Back to Busan: 12 Food Spots & a Hotel to Bookmark

Another trip to Busan? Let lunch choose the neighborhood. A bowl of pork soup in Haeundae, grilled eel in Namcheon, a no-frills red-bean ice in Yongho-dong: the city gives you plenty of reasons to come back hungry.

This Busan food guide brings together 12 places to eat and one hotel to consider for a return trip. The idea is to make a useful shortlist, with the Korean names, what to order and a route that leaves time for the sea. Pick a few favorites. Twelve stops are too many for one weekend.

This guide draws on Dudely’s Busan food-trip video and independent venue research. It is an editorial shortlist, not a claim that every meal or hotel stay described here was personally experienced. Photos are credited individually.

Where to eat in Busan: the quick picks

Save the Korean restaurant names as well as the map links. Romanizations vary, and several names have lookalikes. The Google Maps links below are searches: check the address and branch before setting off.

Haeundae: five food stops to mix and match

Keep the first day around Haeundae, Mipo and Dongbaek. One soup meal, one grill dinner and a shared snack make a more comfortable plan than working through all five restaurants.

1. Geodae Dwaeji Gukbap — a pork-soup starting point

Busan’s pork-and-rice soup is an easy place to begin. At Geodae, look for jinhan dwaeji gomtang, the rich pork-broth option shown in the video. Dumplings are another option to check on the menu; availability can vary.

Taste the broth before adding condiments, then season a little at a time. This is a full meal, so leave the next food stop for later. Geodae also has a MICHELIN Guide listing for venue details.

2. Sok Ssiwonhan Daegutang — cod soup, then Mipo

Save the Mipo main branch, rather than choosing a similarly named listing. Cod soup puts you near the eastern end of Haeundae Beach, making this a sensible anchor for a morning around Mipo.

The source meal includes cod soup and fried cod. The fried pieces contain bones, so eat carefully; they are not boneless fish nuggets. If spicy food is a concern, ask how the soup’s seasoning is served. Continue along the waterfront afterward, or check separate reservations if adding a Blueline Park ride.

3. Ppalgan Tteokbokki — a snack worth making space for

Chewy rice cakes in red sauce are a good change of pace between soup and barbecue. At Ppalgan, keep the order snack-sized if dinner is already planned; tteokbokki is more filling than it looks.

The video shows takeaway tteokbokki and fish cakes. That makes a shared order an easy option for two people. Check where you can eat before buying, and keep the beach and public spaces tidy if taking food away.

4. Matchandeul Wang Sogeum Gui — leave dinner to the grill

The Haeundae branch is the pork-barbecue stop on this list. The filmed meal includes staff grilling the meat, which can make ordering barbecue feel less daunting for visitors.

Look for pork belly, pork neck or skin-on pork belly, depending on the current menu. Check the weight per serving and minimum number of portions before ordering. Solo diners should confirm the table minimum, while two people can make this the evening’s main meal and keep lunch lighter.

5. Gawon Gimbap — the flexible Dongbaek stop

Gawon’s dasima gimbap, made with kelp, gives the familiar rice roll a different direction. The version described in the video also contains seasoned dried squid, so the kelp name does not make it a vegetarian choice.

Keep this stop flexible: a takeaway lunch, a smaller meal before a waterfront walk, or something for a day when the schedule changes. The shop is in the Gyeongnam Marina shopping area, so look for the storefront rather than a freestanding restaurant building.

Gwangalli and Namcheon: three different seafood meals

Choose one substantial seafood meal for this part of the trip. Cutlassfish, clam soup and grilled eel offer very different experiences, and all three can be ordered cooked.

6. Eunhae Galchi — choose the fish, not just the biggest portion

Galchi (cutlassfish) can contain many small bones. Eat slowly and remove the bones carefully before taking a bite.

Galchi is cutlassfish, served grilled or braised. Eunhae is a premium fish stop, so ask about size, the price per person and the minimum order before committing. Its Catchtable listing is useful for checking the menu.

Dudely’s comparison makes one helpful point: the largest size was not his preferred choice on that visit. Use that as a reason to compare options, rather than assuming a bigger fish always gives better value. Allow time for a leisurely lunch and a walk toward Gwangalli afterward.

7. Halmae Jaecheopguk — a clam-soup break

The clam broth has a distinctive aroma that may not be for everyone. In Korea, jaecheopguk is often eaten for haejang—a comforting morning-after meal following a night of drinking.

Jaecheopguk is a soup made with small freshwater clams. Save the full name, 할매재첩국 부산본점, to distinguish this Gwangalli address from similarly named restaurants.

The filmed menu includes a richer clam-soup option, jaecheop jinguk. Check the difference between that and a set meal when ordering. This is a useful alternative to pork soup, although it still contains shellfish. Put it on another morning rather than stacking several soup meals into the same afternoon.

8. Go-ok — make time for hitsumabushi

Eel can still contain fine bones even after preparation. If that texture bothers you, it is perfectly reasonable to skip this dish and choose a different meal.

In Korea and Japan, eel is traditionally enjoyed as a nourishing “stamina food,” especially in summer.

Another eel option nearby: Donggyeong Bapsang (Tokyo Babsang) is a MICHELIN-listed alternative in the Namcheon–Gwangalli area, serving unaju and hitsumabushi. Find it at 34-6 Namcheonbada-ro, Suyeong-gu. Find Donggyeong Bapsang on Google Maps.

Go-ok serves charcoal-grilled eel over rice in the style of hitsumabushi. The point is to change the way you eat the bowl: try some eel and rice on their own, then experiment with the condiments and broth provided. Follow the restaurant’s serving instructions.

Choose a portion size that suits your appetite and let this be the main meal. Visit Busan notes that service can end when the eel sells out, so check availability before travelling over.

Yongho-dong: seafood, then red-bean ice

9. Gwanggwang Susan Hoetjip — a course built around the day’s fish

Gwanggwang Susan is in the Yongho market area, on the second floor at the address below. This gives it a practical pairing with the red-bean dessert stop nearby.

For a raw-fish course, ask what species are available, how the price is calculated and which sides are included. Seasonal fish in a video are not a promise of the same selection today. If you prefer cooked seafood, make Eunhae or Go-ok your main meal instead and come to Yongho-dong for dessert.

10. Yongho-dong Halmae Patbingsu Danpatjuk — keep dessert simple

This long-running red-bean specialist is about an uncomplicated finish: shaved ice with sweet red beans, or warm red-bean porridge. The full name is 용호동할매팥빙수단팥죽 본점.

Choose patbingsu for a cold dessert and danpatjuk when a warm bowl sounds better. It is an easy second stop after a meal in Yongho-dong, with no need to build another large restaurant booking into the day.

A Gijang option for another coastal day

11. Gijang Gukbo Miyeok — seaweed soup beyond Haeundae

Gijang Gukbo Miyeok puts seaweed soup at the center of the meal. The video’s recalled visit features flounder seaweed soup, while the Korea Tourism Organization lists the main branch at Gongsu 1-gil.

The address here is that listed main branch; the video chapter alone does not establish which branch was filmed. Treat it as an option for a separate Gijang outing, and check the branch when planning. A dedicated coastal half-day gives the journey more purpose than travelling out just to tick off a bowl of soup.

Keep one meal for Busan’s old town

12. Gimhae Sikdang — monkfish near Jagalchi

The name can be misleading: this Gimhae Sikdang is in Busan, near Jagalchi, not in Gimhae city. Visit Busan highlights its monkfish dishes.

The source video focuses on steamed fresh monkfish, saeng agu suyuk, including parts beyond the familiar fillet. Ask what comes in the serving if you have a preference about liver or other parts. Pair the meal with Jagalchi and Nampo rather than making a return trip across the city from Haeundae for lunch alone.

Park Hyatt Busan: book the view you actually want

Park Hyatt Busan is at 51 Marine City 1-ro. Its setting works for a trip built around the waterfront, but Marine City is a distinct base: Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach still require an outing. Budget for transport rather than expecting every saved restaurant to be just downstairs.

The most useful distinction in the video is between a marina-facing room and a Gwangan Bridge view. The filmed rooms look toward the marina; the bridge scene discussed at the gym should not be mistaken for their bedroom view.

Compare room details on Hyatt’s official site and check The Lounge’s current menu for dessert. If the neighborhood is still undecided, start with our guide to where to stay in Busan.

Find Park Hyatt Busan on Google Maps · Source scenes: suite, 05:50 · deluxe room, 07:08 · pool, 07:39.

A two-day Busan food route without the rush

Day one — Haeundae and Mipo. Choose Geodae or cod soup for the main daytime meal. Leave a generous stretch for the coast, then make Matchandeul dinner. Gawon or Ppalgan can replace a larger meal or become a shared snack; they do not all need to fit.

Day two — Gwangalli and Namcheon. Anchor the day with Eunhae or Go-ok, and spend the rest of the time around the waterfront. Clam soup is an alternative meal, not an obligatory extra stop. Add Yongho-dong only if there is enough time and appetite; seafood followed by red-bean ice is a separate pairing.

Have another day? Choose Gijang for a coastal outing or Jagalchi and Nampo for an old-town day. Keeping these as separate areas saves repeated cross-city journeys.

Before you go

Check current opening hours, breaks, sold-out notices, menus and order minimums in a Korean map app or with the venue. Old video prices are not live quotes. Save one nearby backup and keep enough room in the day to stay by the sea a little longer.

Busan food guide FAQ

What should I eat on a return trip to Busan?

Start with pork soup if it is still on your list, then branch out by neighborhood: cod soup in Mipo, clam soup near Gwangalli, grilled eel in Namcheon, or monkfish around Jagalchi. A return trip is a good chance to spend longer in fewer areas.

Can I visit all 12 places in two days?

That would mean too much eating and transferring between neighborhoods. Choose four main meals and a few optional snacks for a two-day trip. Keep the rest bookmarked for another visit.

Which stops work better for solo dining?

Individual soup bowls, gimbap and dessert are useful starting points. Confirm portion minimums at barbecue, fish-course and cutlassfish restaurants before sitting down. A dish being served individually does not guarantee a no-minimum policy.

Is Park Hyatt Busan directly on Haeundae Beach?

It is in Marine City. Check the route to the beach and to your restaurants before choosing it as a base, and confirm the view attached to the specific room category.

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Sources: The shortlist and chapter links are based on 더들리 (Dudely), “먹으러 간 부산 여행. 후회없는 맛집 12곳과 호텔 숙박기”, including its Korean captions. The video includes recollections of earlier visits; these are not presented as a single current trip. Its later Gyeongju stops are outside this guide. Venue details were cross-checked with Visit Busan, Korea Tourism Organization, MICHELIN, Hyatt, Catchtable and local listings. Research reviewed October 2026. Restaurant operations and menus can change. Image credits appear beside each photo; video stills are credited to Dudely. Chapter ranges identify source sections rather than exact capture times. Color or clarity adjustments are noted in the relevant credits.