Hello!
For my summer vacation, I visited Gangneung, a beautiful coastal city on Korea’s east side, where you can enjoy views of the East Sea.
In Korea, the summer holiday season runs from July to August, so beachside destinations like Gangneung can get quite crowded, Especially on weekends! Naturally, that means popular restaurants often have long lines.
But honestly, waiting in line is part of the fun when it comes to trying famous local food and it definitely feels worth it once you take that first bite!
Today, I’d like to share two delicious dishes I tried at Gangneung Jungang Market, one of the city’s must try food spots.
🅿️ By the way, the market parking lot offers 1 hour of free parking, and it’s quite spacious, so you can park comfortably!
Gangneung Jungang Market Parking Location
First Stop: Fish Cake Croquettes
The first place I visited is known for its handmade fishcake croquettes!
They’re croquettes, but with a twist! Instead of the usual dough, these croquettes are made using eomuk, which is a type of Korean fishcake.
Eomuk is a popular Korean snack made by grinding fish meat into a paste, then shaping and cooking it usually by frying or steaming. It’s one of Korea’s most beloved street foods!
If you tell them you’re going to eat it right away, they’ll cut it into pieces for you.
It’s best enjoyed warm absolutely delicious! I highly recommend this place.
Each piece costs 3,500 won (about $2.52 USD)!
The outside is crispy, while the inside is soft and filled with rich, savory cheese.
Since it’s made with fishcake, the texture is even softer than a typical croquette—
and honestly, I think it tastes even better this way!
The cheese inside stretches nicely and adds a nutty flavor, making it the perfect snack.
In fact, I liked it so much that I came back to the market the next day just to have it again—haha!
That’s how good it was!
Gangneung Handmade Fish Cake Croquette Location
If you’re planning to visit, here’s the exact location of the stall that sells this delicious eomuk croquette!
Second Stop: Grilled Squid Sundae & Fried Shrimp
The second place I visited served squid sundae (Korean stuffed squid) and Korean-style fried shrimp!
There was quite a long line at this stall, so I had to wait about 20 to 30 minutes.
They grill the squid sundae (stuffed squid) on a hot iron plate, so it takes a bit of time but watching it cook is part of the happy!
Squid sundae is a must-try dish when you visit seaside areas in Korea. It’s made by stuffing squid with a mixture of chopped vegetables and minced meat.
On the left, you can see the yellow squid sundae, which is coated in an egg batter and cooked to a soft and savory finish.
On the right is the crispy version, grilled until golden brown for a satisfying crunch.
Both styles are delicious in their own way!
But personally, I prefer the crispy version, so I went with the grilled squid sundae!
We got everything packed up and enjoyed it back at our accommodation.
The shrimp were deep-fried with their shells on, giving them an extra crispy texture!
At first, eating shrimp with the shell might feel a bit unfamiliar but once you try it, you’ll start to love it.
Even my mom, who was hesitant at first, ended up really enjoying it!
Pro tip: the shrimp heads are actually the most delicious part!
As for the price, the squid sundae is 17,000 KRW and the shrimp tempura is 12,000 KRW.
But if you buy them together, you get a 1,000 KRW discount—so the total comes to 28,000 KRW (about $20.18 USD).
This is the perfect dish to enjoy with a cold beer!
If you ever visit Gangneung, I highly recommend trying this.
Every time I come here, this is exactly what I order and I think most Koreans would say the same!
Where I Had Squid Sundae in Gangneung
If you’re planning to visit, here’s the exact location of the stall that sells this delicious squid sundae!
Third Stop: Sashimi
And finally, we picked up some sashimi from the market as our main dish. We ordered halibut, rockfish, and squid sashimi, and the vendor told us they’d include some yellowtail as a free service, which we thought was a nice gesture at first.
But it turned out that most of what we received was yellowtail, and the halibut and rockfish we really wanted were given in very small portions. It was honestly very disappointing.
On top of that, the sashimi tasted quite fishy, likely because the blood wasn’t properly drained from the fish.
If it had been good, I would’ve loved to share the shop’s location with you—but since we were so let down, I’ll just share some photos instead. 😢
In fact, I think the sashimi restaurants in Seoul are far better. At beachside tourist areas during peak season, sashimi tends to be very overpriced and not worth it.
If you’re craving fresh sashimi, I highly recommend trying one of the many excellent places in Seoul instead I might write a post about that next time!
Anyway! If you ever visit Gangneung, don’t miss the handmade fishcake croquettes and the grilled squid sundae.
They’re truly must-try local specialties I absolutely recommend!
Thanks so much for reading this long post, and I’ll see you in the next one! 😊
The next post is about the place I stayed at in Gangneung.
Feel free to stop by if you’re curious!
핑백: Do you like Korean galbi? Then you’ll love this savory galbi hot pot! – Hey Jin Korea