Best Bindaetteok in Seoul: where to eat it and how

What is Bindaetteok?

Bindaetteok is a pancake of freshly ground mung beans mixed with bean sprouts, kimchi and pork, fried in plenty of oil until the outside is crunchy. At Gwangjang Market you can watch the beans being ground in stone mills and the pancakes frying in front of the stalls.

What does Bindaetteok taste like?

Crunchy outside, soft and nutty inside, savoury rather than sweet. The soy-vinegar dip with onion cuts the richness.

How do you eat Bindaetteok?

Tear or cut it with chopsticks, dip in the soy sauce with onion, and drink makgeolli (rice wine) alongside. Gogi-wanja (meat patties) and yukhoe (raw beef) are the usual market companions.

Where can I eat Bindaetteok in Seoul?

Gwangjang Market's food alley, and old drinking houses in Jongno's Pimatgol alleys.

Good to know

• ●One pancake is big enough to share between two.
• ●Rainy days are pancake days — expect busy stalls.
• ●Makgeolli comes in bottles or bowls; it is mild and slightly sweet.