Authentic International Food
If you’re thinking of international food, most people would suggest Itaewon in Seoul. However, throughout the years, Itaewon has slowly turned into a place where the locals head to in order to find exotic cuisines, where people go to meet foreigners and party till late. Even the food has evolved to cater to local taste buds and prices have skyrocketed through the roof. If you’re looking for good quality, authentic international food with a rich culture, let me introduce you to the Ansan Multicultural Food Street.
Authenticity at a fair price!
From 1995 onwards, Ansan has been a city where many foreigners, especially immigrant workers, have come to live. Since then, the area has evolved into a multicultural village of sorts. About 86,000 people from 102 different countries are currently living in the city, which boasts the largest foreigner population. As such, it is no wonder that the food there has evolved as well.
In the past, Itaewon was known as a foreigner town and many restaurants from different cultures and countries opened up, catering to their local people. However, as more and more Koreans patronized these restaurants in search of international food, much of the flavors in the food slowly changed as well to suit Korean palates.
The best part of Ansan is that since many of the patrons here are foreigners, the restaurants cater to their own people. As such, the local style of cooking and flavors are preserved, and the prices are kept low for the laborers. If you’re looking for authentic foreign food at a fair price, head to Ansan Multicultural Food Street.
All the cuisines you can dream of
You can find many street stalls selling food from different cultures, restaurants everywhere with their own local names rather than Korean names. From Indonesian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Russian cuisine to Middle Eastern cuisine, you can find just about any kind of cuisine in this area. Just by walking down the street you see people selling lamb skewers over hot coal. Many local stores sell tropical fruits that cannot be easily found in Korea.
At every corner, you will find a restaurant with a name you cannot read or understand. One thing about foreigners is that they’re always happy to meet another foreigner, that is, someone they can relate to and experiencing similar hardships. There’s always something you can learn about another culture through interaction, and what better way than to taste the food handmade by a person from that very same culture.
As I walked down the food street, I purchased almost everything that caught my eye. There was a dough-like pancake called “Egg Biscuit” in Chinese. It was fragrant, piping hot and very large—all for 2,000 won! I also bought three red bean biscuits for 2,000 won, and they were simply delicious. The red bean paste inside was thoroughly mashed into a lovely thick paste that was sweet and delectable. I ordered two sticks of lamb skewers, each 1,000 won, from a vendor who was grilling them along the street! The lamb chunks were tender, juicy and packed with flavors. Being a huge sucker for fried things, I could not resist a long stick of fried dough that I used to eat during my childhood. Towards the end of the street, I bought a piece of fried chicken that was extremely crispy and was delicious. Though it felt a little too greasy for me when I was almost done, it was filling and satisfying at just 10,000 won. All in all, Ansan was a good experience. I would definitely head back to try out the different restaurants on the upper floors of the buildings.
Experience different cultures
Ansan Multicultural Food Street has a World Culture Hall that lets you learn about many different cultures through the figurines, dolls, relics and clothing left behind from the people who lived in the area. You can look at them and even try on the clothing. It’s a fun way to learn about other cultures and to be able to experience them hands-on.
▲The place is located just a street across the Multicultural Food Street.
Address: 15 Wonbon-ro (Wongok-dong), Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do
Number: +82-31-481-3732
Website: https://mc.ansan.go.kr/00_main/main.jsp
Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00–17:00
Address: 870 Wongok-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do
Directions (97 minutes) : From Seoul Station, take Line 4 and alight at Ansan Station. It’s a little more than an hour’s ride to Ansan.
Operating Hours: Other than the World Culture Hall, the street is open every day, but the shops depend on their individual owners.
Best Time to Visit : Seeing as the place is outdoors, the best time to visit would be in the seasons when it’s neither too cold nor too hot. However, since it’s a food street, any season would be alright.
People to go with: A great place to go together with friends, family or your partner for some international food.
