6 Delicious Convenience Store Recipes You Have To Try When Visiting Korea

If there’s one thing Koreans love, it’s 1. Convenience stores, and 2. Mixing things together – yes, like bibimbap.

Convenience stores are planted on practically every street in Seoul, which is great since the food is practically a holy grail for college students (and lazy people) all over the country. But for those visiting Korea short term, going to these stores and trying out some wild recipes is a must-have experience!

From entering the air-conditioned convenience store and picking out the ingredients from the endless rows of packaged snacks, instant ramyun packets, and various drinks, to sitting at the tables outside and cooking up these crazy meals, it will be an experience you’ll never forget. Plus, your mouth (and your wallet!) will thank you for partaking in this journey.

Make sure to try out these recipes when you come to Korea, or if possible, with the ingredients from your local Asian supermarket!

1. Strawberry Cheese Bingsu

Bingsu, a popular shaved ice dessert, is practically the national dessert of Korea, but too many trips to Sulbing will drain your wallet. If you’re coming to Korea in the summer (or even winter!) and are pressed for cash, try this easy recipe.

The combination of the tart strawberry bingsu and creamy cream cheese ice cream will truly hit the spot for when you’re craving something sweet.

Ingredients: GS25’s Strawberry Buffet bingsu and cream cheese ice cream

Directions: Mix everything into a bowl, or add the ice cream after eating half of the bingsu. That’s honestly it!

2. Omori Budaejjigae Ramyun

Another popular dish that was created in Korea, budaejjigae (army base stew) is one of those meals that combines several ingredients to create the perfect union of delicious food.

Originally, this meal was born during post-war Korea when people had to scourge for food. What resulted was the combination of the surplus food from the U.S. military bases – such as ham, hot dogs, Spam, and canned baked beans – and traditional Korean food like kimchi and anchovy broth flavored with gochujang (red chili paste).

It’s delicious, but sometimes we just want that hot dish within walking distance from our homes. For those moments, this recipe is perfect.

Ingredients: Omori kimchi jjigae ramyun, mini Vienna sausages, tofu, and fried kimchi

Directions: Open up the lid of the cup ramyun and add the vienna sausages, fried kimchi, and tofu onto the dried noodles, along with the soup packet. Add hot water and heat it up for three minutes in the microwave.

Tip: Add sliced cheese!

3. Blue Lemonade Soju Mojito

If you were born in 1999 or earlier, you’re in luck with this recipe (if you’re younger, keep scrolling). By Korean law, people are permitted to begin drinking on January 1 of the year they turn 19, so for 2018, it’s the golden year for ’99ers!

This mixed drink feels refreshing on a blazing Korean summer day, and you can mix it up at your local convenience store, with a side of ramyun or any other delicious snack you can easily find in the store.

Ingredients: Soda, soju, a cup of ice, and blue lemonade

Directions: Pour a shots worth of soju into the cup of ice, and equal parts soda and blue lemonade. Stir well before drinking!

4. Mark Meal

One of the most famous recipes to go viral in the vast spaces of the Korean internet, the Mark Meal was named after GOT7’s Mark.

A fan of Mark created the recipe in order to spread Mark’s name to the general public, and she succeeded big time. Once the recipe went viral, every big-name mukbanger on YouTube and AfreecaTV began to film themselves enjoying this recipe.

It deserves every bit of the attention it has gotten, since it’s legitimately delicious!

P.S. Unless you’re up for a challenge, share this meal with a friend! The portions are huge.

Ingredients: Instant ddukbokki, instant spaghetti, string cheese, sausage

Directions: Prepare the instant spaghetti, along with the cup of instant ddukbokki. After both have been cooked, add the respective sauces and transfer the spaghetti noodles into the bowl of ddukbboki. Add the string cheese on top, along with bits of the sausage. Then, microwave this ginormous cup (and hope it doesn’t spill over!). Enjoy it while it’s hot!

5. Cheesy Fire Noodle Kimbab

Arguably one of the most popular recipes, this meal combines the holy trifecta of spice, cheese, and triangle kimbab!

Ingredients: Fire noodles, triangle kimbab (tuna mayo is best!), and string cheese

Directions: Prepare your fire noodles by adding hot water to your cup of dry noodles. Wait 3 minutes for your noodles to soften, and drain 90 percent of the water. Add in your sauce, additional dry packet, and string cheese. Mix well before eating! When you’ve eaten around half of your noodles, add in your triangle kimbab and pop it in the microwave for a minute. Not only will this decrease the spice levels, but it’ll also make for a delicious noodle-rice mixture.

Tip: If you can’t handle spice, add only half a packet of the sauce (or add more cheese)!

6. Gomtang Mandu Stew

This is a convenience store meal that’s perfect for cold days when you just want something to fill you up!

Koreans love soups, and gomtang is no exception. Gomtang is a delicious beef bone soup made by boiling various cuts of beef. With the addition of mandu (dumplings), this recipe is a hit.

Ingredients: Gomtang cup and frozen mandu

Directions: After putting in all the ingredients into the gomtang cup, just pop it in the microwave for 2 more minutes. You should automatically get a steaming bowl of gomtang mandu stew!

Let your creative juices flow and try creating your own recipes based off your favorite convenience store food. Also, after trying out these recipes, don’t forget to enjoy the rest of what Seoul has to offer outside of the convenience stores!

These are only six of the recipes that you can try, so let us know in the comments if we missed any or if there’s one you’d like to try during your visit to Korea!