There is Changsin Golmok Marketplace nearby line number one (Blue line) Dongdaemoon Station.
Both sides of this market have lots of restaurants which stand in line (about 140m)
This market is rather small, compared to other markets in Seoul.
Like the name suggests, Golmok market is smaller than Gwangjang Market, Namdaemun Market, or Dongdaemoon Market.
However, in Changsin Golmok Market, there are lots of stores which have charming and warmth. The first thing people notice when enter this market is a snack stall which sell flour based food.
Snack stall, which is from the wagon used for long trip during westward movement, is still used in Korea as a place for comfortable and friendly snack bar.
It has been more than 30 years since this snack stall carried on business.
The owner knows everyone in this area. She took over the business from her mother. She is kind-hearted; she throws in a few more.
There is no sign there, so I will call this stall as "Yet-Nal-Tteokbokki", which is written in the wall. The owner said, "It was really hard time when my mother first opened this stall. Sometimes she earned less than 5 dollars. But she didn't give up and one day sales volume doubled. Thanks to this stall, she could educate her children, married her daughter off, and then finally hand this over to me. She always says that there is no lucky break. You should make steady and persistent effort. I keep this in my mind."
There are more than ten fried food; chili, vegetable, rolled seaweed, sweet potato, bread, squid, and the meat inside a razor clam. Each one is 500 won and there are also fried dumplings (Twe-kim) and fish cake, which is 600 won. You can buy Tteokbokki for 2000 won. Fried food is made with dough and various ingredients. It is very popular food among ordinary people.
Drink fish cake soup first when you eat fish cake (Auh-muk). There is a brush and spray for applying soy sauce to your fish cake. Red pepper paste used in Tteokbokki is special seasoning the owner made.
There is an entrance when you pass by this snack stall. Walk into the alley 11 O'clock direction. Both sides of the street are full of stores; beef intestines, pork belly, fried dish, side dish, rice with soup, skate, pork hocks, vegetable store, adzuki-bean ice dessert, bakery, daily necessity, mill, and butcher's ! Everything is available in this market.
In the middle of this market, there is a Changsin Tteokbokki store.
One old woman runs this store and sells fried dish, Tteokbokki, and Sundae.
Tteokbokki, which consists of fish cake, rice cake and red pepper paste, is must-have food in flour based food store. However, main dish in this store is Sundae. People mix vegetable and glutinous rice together and put them in pork intestines. Then steam it.
This is similar to Chorizo in South America, but the filling made of vegetable and glutinous rice is the difference between them. It costs 2000 won and other parts of pork, for example, its liver and lung, also served together. It is optional whether you choose other parts of pork or not, but it is better when you eat them together. Eat Sundae with salt and fish cake soup.
The owner is 70 years old and it has been 20 years since she opened this store. She has been the longest in this area. She had suffered hard time but these days she can go on a trip with her neighbors. One Sundae was really plentiful for one person. She threw a lot in.
We can say that this small market is also cultural heritage; even though it isn't that big, magnificent, or well-appointed, people can feel humanity when they visit this place. I think that is enough for being a cultural heritage. This market should be in good preservation with Dongdaemun Castle.
Location : Take line number one (blue line) and get off at Dongdaemoon Station. Take exit 3 and turn left after going straight for 30m.
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