Posted by The first stop that you must make when going on a trip within Korea is checking out delicious restaurants at the many rest stops. It’s not just an opportunity to stretch out your neck and back, get some fresh air, but also pick up a snack when feeling peckish. You could stick to the classics and get ramen and gimbap, which will undoubtedly be delicious. However, the types of food being sold at rest stop are diversifying 🥘with certain rest stops offering speciality dishes.🤤
If you have the preconception that food at rest stops are poorly made or just a place to get a quick meal on the go, you’ll want to read this post. We have picked some of the best restaurant menu items for specific rest stops sure to impress not just traveling tourists, but people on business trips, or those that simply use the expressways and highways often!😆
Rich in flavor, ‘Seosan Eori gul-jeot (salted oysters) meal set’ at Seosan Rest Stop
Seosan Rest Stop (Mokpo direction) : Seosan Eoriguljeot Baekban
Seohaean Expressway 242, Haemi-myeon, Seosan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
If you think rest stop food is just simple fast food, boy are you wrong. ☝🏻 Seosan Eoriguljeot (salted oysters) Meal Set at Seosan Rest Area (Mokpo direction) is a delicacy favored by many long-distance drivers and travelers. The combination of warm rice, rich salted oysters, and savory soybean paste stew is excellent. There are side dishes that change daily which are great on their own, but we recommend you add an order of chewy boiled pork to take the meal to another level.
Seosan is considered the home of salted seafood, but the Ganwoldo Eoriguljeot (salted oysters) is especially fresh and of good quality that it was particularly enjoyed even by kings, including King Sejong the Great. If you take the Seosan Expressway, make sure to stop by and try it. Seosan Rest Stop is smaller in size compared to other rest stops, and this restaurant is a hidden gem. 🤗
Filling ‘Maljukgeori beef & rice soup’ at Seoul Meeting Plaza
Seoul Meeting Plaza Rest Stop (Busan direction)
: Maljukgeori beef and rice soup
73-71, Yangjae-daero 12-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
This next stop is the place if you want to soothe your hunger with something warm and filling.🤩Not far from Seoul is the Seoul Meeting Plaza Rest Stop which offers ‘Maljukgeori beef and rice soup’. The name is unusual and will immediately catch your eye, not to mention it’s served in a large bowl that you can’t miss. The soup is served with thick slices of radish and chunks of soft beef. Take a spoonful of the soup that’s thick like beef bone broth, and you’ll be hooked! 🍲
If you’re tired physically and mentally from driving for a long time, why not take a break over some soup and rice? To ensure the rest of your trip is a safe and pleasant one, recharge at 🚗 Seoul Meeting Plaza Rest Stop.
Fresh and sweet ‘Cheongsong Apple Donkatsu (pork cutlet)’ at Cheongsong Rest Stop
Cheongsong Rest Stop(Yeongdeok direction): Cheongsong Apple Donkatsu (pork cutlet)
203-115, Jungpyeong Byeongbu-gil, Pacheon-myeon, Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
The last restaurant we wanted to introduce is the Cheongsong apple donkatsu (pork cutlet) at the Cheongsong Rest Stop (Yeongdeok direction). Who doesn’t love a good pork cutlet, covered with bread crumbs and fried to perfection? However, the Cheongsong apple donkatsu offers something more. It uses fruit pulp to add flavor and freshness to their special sweet sauce! 🍎
Cheongsong has the ideal climatic conditions to grow high-quality apples. ☀️ These delicious Cheongsong apples are thinly sliced to add a freshness and crunchy texture that blends well with pork cutlet. Though donkatsu is a fried dish, the tartness of Cheongsong apples balance out the greasiness. The meal won’t be too heavy on your stomach even if you have a long drive left ahead of you.
Is there a particular food that you always get when going to rest stops? Please share with us your favorite rest stop comfort food in the comments! 🤗 The destination of your trip is important, but we hoped to remind you that the journey to and from your destination should also be special, filled with good eats and good memories. We’ll be back again soon with more interesting places to introduce!