We stayed in Myeongdong during our five-week South Korea trip. Food and the shopping streets were a big part of our time in Seoul, so this is where I would start a street-food evening with a family.
These are five recommended foods to look for, chosen for variety and for the way they fit into a short walk between shops. It is a food shortlist, rather than a ranking of individual vendors or a claim that we tasted every version. Stalls move, menus change and the best choice on the evening is something freshly prepared that your family wants to eat.
One of the foods I enjoyed in Seoul
The cover photograph is from our trip: a tray of crisp fried rolls, with prawn tails visible at the ends, on foil with a wooden pick. This was one of the foods I enjoyed eating in Seoul. I have kept the description to what is in the photograph rather than attach a dish name or a stall address I cannot confirm.
The five foods below are a separate shortlist for an evening around Myeongdong.
1. Hotteok — a sweet pancake
Hotteok is a griddled pancake with a sweet filling, commonly sugar and cinnamon, sometimes with nuts or seeds. The centre can be much hotter than the outside.
This would be my first sweet choice for a family food walk. Order one, let it cool, and divide it before deciding whether to buy more. Ask about the filling when allergies matter; a plain-looking pancake can contain nuts. I would save it for a pause in the walk, rather than pass a hot, syrup-filled pancake between people in a crowd.
Look for: a vendor cooking a fresh batch. Ask whether the filling is sweet or savoury, because hotteok has variations.
2. Dak-kkochi — grilled chicken skewers
Chicken pieces are threaded on a skewer and grilled, often with a glaze. Sauce is the question to settle before ordering: a bright coating may be spicy, and different vendors offer different versions.
This is a useful savoury stop if the children have started asking for dinner while the adults are still browsing. Ask for a mild option if one is available. Take the pieces off the sharp skewer for younger children and find somewhere out of the pedestrian flow to eat.
Look for: chicken cooked through and served hot. Check the displayed price and sauce choice before the vendor starts the order.
3. Tteokbokki — rice cakes in a spicy sauce
Tteokbokki is made with chewy rice cakes, commonly in a red chilli sauce. Some versions include fish cakes, eggs or other additions. It is the choice on this list for someone who actually wants chilli, rather than something I would automatically order for every child.
I would start with a small portion and keep a milder option alongside it. The sauce and rice cakes are both hot when served, and the chew is part of the dish. Take time over it instead of trying to eat while keeping up with the shopping crowd.
Look for: a clear menu and a portion size that suits your group. Ask about ingredients and heat. Visit Seoul also lists Myeonghwadang on Myeongdong 4-gil for tteokbokki if you prefer a seated snack-shop stop; check current opening details first.
4. A cheese corn dog — check what is inside
A Korean-style corn dog has a fried batter coating; the filling may be cheese, sausage or a combination. Coatings and sauces vary, and some are finished with sugar.
For a family, the important part is choosing the filling deliberately. A child expecting cheese may get sausage in the same snack, and a sugar coating is worth asking about before it goes on. Let the cheese cool and help younger children with the stick. This is filling enough that I would order one before committing to another round of snacks.
Look for: the filling options on the board. Ask for the sauce and sugar you want, rather than assuming every vendor prepares it the same way.
5. Tornado potato — a spiral potato on a stick
A potato is spiral-cut, stretched along a skewer and fried, then seasoned. It is a straightforward savoury choice to place beside the sweeter foods on the list.
I would choose this when the group wants something familiar between other tastes. The long stick can be awkward in a busy street, so stop to eat it. Check the seasoning if anyone wants plain potato; powdered toppings can contain dairy or other ingredients.
Look for: a freshly fried potato and a seasoning you recognise. It is a snack to share, rather than the whole family dinner.
A simple walk around Myeongdong
Start in the shopping streets around Myeongdong-gil and Myeongdong 8-gil, then explore the intersecting lanes. Myeongdong Station on Line 4 and Euljiro 1-ga on Line 2 serve different sides of the district. Choose the station that suits your accommodation and route; an exit with a lift is more useful with a stroller than the shortest stairway.
I would go in the late afternoon or early evening and see which stalls are operating. There is no need to promise children a particular cart at an exact time. The streets are also used by shoppers, deliveries and people going to restaurants, so keep the food stops short and step aside before eating.
For the food order, choose one savoury snack first, browse a little, then decide whether you want another savoury option or a hotteok. Families do not need to finish all five in one evening. Staying in Myeongdong, as we did, makes it easier to spread the choices over several outings.
Money, meals and children
- Read the price before ordering. Prices and portion sizes differ between stalls; no fixed snack price in this guide is a promise about what you will pay.
- Carry some Korean won. Check the vendor's accepted payment methods rather than assuming every cart takes your card.
- Ask about the actual ingredients. Sauces, batter and fillings can include ingredients that are not obvious from the name.
- Keep space for a seated meal. Snacks are enjoyable, but a family may still want dinner, water and a rest.
- Choose for the people eating. A mild skewer or potato can be a better order than a chilli dish bought just because it appears on a list.
For the full trip, read our five-week South Korea journal. For a shorter stay, start with the one-week Seoul family itinerary.
Sources checked in October 2026: Visit Seoul on Myeongdong's food streets and station access, Korea.net's street-food overview and Visit Seoul's Myeonghwadang listing. The order and family approach are our suggested way to plan a visit.
