, mustard, chilli paste, roughly equal. Add 떡 (rice cakes) at the start and 칼국수 (noodles) at the end; the staff cut the chicken for you with scissors.

Bestie tip · Order mul-naengmyeon and a plate of bulgogi to share if you're two.

Bestie tip · Ask for a courtyard-side seat when you put your name down.

Bestie tip · Get sundae gukbap for lunch, or a mixed sundae plate with beer in the evening.

Bestie tip · Order gul jjamppong in season (autumn to spring) and a small plate of fried dumplings.

Bestie tip · One serving of yangnyeom galbi per person, then share a bowl of naengmyeon or the galbi soup.

Bestie tip · Leave your number at the door and walk the lighting street while you wait; the shrimp cream pasta is the regular order.

Bestie tip · Pick the noodle thickness you like and add a side of the braised beef if you are hungry.

Bestie tip · Order three different tacos and a beer; birria with its dipping broth goes first.

Bestie tip · Get the udon with a side of gimbap; it is a late night stop, not a sit down dinner.

Bestie tip · Order plov, lamb shashlik and a round of non bread to share.

Bestie tip · Come for the kimchi jjigae lunch and wrap the pork from the stew in the greens; at dinner the samgyeopsal comes with the same stew.

Bestie tip · Order the bossam platter for the group and ask for gul (oysters) in season; the free gamjatang refill is the bonus.

Bestie tip · Order one pot for two or three, add kalguksu noodles at the end, and do not stir the garlic in too early.

Bestie tip · Order the gamjaguk and add a plate of sundae or pork head meat to share; it also works as a hangover breakfast.

Bestie tip · Order the teuk (special) seolleongtang for extra meat, salt it yourself, and add the radish kimchi juice for a sour edge.

Bestie tip · Sit, say how many, and it arrives; ask for more noodles if you are still hungry and eat the kimchi with it.

Bestie tip · Order momo (Nepali dumplings) to start, then a curry with naan and a Nepali set if you want to try dal bhat.

Bestie tip · Mix your own dipping sauce from the chili paste, soy, vinegar and mustard on the table, and order kalguksu noodles once the chicken is gone.

Bestie tip · The hanok cafés with courtyards (마당) are the ones to pick; look through the gate before you commit. Reservations aren't a thing here, waitlists are: write your name and walk the lanes.

Bestie tip · Seats are few; take the coffee across the alley to its sister dessert shop.

Bestie tip · Weekday late morning is the window without a long wait.

Bestie tip · Come late afternoon for coffee and stay into the evening when it shifts to drinks.

Bestie tip · Get a seat in the inner room under the old rafters.

Bestie tip · Order the signature cream bun with a cold drink and sit by the window.

Bestie tip · Order ssanghwacha (herbal tea) with the raw egg yolk and stir it in, the old Euljiro way.

Bestie tip · Order a flat white or filter coffee and drink it on the deck looking over the workshop roofs.

Bestie tip · Pick one of the bakes at the counter with a latte and sit by the courtyard.

Bestie tip · Grab a drink and a dessert and sit by the track set; weekday mornings are calmest.

Bestie tip · Buy a box of mixed cream doughnuts and eat one by the stream.

Bestie tip · Order one pancake plate for two with a drink each; they take about 20 minutes, so put your name down first.

Bestie tip · Ask for a seat facing the garden and order the red bean shaved ice in warm months.

Bestie tip · Come mid afternoon for a quiet table and a slow coffee.

Bestie tip · Go before 10:30 on weekends; the line builds fast after that.

Bestie tip · Order something from the counter to share; portions are rich.

Bestie tip · Try a mixed tteok plate so you can taste a few kinds.

Bestie tip · Buy early; popular breads sell out by afternoon.

Bestie tip · Go in the morning for the best selection.

Bestie tip · Order a ssanghwa herbal tea or an instant style coffee; keep it simple.

Bestie tip · English tours are usually 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 (check at the gate). The main hall courtyard is deliberately empty and austere; that's the design, not a lack of things to see. The royal ancestral rite (Jongmyo Jerye) happens the first Sunday of May.

Bestie tip · The 25,550 LED roses on the slope are on from dusk. Across the road the wholesale fashion malls run until 5am; Doota is the one for retail. Design Market on the lower floors for gifts.

Bestie tip · Stand on the stepping stones just below the waterfall for the photo with the sculpture behind. Gwanghwamun station exit 5 drops you right on it.

Bestie tip · Take the escalator from the Jongmyo side; the terrace is at the north end. The cafés inside Sewoon (on the upper decks) close early; the roof itself stays open.

Bestie tip · Jongmyo itself is by guided tour only on weekdays (free walk on Saturdays); the plaza is free any time. Buy a ₩2,000 instant coffee from the ladies with thermoses; it's part of the scene.

Bestie tip · Climb into Heunginjimun Park behind it for the best angle, then follow the wall uphill.

Bestie tip · Look closely at the bronze relief panels along the wall telling the 1919 story, then walk two minutes to Nakwon Arcade or Ikseon dong.

Bestie tip · Take the elevator or the outside stairs to the roof of the first block (Sewoon). Then walk the elevated deck south over the market streets; it connects several blocks toward Cheonggyecheon.

Bestie tip · In November the Seoul Lantern Festival puts hundreds of lanterns in the stream here. Rest of the year, the stretch between Gwangtonggyo and Supyogyo bridges is the prettiest lit section.

Bestie tip · Walk it on a weekday morning when the carts are moving; by 18:00 it's shuttered and dark. The lighting shops at the Euljiro 4-ga end are the photogenic ones.

Bestie tip · Prices are 'per piece' and sometimes fixed to 'minimum 2'; ask '낱개 돼요?' (can I buy one?). Cash is easier. The street-food carts outside at 1am are excellent.

Bestie tip · Stationery and ribbon shops are at the Cheonggyecheon end; baking is deeper in. Prices are per 'pack' so ask before you hand over a single item.

Bestie tip · Shop owners will let you try guitars; prices are negotiable, and the rooftop has a small view.

Bestie tip · Bring cash and check a couple of shops before buying; Korean character stationery makes cheap, light souvenirs.

Bestie tip · Order 'saeng' (draft) and 'nogari'; dip the fish in the mayo-gochujang mix. Sharing tables is normal; someone will pour for you. Each bar's stools are a different colour; sit where you ordered.

Bestie tip · One 골뱅이무침 plus 소면 (thin noodles mixed in) feeds two or three. Tell them 덜 맵게 if you can't take heat. These places are gruff and fast; that's the charm.

Bestie tip · Order nogari and 생맥주 (draft beer); that's the whole ritual.

Bestie tip · Look for the small door and climb; arrive before 21:00 on weekends to get a seat.

Bestie tip · Order two beers and one plate of nogari; grab any free outdoor stool, nobody minds.

Bestie tip · Ask for a tasting flight first, then a pint of the one you liked.

Bestie tip · Order the mixed jeon platter and a bottle of makgeolli; sit outside if the weather is mild.

Bestie tip · Order soju and one hot dish like spicy stir fried octopus or fish cake soup to share.

Bestie tip · Tell the bartender what spirit you like and let them choose; cash or card both fine.

Bestie tip · Order a glass of natural wine and one snack plate and stay for a few songs.

Bestie tip · Start with a highball and the chef's skewer set.

Bestie tip · Order one pancake per two people with a bottle of makgeolli; eat it hot.

Bestie tip · Ask for a cocktail made with Korean spirits.

Bestie tip · Order draft beer and one fried dish to share.

Bestie tip · Order a fishcake soup and soju; it is the classic pocha pairing.

Bestie tip · Order highballs and a skewer set to start.

Bestie tip · Ask for a glass recommendation and share a plate.

Bestie tip · Ask which beers are on tap that day.

Bestie tip · Pair a glass with a small plate; ask what is open.

Bestie tip · Start with a highball, then ask for the house cocktail.