Hello everyone! 안녕하세요! We’re proud to present our special series on Halal makan places we visited during our recent trip to Seoul! This is actually the final post in the series and we’re at Myeongdongjeong 명동정!
We were extremely honoured to be invited by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia) to visit South Korea again (we went to Busan and Jeju the last time) and also be a part of the launch of Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019! More information about that at the end of the post so let’s start on the makan now – 나 배고파!! 
(BTW – head down to our Instagram profile page and watch all the IG Stories from the trip!) 
The first thing you’re probably thinking is – OMG what a handsome Oppa! 😛
The second thing you’re probably thinking is – what does this have to do with Myeongdongjeong 명동정? Well, that’s actually what Myeongdongjeong specializes in – Korean Royal Court Cuisine!
Hanjeongsik is the specialty at Myeongdongjeong 명동정. We’re talking about the type of food served to royalty in the Joseon dynasty! A traditional feast is spread out before you to enjoy and savour the flavours of age-old Korea. One interesting thing is that the meal is made up of mostly side dishes in small servings! Hmmm I guess we could call this kinda like a Korean-style Tapas?
Anyways, there are some REALLY interesting dishes too…
One of the more interesting ones I was trying for the first time was Nokdu-muk (녹두묵). At first glance, I thought it was White Radish BUT boy was I mistaken! This is actually a jelly made of Mung Bean!
Texture-wise it was.. well.. like jelly 😛 LOL! Taste-wise you can’t really taste anything lah to be honest. The flavour you get is mostly from the soy sauce dressing and garnish. Still an interesting way to start the meal and one of the milder-tasting ones.
The following dishes may seem a bit more familiar to you 😀
A variety of Salads is a must with a meal like this apparently. I counted no less than 3 at our table 😀
Japchae (잡채) is a familiar favourite. These glass noodles made from sweet potato starch are always welcome. Served at room temperature and apparently one of the OG dishes served to royalty! Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is another popular Korea dish. The version we enjoyed as part of this Hanjeongsik meal was a lighter soy-based version. Not as bold as the normal spicy version we may be used to but still tasty nonetheless.
Some of the more interesting dishes were.. well.. interesting 😛
The Jangeo-gui (장어구이) may not seem that strange. It’s a grilled eel dish that you would probably compare to its Japanese counterpart Unagi. The Ojingeo Bokkeum (오징어 볶음) is a bit more exotic. It’s actually squid that’s been given a quick and (very) short stir-fry. This means the squid was still springy and you get a kick from the spicy sauce. I didn’t quite fancy it because I personally didn’t like the texture.
I did enjoy the Godeungeo Jorim (고등어 조림) though! Mackerel fish is braised in soy sauce. The result is a sweet and (mostly) salty serving of fish. The flesh is firm because I think the fish is cured before cooking. Sedap and flavour reminded me a lot like the Ganjang-gejang 간장게장 (aka Soy-fermented Crabs) I enjoyed in Jeju!
There are a few other side dishes as well. Kinda like classics but with a little twist here and there. The Jeon Yuhwa was kinda like a cross between a fishcake and a pancake in away LOL Okay lah the best way to describe it is a Fish Pancake how’s that? 😀
I really enjoyed the Barbecued Salmon! They cracked this black pepper over it which really gave it a nice kick. And that cream sauce was WOWOWOWOWOW! Pity there were so few pieces though.
And of course, plenty of Banchan to enjoy your food with.
I’d definitely recommend making a visit to Myeongdongjeong 명동정. It’s a great way to experience what it may have been like if you were royalty during the olden days in Korea. You can even dress up in traditional Korean royal garb to complete the experience!
Okay lah so you won’t have servants and all that 😛 But at least you get to dress up and makan some of their traditional dishes! Not sure how many Muslim-friendly options of such an experience you can find! 😀
A Quick Word About Halal Food In South Korea
So in case you’re wondering, it’s (thankfully) getting easier to find Halal food in South Korea these days. Across the country, Halal food and Muslim-friendly options are becoming more readily available. This is in part thanks to the efforts from organizations and events like Korea Tourism Organization and Halal Restaurant Week Korea!
You may see some of these labels when you visit restaurants that are suitable for Muslims to visit. They have 4 main categories that determine the ‘Halal-ness’ of an eatery. This is to be expected lah I guess especially where the Halal food scene is still developing and depending on which part of South Korea you’re visiting.
The 4 categories are;
- Halal-certified (safest as the eatery is certified Halal by the Korea Muslim Federation)
- Self-certified (basically means eatery is Muslim-owned)
- Muslim-Friendly (serves Halal food but may serve alcoholic beverages) *most common*
- Pork Free (eatery does not have Pork but may serve non-Halal meat and/or alcoholic beverages)
It may seem complicated with 4 categories but as always, we can simplify it. Do your due diligence and do not be afraid to #AskTheQuestion especially since you’re travelling. Halal is an individual responsibility so get the info and make an informed decision. Look for these labels at the door. If there is any doubt at all, best to give it a miss 
Our advice is to check out the Halal Restaurant Week Korea website where you can not only find a listing of Halal/Muslim-friendly eating options in South Korea but also enjoy some perks and discounts too! This year’s Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019 is being held from 1st September til 31st October (longer than a week lah :P).
Check out this handy micro-site – www.hrwkorea.or.kr/coupons/coupons.php – for more details on how to get your coupons okay! Thank you Korea Tourism Organization for taking the initiative to spread more information about Halal / Muslim-travel in South Korea! ??
Myeongdongjeong 명동정
299 Samil-daero, Seong Chang Building 1F
Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: +82-02-3789-5130
Operating Hours:
11am til 11pm DAILY
(Open 365 days a year!)
This meal was part of a trip organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia). We visited all kinds of cool places and plenty of Halal makan places including this one! All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
