Home to Busan’s most famous beach, Haeundae welcomes hundreds of hungry visitors every year. It’s also a popular hangout spot for locals, giving the area’s restaurants a great mix of international flavour and traditional foods. Here are some of the best places to fill your belly in Haeundae.
Barbecue is best when you can do it yourself. This is exactly what is on offer at Anga, one of the most raved-about barbecue establishments in Busan. Cook fatty cuts of samgyeopsal (pork belly), on a sizzling grill at your table, wrap it up sandwich-style in lettuce and wash down with somaek, a cocktail of soju and beer. Anga is open until 2am.
The best Indian restaurant in Haeundae, Punjab is the place to go if you’re craving a dash of South Asian spice. It’s on the second floor overlooking Haeundae’s main drag, less than four minutes’ walk from the metro station. Expect all the usual staples of North Indian cuisine — including tender paneer butter masala, spicy biriyani and crunchy onion bhajis. The menu is vegetarian-friendly and all meat is halal.
A delightfully ramshackle gukbap joint, Wonjo Halmae Gukbab is on a street known for its excellent gukbap restaurants (so if you can’t find it, you’ll get an equally tasty meal from any of the adjacent eateries). Wonjo Halmae has nearly 50 years of history — some say that every true Busanite has sampled its delicious broth. It’s cheap, exceptionally tasty, and open 24 hours to sate your late night cravings.
Haemok is a Japanese restaurant just off Haeundae’s main drag, famous for its salmon and eel dishes. It’s a little on the pricier side — the freshwater eel bowl will set you back 29,000 won — but more than makes up for it by the quality of its menu. Portions are also generous, so you’ll come out feeling thoroughly satisfied.
A Western restaurant-cum-late-night bar, Sharkys is an institution in Haeundae’s nightlife scene. It has a laid-back, sports-bar type atmosphere and serves generously portioned Mexican/American staples including burgers, steaks, burritos and fajitas. All the staff speak excellent English, and there are a number of good draft beers on tap.
Gosami is one of the best places in Haeundae to sample the Korean delicacy godeungeo gui, or grilled mackerel. Even better, it comes at a very pocket-friendly price! The rest of the menu includes stir-fried squid, traditional Korean soup dishes, and of course it all comes with a number of side dishes to enjoy.
Busan’s Dalmaji Hill is a wonderful cultural hotspot, known as the city’s answer to Montmartre for its cluster of art galleries and upmarket cafés. Fittingly, you’ll also find Busan’s best French restaurant here. Head Chef Hwa-Young Yoon has 12 years of experience working at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, and combines this expertise with his own gastronomic magic to present a delicious fusion of Korean and European cuisine. The restaurant’s name is a combination of the French words mer and ciel, ‘sea’ and ‘sky’ — there’s a magnificent ocean view from its windows.
Sometimes, you just want a good burger. When that happens in Busan, you go to Hey Patty — the Western-style restaurant is famous for its homemade burgers, which include a much-hyped avocado burger, bacon cheese burger and a shrimp burger. Sides include surprisingly excellent fries, fresh salad and milkshakes.
