Myeongdong Street Food, Seoul

Food carts lining a Myeongdong shopping street on an August night in 2024, trays lit up under glass. From late afternoon the stalls roll out between the cosmetics shops of one of Seoul's busiest shopping districts, so you can graze while you browse. Prices run higher than at the city's older Gwangjang Market, and the showpieces like grilled lobster and street steak cost the most. The better buys are the cheap classics: gyeran-ppang, a fluffy egg bread, hotteok pancakes oozing brown sugar syrup, and a cup of chewy tteokbokki in red chili sauce.