I went to Gwangjang Market in Jongno with my wife for a simple weekend date and we ended up doing a full food + shopping course. Sharing the spots we actually tried and what was honestly good (and what was just so-so).
đź“Ť Location
All places are inside or right next to Gwangjang Market in Jongno, central Seoul.
– Gwangjang Market Glutinous Rice Twisted Donuts
– Ganggane Tteokbokki
– 365 Iljang (souvenir shop)
– Garlic Boy
– OFF BEAUTY Gwangjang branch
⏰ Opening Hours
– Gwangjang Market Glutinous Rice Twisted Donuts: around 10:00–22:00 (pretty long hours)
âś” Payment & Notes
– Donut shop: cash, bank transfer, and cards all possible
– Ganggane Tteokbokki: clear price board, no random overcharging vibe
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Gwangjang Market Glutinous Rice Twisted Donuts
This place is literally right at the entrance of Gwangjang Market, and you’ll see it right away because there’s always a line of tourists and locals.
I always used to walk past because the line looked annoying, but this time we decided to try. Turned out the line moved super fast – we waited maybe 5 minutes. They’re constantly rolling and frying the dough on the spot so it never piles up.
Prices are crazy cheap for Seoul:
– Plain twisted donut / black rice donut: 1,000 won
– Red bean donut / sweet potato glutinous rice donut: 1,500 won
I got the glutinous rice twisted donut, my wife got the sweet potato glutinous rice donut.
The twisted donut came out piping hot, super chewy with a light cinnamon base flavor. This is the kind of thing you take one bite and go “ah okay, now I get why people line up.” My wife’s sweet potato donut was nutty and not too sweet, kind of comforting snack style.
Honestly for this price, it’s a must-try spot if you’re at Gwangjang. Even just one donut each as a warm-up snack before you explore the market is perfect.
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Ganggane Tteokbokki (Radish Tteokbokki)
Ganggane is literally right next door to the donut stall, so you can just slide over. Two famous places side by side, very convenient.
What I liked right away: all prices are clearly written. Gwangjang Market sometimes gets bad press for overcharging tourists, so seeing proper price boards makes you relax a bit, whether you’re Korean or visiting from abroad.
They even sell their sauce separately (15,000 won per 1kg) so you can take it home.
The special thing here: there are thin strips of radish inside the tteokbokki. I’m Korean and even I’ve never had tteokbokki like this.
We ordered one tteokbokki and a skewer of soondae (blood sausage). Total was 8,000 won. Inside the shop there’s a small standing area where you can eat quickly and move on.
The sauce is the main character here. Spicy, tangy, and sweet all at once, but nicely balanced. With the crunchy radish in there, it feels lighter than usual street tteokbokki and kind of addictive. I kept thinking, “this sauce with fried food would be perfect.” Next time I’ll get the tteokbokki + fried set for sure.
It was my first time trying this style and I liked it way more than I expected. If you’re coming to Gwangjang Market, I’d say this is one of those “try at least once” spots.
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365 Iljang — Cute Souvenir & Lifestyle Shop
If you walk deeper inside the market, you’ll find 365 Iljang, a small shop full of random fun items. My wife and I went in just because we were curious and ended up staying longer than planned.
They had mini glass wine bottles that are perfect for picnics or when you just want a small drink, not a full bottle.
There was also a denim hanbok-style skirt that my wife totally fell in love with. It’s like a modern twist on traditional hanbok, and honestly the design was really pretty.
You can also find trendy Korea-themed goods, cute watermelon bouncy balls, Jeju dol hareubang glasses, and even quirky beers like potato beer, corn beer, carrot beer, tomato beer.
It’s that kind of place where you don’t necessarily need to buy something, but just walking around and looking is fun. I enjoyed it more than I expected.
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Garlic Boy — Truffle Cream Garlic Bread
Outside the traditional market area, near the main street, we saw a long line of foreigners at Garlic Boy, all eating garlic bread right in front of the shop. I got curious and joined the line.
I ordered just one: Truffle Cream Garlic (5,300 won). My wife skipped this one.
To be honest, it wasn’t really my style. The cream and truffle flavor felt a bit heavy for me, and I got tired of it pretty fast. I can see why foreign visitors like it – it’s rich, buttery, very “dessert bread” style – but as a Korean who grew up on lighter garlic bread, it was a bit too much.
Staff were kind and the price is okay for what it is, but flavor-wise it didn’t leave a big impression on me. I’d say try it only if you really love creamy truffle things.
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OFF BEAUTY — Warehouse-Style Beauty Outlet
Recently a warehouse-style beauty outlet opened right by Gwangjang Market called OFF BEAUTY. I’d heard about it and we finally checked it out in person.
They have branches in Insadong, Mangwon, and here at Gwangjang. Inside, everything is piled in purple boxes with big discount tags. My wife and I grabbed a toothpaste for 2,000 won because the price looked almost suspicious.
The staff said the original price was around 30,000 won, so I checked online later. It wasn’t exactly 30,000, but still over 10,000 won on major shopping sites. So yeah, the discount is real.
They also sell skincare, makeup, supplements, all in these big boxes.
My wife said the product selection is still a bit limited, so she didn’t find anything she really wanted, but overall the prices did feel low. If you’re already at Gwangjang Market and into K-beauty, it’s a fun quick stop.
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Final Thoughts
Our Gwangjang Market date course went like this: hot donuts at the entrance, unique radish tteokbokki next door, a slow browse through 365 Iljang for cute stuff, a quick (slightly disappointing for me) garlic bread at Garlic Boy, then bargain hunting at OFF BEAUTY. After the market we walked over to Seosulla-gil for a calm stroll and called it a day.
If you’re planning a date or just a half-day in Seoul around Jongno, this exact route works really well: snack, proper street food, shopping, one trendy item, then a quiet walk. Pretty simple, but honestly a nice way to spend a day.