Gwangju Food Guide: Tteokgalbi, Usamtang and Acorn-Jelly Japchae

Start with the part of Gwangju already on your itinerary. Songjeong-dong is the practical choice for a meal around Gwangju Songjeong Station, while Dongmyeong-dong fits a day centred on the Asia Culture Center. The area then narrows the menu to tteokgalbi, usamtang or acorn-jelly japchae.

All three restaurants appear in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Century Shops register. The designation is a sign of business longevity, not a restaurant ranking, so use the dishes and locations below to decide which one fits your trip.

Choose by area and dish

Hyeongje Songjeong — tteokgalbi
Choose this Songjeong-dong stop when a grilled tteokgalbi meal is the priority.
Jeonnam Sikdang — usamtang
Choose this nearby alternative when you would rather have a hot bowl of usamtang.
Hwangtogil — acorn-jelly japchae
Choose this Dongmyeong-dong stop for a city-centre meal around the Asia Culture Center.

Choose the area before the restaurant

Restaurant	Area	Dish to choose it for	Best fit
Hyeongje Songjeong	Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu	Tteokgalbi	A meal around Gwangju Songjeong Station
Jeonnam Sikdang	Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu	Usamtang	A soup meal around Gwangju Songjeong Station
Hwangtogil	Dongmyeong-dong, Dong-gu	Acorn-jelly japchae	A day around the Asia Culture Center

Hyeongje Songjeong and Jeonnam Sikdang are in the Songjeong Tteokgalbi Street area, which Gwangju Tourism lists among the city's food streets. Treat them as alternatives for one Songjeong meal: pick tteokgalbi for a grilled-meat meal or usamtang when soup sounds better.

Hwangtogil belongs to a different sightseeing zone in Dongmyeong-dong. It is the more natural choice when the Asia Culture Center and the surrounding city centre are already part of the day.

The two zones are in different parts of the city. Gwangsan-gu is Gwangju’s westernmost district and holds both Gwangju Songjeong Station and the city’s airport, so the Songjeong pair suits a meal on the day you arrive or leave. Dong-gu is the old centre, taking in Chungjang-ro, Geumnam-ro and the hanok streets of Dongmyeong-dong, which is where Hwangtogil fits. For the Line 1 route from Gwangju Airport towards central Gwangju, see the guide to reaching the city from Gwangju Airport.

What each restaurant serves, and what it costs

Hyeongje Songjeong is in the tteokgalbi alley by Gwangju Songjeong Station. Its Century Shop citation records that the present owner took the shop over from their mother, who founded it. Tteokgalbi here means grilled patties of minced short rib. Gwangju Tourism introduces ppyeotguk, a bone soup, as a local speciality of Songjeong Tteokgalbi Street, where Hyeongje Songjeong is located.

Jeonnam Sikdang serves usamtang, a beef soup. Its Century Shop citation describes the dish as a court preparation once served as jokpyeon that later became a soup. Its Naver Place menu (checked 29 August 2026) listed usamtang at 27,000 won, with a special usamtang and an oxtail version (kkori-samtang) at 29,000 won. Jeonnam Sikdang offers soup, while Hyeongje Songjeong offers tteokgalbi, so choose by the type of meal you want.

Hwangtogil is on the hanok street of Dongmyeong-dong. According to its Century Shop citation, it began as a tea house in a restored ninety-year-old hanok and now serves regional dishes and traditional liquor. Acorn-jelly japchae is acorn jelly tossed with vegetables. On its Naver Place menu (checked 29 August 2026) it was 20,000 won, alongside a mixed jeon platter (modeum-jeon) at 28,000 won, makgeolli at 4,000 won and munbaeju at 30,000 won. With shared plates and drinks on the menu, it suits a relaxed meal for two or more better than a quick solo lunch.

Restaurant	Road address	Dish in this guide	Menu price
Hyeongje Songjeong	3 Gwangsan-ro 29-beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu	Tteokgalbi	Dine-in price not confirmed
Jeonnam Sikdang	66 Gwangsan-ro, Gwangsan-gu	Usamtang	27,000 won
Hwangtogil	5-1 Dongmyeong-ro 26-beon-gil, Dong-gu	Acorn-jelly japchae	20,000 won

Addresses are from the Century Shop register. The prices in the table were checked on 29 August 2026. Hyeongje Songjeong is listed without a price because only a delivery-platform menu could be confirmed.

Restaurants in this guide

The former South Jeolla provincial hall inside the Asia Culture Center. Hwangtogil is in this city-centre area

LERK (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recheck current details before visiting

Neither the Century Shop register nor the menu listings used here give opening hours or closing days for these three restaurants, and menus and prices can change. Use the linked official resources to choose, then check the restaurant's latest listing or official contact channel shortly before you go, particularly for break times and last orders.

The photographs provide context for the Gwangju areas discussed here; they are not photographs of the three restaurants or their food.

If you only have time for one meal

Near Gwangju Songjeong Station, make the decision by appetite: tteokgalbi at Hyeongje Songjeong or usamtang at Jeonnam Sikdang. Around the Asia Culture Center and Dongmyeong-dong, Hwangtogil avoids crossing the city for a meal.

Frequently asked questions

What should I eat near Gwangju Songjeong Station?

Choose Hyeongje Songjeong for tteokgalbi or Jeonnam Sikdang for usamtang. Both fit the same Songjeong-dong portion of a trip, so the dish is the useful deciding factor.

Which restaurant fits a city-centre sightseeing day?

Hwangtogil is the Dongmyeong-dong option and fits a day around the Asia Culture Center. Keep the Songjeong restaurants for a station-side itinerary.

Can I visit all three restaurants in one day?

There is usually no need. Hyeongje Songjeong and Jeonnam Sikdang are alternatives for one Songjeong meal, while Hwangtogil belongs to a separate Dongmyeong-dong route.

What should I confirm before visiting?

Check the latest opening day, break time, last order, menu and price through the restaurant's current listing or official contact channel.