Bat slush and chipotle fries at Jamsil Stadium: Bingdongdaeng

An unexpected food discovery at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which is disappearing into history after this year! A weekend date made doubly memorable by cool mango bingsu and fries from the 1st base outfield food trucks.

On a Sunday afternoon, my wife and I headed to Jamsil Baseball Stadium with excited hearts. Walking into the stadium after a while, it suddenly hit me — 'ah, this stadium holding so many baseball fans' memories is going to disappear after this year' — and my heart felt strangely heavy for a moment.

But sentimental feelings aside, food comes first at the ballpark, right? We happily headed off to enjoy the delicious food that's the highlight of watching a game live.

It was an even more exciting day because we found a new food zone instead of our usual spot. Here's my honest review of the tasty time we had!

Where is the 1st base outfield food truck zone at Jamsil Stadium?

• Location: the plaza outside the ballpark, on the 1st base outfield side of Jamsil Baseball Stadium
• Feature: food trucks line up along the outside of the stadium well before the game starts
• Access: come out Exit 5 or 6 of Sports Complex Station on subway Line 2 or 9, and walk slowly toward the 1st base outfield entrance — you'll spot the food trucks

My wife and I usually go to the existing restaurants and stalls on the 3rd base infield side when we come to the ballpark. This time, since we booked outfield seats, we naturally ended up trying the food truck zone outside the 1st base outfield for the first time.

Why the 1st base outfield trucks beat the stadium concourse

The moment we stepped into the food truck zone outside the 1st base outfield, both my wife and I said, "Wow, why didn't we know about this place until now?" — the lineup was that solid.

High freshness and specialization: each food truck focuses on a specific menu and cooks it fresh on the spot, so the freshness of the raw ingredients was noticeably better.

Reasonable prices: compared to the shops inside the stadium, the portions were bigger and the prices much more reasonable, so we could mix and match several menu items without worrying too much.

Variety of menus: from cool bingsu to fried food, hot dogs, shakes, and finger food, the lineup spans Japanese, Korean, and Western styles, so it was fun to pick according to our taste.

Bingdongdaeng mango bingsu and the baseball bat-shaped slush

We decided on one dessert truck to cool off from the heat and the ballpark's excitement, and one fried food truck to fill our stomachs, and ordered generously. The first place that caught our eye was a food truck called 'Bingdongdaeng,' selling bingsu (shaved ice dessert) and Korean snacks together.

Mango bingsu: just being able to eat bingsu at an open-air ballpark is already a happy thing, but with plenty of sweet, tangy mango flesh piled on top of the ice, one bite chilled my whole mouth. Instead of artificial sweetness, it burst with fresh tanginess — perfect for cooling down between innings.

Cute bat-shaped slush: this item nailed the ballpark signature vibe perfectly! The slush comes in a long container shaped like an actual baseball bat — the look alone was so cute that my wife and I had fun taking selfies with it, and it was great for holding and sipping a cool drink for a long time.

Ippeun-yeou Hot Dog: bacon cheese fries, Mexican chipotle fries and a milkshake

To fill our growling stomachs, we stopped by the 'Ippeun-yeou Hot Dog' food truck and ordered two fries menus plus a milkshake.

Bacon cheese fries: savory fries topped generously with rich, salty cheddar cheese sauce, plus the flavor of crunchy bacon bits was excellent. It was the epitome of sweet-and-salty, perfect as a side for soju or beer.

Mexican chipotle fries: the slightly spicy chipotle sauce completely cut through the greasiness of the fries, making it an addictive snack we kept reaching for. It was spicy yet packed with umami, and my wife especially loved this one.

Milkshake: we pulled off the so-called 'sweet-and-salty move' — dipping warm, salty fries into the sweet, smooth milkshake! The combination of freshly fried fries and a cool shake was truly an excellent choice.

The cream shrimp truck was already sold out

Honestly, I really wanted to try the cream shrimp food truck, said to be the most famous among the 1st base outfield trucks. But by the time we visited, the ingredients were already gone and it was sold out ㅠㅠ. It was such a shame, but at the same time it made me think the popularity is well proven — I promised myself I'd come early next time to finally succeed at getting the cream shrimp!

When to buy: inning-by-inning tips and the verdict

Even though I've been going to Jamsil Stadium for a long time, it was almost a shame I only just discovered the food trucks outside the 1st base outfield now — the taste, price, and atmosphere made it the best ballpark food zone with all three elements in place.

An essential tip: the food trucks don't operate throughout the entire game — apparently they usually start clearing ingredients and preparing to close around the start of the bottom of the 5th inning!

Popular trucks (especially the cream shrimp one) often sell out even before the game starts or early on, so if you want to enjoy a variety of food truck offerings, I strongly recommend visiting the outdoor food truck zone and buying ahead before entering the stadium or at least by the 3rd inning.

As Jamsil Baseball Stadium heads toward its final chapter, I hope you can enjoy delicious food truck dishes with someone you love and make an unforgettable weekend memory watching a game live!