How to get Foreign Food in Korea

Nice Market: the top choice for expat food in South Korea

The best choice for Top-Quality cheese and deli meats in Korea

The Nice Market

The fabulous Nice Market should be your first choice when trying to find those foreign goods that you want. They have it all, quite literally. And if they don't, just put in a request and they might be able to get it for you. It comes delivered to your door for a small fee. I've ordered numerous times and have never been disappointed.

Recently they've expanded their offerings and now have some clothes, entertainment things, games and sporting/leisure goods. It's very impressive!

Itaewon's High Street Market

The best choice for deli meat and specialty meat

I've heard so many good things about this new place for foreign food in Itaewon that I'll have to check it out soon. Here are some of the early reviews:

Itaewon Deli

And, a review from Chris in South Korea of High Street Market as well.

This sounds like the new place to go in Seoul for your meat, cheese and bread.

Namdaemun Market: an impressive selection of import goods

Namdaemun Market in central Seoul has a few markets with a good selection of import goods. It's especially impressive for hard to find alcohols. You can stop at any of the tourist information booths around the area and ask for directions from the helpful English-speaking staff, or follow the ones below:

Directions:

1.Daedo Jonghap Market) Exit Hoeyhyeon Stn. (line 4, ex. 6) and turn right, heading into the market. Daedo Market is an orange building about 150m down on the right side.

2.An easy to find import vendor can be found if you enter the market from Gate 1, which would be the gate right by Namdaemun Gate. Walk straight into the market and you'll see 2-3 vendors on the right side.

Little Manila

Every Sunday from late morning-late afternoon there is an amazing Philippine Market near Hyewha Station (go out Exit 1, and walk straight to the Rotary). There is plenty of import food to buy, and delicious Philippine food to sample while you're there. It's definitely worth a trip to experience another culture, all without leaving Korea.

The Foreign Food Market in Itaewon

Anything and everything expat food can be found here, including fresh cilantro!

This seems to be the best choice for those who like browsing. While expensive, I've never left this place empty-handed of what I was looking for in the dry goods realm. Most impressive!

Directions? Walk down the main street on Itaewon and turn right at the fire station. Keep walking past the King Club and on your left you will find Foreign Food Mart. TEL: (02) 793-0082

Dandy's at Hangangjin Station

This place has a full deli and random, hard-to-find items. They are near Itaewon, but you can get there from Hangangjin Station, Exit 2.

Go straight and cross the footbridge to the other side of the intersection. Look for the Volvo building and the giant bowling pin. It's hidden in the basement.

Haddon Supermarket

Haddon Supermarket is not that easy to get but they have a better selection than the other foreign markets in Itaewon.

To get there, take the subway to Oksu station (line 3 and the Jungang line) and go out exit 4. Take Maeul bus 09 three stops or so to the Okjeong Middle school/GS Gas Station stop (okjeong junghakgyo/GS juyuso, %uC625%uC815 %uC911%uD559%uAD50/GS %uC8FC%uC720%uC11C). The stop is just after the bus gets to the top of the hill and turns right. Get off the bus and turn right (go back in the opposite direction the bus goes after it turns right). Cross the street the bus just came up and walk 100 meters or so up the street. The supermarket is on the left in the basement of the Hannam Heights apt. complex. No real sign outside, so you have to poke around to find the entrance. Phone number is 02 794 0511. Good English spoken at the store. They're open 8:30 AM to 9 PM 365 days a year.

Gmarket

South Korea's Amazon

I love Cookie

Baking in South Korea

If you're a baker, your first step should be to get an oven. You can buy them from the Nice Market Korea or Gmarket.

Your next step should be to check out the most impressive site I Love Cookie. While it does require a bit of Korean Language Skills, it's easy enough to navigate. You can find anything and everything for all your baking needs in South Korea.

Songtan black markets

For those south of Seoul in the market for all things American Food and Liquor

If you're looking for goods fresh off the US military base at a reasonable price, Songtan should be your first stop. It's South of Seoul on Line 1. They have an extensive selection of cheap liquor, processed meats and cheeses, junk foods, cleaning products and beauty supplies. Anything and everything actually!

Directions:

Take the subway to Songtan Station. Take a quick taxi ride to the "main gate" Walk away from the main gate down the main street. Cut into the side streets on your right, across from Mcdonalds. Search around in all the side streets, as there are many Grey Market Shops

Ansan Station: get your Foreign Food in South Korea

Ansan Station, on Seoul subway line 4, is packed with multicultural food shops and supermarkets. You'll wonder if you're in South-East Asia, or Korea. Come with an empty stomach to check out the eats and an empty backpack to fill up with everything foreign food. To get there, just take the underpass to the "Multicultural Street" and the world is your oyster. There are some helpful maps on the street to assist you in finding what you're looking for.

Costco: everything processed food in South Korea!

This is the ultimate in Western goodness to be found in Korea! Cheese, meat, alcohol, snack foods, avocados and tortillas. Costco seems to have it all, as well as a most delicious slice of pizza from the cafeteria. The only downside is that you'll have to buy a membership, which is 35 000 Won. And, they only have stores in certain places: Daejeon, Seoul, Daegu, Ilsan and Busan.

Check their website for more information.

Costco in Korea

Emart/Homeplus/Lotte Mart

If you live in a town of any considerable size, you'll probably have all three of these. These places do indeed have some Western goods, but it's just a matter of finding them. Walk down every aisle and make a mental note of what they carry and where you can find it. Do the same at the other stores. And if there's a dry good that you love, that is a rare find, buy it all because stuff at these stores is often here today and gone tomorrow. I've found: cheese, bagels and cream cheese, sausage, spices, tabasco sauce, tortillas, cilantro, USA pasta sauce, nacho chips, etc, etc, etc.

EZ Shop Korea

Costco Food delivered to your door

Itaewon: Maharaba Market

This place is near the Foreign Food Market in Itaewon and carries similar products. I like to shop here though because they're friendlier and the prices are often 1000-2000 Won cheaper.

Directions from Itaewon Station, Exit 3:

Walk straight and take a right at Dunkin' Donuts. Go up the hill. Go past the Foreign Food Market and take a left at the next street and you'll see it.

The Local "Foreign Food" Market

In almost every medium or large town in Korea, there is a foreign food market of some sort. The name is often "Asia Mart" or "World Food." They're most often located around train stations or bus terminals. They cater to migrant workers from other parts of Asia. However, there are usually some nice finds at these places.

For example, they often have a nice selection of import beer at reasonable prices. My favorite is Beer Laos. They'll also have dried beans, cilantro, oatmeal and Lipton Tea.

Just keep your eyes open next time you're out and about in your town.

Make your own bread, yogurt and beer

Since I've come to Korea, I've started making all these things. It's actually quite simple to do once you have the right set-up.

Beer: we call know that Cass and Hite are not delicious, and in fact downright nasty. It almost makes me shudder to actually drink them. Homebrew Korea is a wealth of information, as well as
Homebrewing in South Korea.

Bread: it's very simple to make bread if you have a bread machine. You can order one online from Gmarket, or the Nice Deli. Look online for some recipes and you're on your way to delicious bread! I get specialty flours and grains online from the Nice Deli.

Yogurt: it's also one of those things that is so simple to make if you have a machine. Just add milk and a bit of yogurt to get the bacteria going. Leave overnight in the machine and wake up in the morning to delicious, home-style yogurt. Mmmm.