I mention mostly electronics hardware, software and services here but a man or woman has to eat, an in a common Korean proverb : we all do this to eat (thus live). and while it doesn’t seem like there ain’t much places to eat in THE electronics district in all of the Korean Peninsula : YongSan Electronics Market, a few gems can be found by asking those who work there every day, or venturing around yourself 😉
ofcourse the easiest is to choose among on the higher restaurant floors of the two department store-like consumer buildings in the now-old JeonJa (Electronics) Land or mammoth iPark Mall . Hey, did I mention one of the two Hooters in Korea is located here ?! mid-way between the two buildings mentioned, at under-ground level of (former bus) Terminal Sanga (market). it has its own separate entrance at the East-side of the building . matter-of-fact : many small restaurants in the rear alleys around the area adhere to delivering to people working here . and they got to taste good to survive among much competition, especially to those in physical labour for much man-power is needed to move all the good bought AND sold here .
one such place which does have a brick-and-motor store-front however humble for customers to sit down and dine (but Lunch is the main business here in a business district) is behind the latest building at the East entrance of YongSan Electronics Market – a lone high building that stands-out because it shouts “Modern” just at the beginning of the over-pass that leads East to SEOUL KTX Train Staion and the downtown of the Capital . iPia is full of businesses on its lower floors which are more like office buildings, compared to ones that look like mere market booths on other buildings here . it is just out-side thus shown, the map on my YongSan Electronics Market Page on top menu : at the right-end on the main road .
the tiny restaurant is first of the many small (3~5 stories high) buildings right behind iPia – an unexpected location since this is smack in the middle of the three building that comprice YongSan’s main computer parts triangle ! Yes I found it when I was worn-out walking through Seon-in SangGa looking for peripherals .. as you can notice you recognize the other computer bill-boards than the restaurant sign up front . and because their main business is delivery : a miniscule seating space of four tables, and everyone is busy moving or making something – usually such a small restaurant would have a single cook or with a server at best .
on the menu they have varied mix rice, stew and a couple of cold noodles for W5,000 ~ 7,000 that is USD $4~6 – average price for a small Korean restaurant in any local neighborhood that is not a franchise . seaweed rice type chains commonly found are W1,000 cheaper than this but do not come with the many side-dishes .
at most medium Korean restaurants they grill the main dish for you and bring it in a dish if you are dining alone, but here mainly because a single customer can come any time at break from hectic work : they burn it in front of you as the Base-Camp Stew on the last photo above, while the first is grilled squid . Base-Camp Stew rightfully called BuDae ChiGae is borne from the ashes of the Korean War, as it is anything crumbled from food cans from a US Military Base and/or left-overs, thus you notice the ham and beans and again throw a bunch of kimchi . come here off-hours between 2 and 5pm and you can have this small restaurant all to yourself with a nice small pot boiling in front of you .. a joyous Koreana moment before you return to the iT information technology trenches right beside 😉
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– yum, yummy moo Korea Tech BLog –