What to Eat in Gwangju: Tteokgalbi, Usamtang and Acorn-Jelly Japchae

Choose your meal around the part of Gwangju you plan to visit. Near Gwangju Songjeong Station, try tteokgalbi or usamtang. For a day around the Asia Culture Center and Dongmyeong-dong, consider acorn-jelly japchae.

All three restaurants appear in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Century Shops register. This is not a ranking: it is a practical way to fit long-running restaurants into a travel day.

Where to eat and what to order

Hyeongje Songjeong — tteokgalbi
A convenient choice near Gwangju Songjeong Station when you want a full tteokgalbi meal.
Jeonnam Sikdang — usamtang
Come here for a hot bowl of usamtang in Songjeong-dong.
Hwangtogil — acorn-jelly japchae
It fits a city-centre day around the Asia Culture Center. You can also order assorted jeon and traditional alcohol.

Menus and locations

Restaurant	Area	Main dish	Checked price
Hyeongje Songjeong	Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu	Tteokgalbi	18,000 won
Jeonnam Sikdang	Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu	Usamtang	27,000 won
Hwangtogil	Dongmyeong-dong, Dong-gu	Acorn-jelly japchae	20,000 won

Hyeongje Songjeong and Jeonnam Sikdang are around Songjeong Tteokgalbi Street, one of the food streets introduced by Gwangju Tourism. They are close enough that this is a choice between tteokgalbi and soup, not a reason to schedule two full meals.

Hwangtogil is in the city-centre neighbourhood of Dongmyeong-dong. It works well after a visit to the Asia Culture Center, but not as part of a Songjeong Station food stop.

Restaurants in this article

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)

Check the hours before visiting

We could not confirm opening hours for these restaurants from the official sources. Prices may also change, so contact the restaurant before visiting.

The photographs show the parts of Gwangju discussed in this guide. They were not taken at the three restaurants.

If you only have time for one meal

If you are using the KTX at Gwangju Songjeong Station, choose between Hyeongje Songjeong's tteokgalbi and Jeonnam Sikdang's usamtang. For a day around the Asia Culture Center and Dongmyeong-dong, Hwangtogil is the easier fit.

Frequently asked questions

What should I eat near Gwangju Songjeong Station?

Choose Hyeongje Songjeong for tteokgalbi or Jeonnam Sikdang for a hot bowl of usamtang. They are in the same part of Songjeong-dong, so the dish is the useful deciding factor.

Which restaurant fits a city-centre sightseeing day?

Hwangtogil is in Dongmyeong-dong and fits a visit to the Asia Culture Center. Treat the Songjeong Station restaurants as a separate area.

What are the opening hours?

The official sources do not provide confirmed opening hours. Contact the restaurant before visiting.

Why are these three restaurants included?

All three appear in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Century Shops register. They are included to compare dishes and locations, not as a ranking of Gwangju restaurants.