Samcheong-dong snack bar: cream beer by a magnolia window, Snack Seoul

Where is Snack Seoul and when is it open?

Snack Seoul is a snack bar in Samcheong-dong at 46 Palpan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor. It is open 11:00–21:00 every day, and you can book through Naver Reservation.

The cherry trees along the Gyeongbokgung stone wall road on the way. The petals had fallen from most of the trees, but the ones with a few blossoms still left were a photo spot.

Back in Samcheong-dong after ages, up on the 2nd floor at Snack Seoul

There are lots of people around the restaurants in Samcheong-dong. It's been so long since I last came here... was it when I was twenty? It's been ages, so it felt nice to be back. Samcheong-dong is full of Korean restaurants because so many foreign visitors come here, and Snack Seoul is up on the 2nd floor.

What kind of food does Snack Seoul serve?

Snack Seoul serves bunsik (Korean snack food) like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and fried snacks, but the menu has a fusion feel and isn't the ordinary kind. You order at a kiosk.

I went to Snack Seoul for the tteokbokki. If you're coming with a foreign friend, this Samcheong-dong spot is a good one to visit! See Gyeongbokgung and Gwanghwamun, try on a hanbok, then eat some bunsik. Perfect!

An aside: when I went to Everland, a tteokbokki stall was absolutely packed, and when I asked why, I was told that tteokbokki shows up in KPop Demon Hunters, so foreign visitors to Korea go looking for it. How interesting!

Picking dishes from the reviews

You order at the kiosk, but the menu on the table is easier to see all at once, so I took photos of it. In the reviews, everyone said to definitely order the cheese nurungji roe tteokbokki, and lots of people recommended the fried squid gamtae roll, so I ordered both. The perilla oil buckwheat noodles looked good too, but I can't eat everything, so I decided not to be greedy. You can have a glass of makgeolli (rice wine) too. What a Korean food spot!

Seaweed bookmark souvenirs

A seaweed bookmark I spotted while ordering at Snack Seoul. So clever. They made it look exactly like real seaweed!!! And that means people actually buy these!

What are the interior and the waiting like at Snack Seoul?

The 2nd-floor interior at Snack Seoul has a nice view out the window. I came a little outside mealtime, so it was relaxed, but other reviews suggest there can be a wait.

This is what the inside looks like, and the view is so good. Right now the magnolias and other flowers are in bloom, and in autumn the street trees are ginkgos, so I bet it's gorgeous then too. You'd have to time your visit well.

How are the fried squid gamtae roll and the herring roe radish kimchi?

The fried squid gamtae roll (gamtae gimbap, made with gamtae, a fine seaweed) is the dish I recommend most from this visit. The herring roe radish kimchi served alongside worried me because herring can be fishy, but the kimchi wasn't fishy at all.

The fried squid gamtae gimbap came out first. I really recommend this! I'd never seen anything like it in my life, and it's delicious. I do like gamtae already, but there was no fishy taste at all and it went so well with that perilla sauce. I saw it on every single table.

Cream beer with tteokbokki on a clear day

The tteokbokki came out too. The weather was so clear, how could I resist? I ordered a cream beer as well. Sip, sip, sip. Chicken and beer, tteok and beer... tteokbokki goes great with beer, you know. The topping on top is fries!

What is the cheese nurungji roe tteokbokki like at the window seat?

I ate the cheese nurungji roe tteokbokki at Snack Seoul at a window seat, looking at red magnolias. Some people came to eat alone, and I hear there's a good-value lunch menu on weekdays.

There were still red magnolias left and they were so pretty. The view from the window seat is quiet and lovely. It's good for a quick meal alone, and especially on weekday lunch there's a lunch menu that's good value, so how could I not go.

Which sauce for the gamtae roll?

There are three sauces for the gamtae roll at Snack Seoul. I went with perilla garlic as the staff recommended, and it was just right. Definitely dip the gamtae roll in the sauce!

• Perilla garlic (staff recommendation)
• Perilla leaf mayo
• Sriracha mayo

Cool and refreshing, and more sips of beer. Makgeolli would be good too... but I can't get too tipsy, so I held back.

Rice cake texture and spice level

The tteok at Snack Seoul are long, a bit like noodle tteokbokki, and chewy and tasty. You can adjust the spice level too. With the cheese it can get a little heavy, and I like tteokbokki spicy, so I ordered the spicy version, but it wasn't that hot and I enjoyed it.

Ate really well at Snack Seoul.

A walk around Samcheong-dong after eating

The street is so pretty, Samcheong-dong. Put your phone away for a bit and stroll around, it's a great place for a walk!

Stuffed and happy, now off to see an exhibition!