Inside the little-known cafeterias hidden throughout Seoul's subway system, tucked behind unmarked doors

As the price of an ordinary meal in Seoul increases year by year, people with limited budgets are being forced to find more affordable options. For many, the last place to look would be the depths of the city’s extensive metro system. 

Dispersed along the arcades and concourses of Seoul's underground stations are buffet-style restaurants frequented by municipal employees, but the average citizen and even traveling tourists can likewise grab a properly portioned meal as cheap as 6,000 to 8,000 won ($4 to $5.20). For comparison, the average price of gukbap (rice soup), one of Korea's representative low-cost lunch items, is about 10,000 won.  

At its best, Seoul’s sprawling subway system can be a complex maze to navigate — a labyrinth for foreign visitors. So, when it comes to locating these almost hidden cafeterias, it’s best not to go unguided.  

Each cafeteria is tucked away in a seemingly random, liminal part of the station. It could be down an unsuspecting corridor or camouflaged behind a door that blends into the mosaic design of the metro walls.  

Some aren’t even marked, and if they are, it’s all in Korean; a non-Korean speaker couldn’t be blamed for thinking they were walking into a janitor's closet, not a full-fledged all-you-can-eat buffet service. 

These Korea JoongAng Daily reporters visited five station cafeterias in Seoul to check out how accessible they actually are, what kinds of menus they offer and who uses them. 

Seoul Station  

Over the past two weeks, the Korea JoongAng Daily made lunchtime visits to cafeterias at Seoul Station, Hangangjin Station and Yongsan Station in central Seoul, as well as Cheongnyangni Station and Oksu Station in eastern Seoul.

The cafeteria inside Seoul Station — the largest station in the capital used by hordes of Korean and foreign travelers daily — was located on the fourth floor of the station, accessible by taking a small elevator next to a cafe.   

When these reporters arrived at the dining facility's entrance around 12 p.m. on June 17, it was extraordinarily busy despite its seclusion. The line stretched all the way down the corridor as lunch service began. 

“I do delivery work around here and got to know this place through word of mouth,” a person who asked to be identified only by his surname, Park, said while waiting in line. “I come here about five times a week. You have to pay a minimum of 10,000 won for a meal in this area, but this place is so cheap.”  

The meal was priced at 6,500 won and came with unlimited servings of rice, soy-braised beef, zucchini salad with imitation crab sticks, kimchi and tofu stew. The menu rotates daily.

Elsewhere in Seoul Station, however, restaurants typically charged well over 10,000 won for meals with fixed portions.  

The 6,500 won price has remained the same for the past two years despite inflation.  

“Many people come here because the meals are affordable, so when our company signed a contract with this cafeteria, we agreed to keep meal prices at their current level,” said site manager Kim Ok-bee from catering company Sajo Foodist.  

Sajo Foodist has operated the cafeteria since taking over from Fresh Catering earlier this month.  

“I can't say what will happen next year, but this place last raised prices by 500 won two years ago,” Kim said.  

Diners raced to secure a table, and the mountains of steamed rice ready to be served quickly depleted, only to be refilled just as fast.  

Cheongnyangni Station  

The cafeteria inside Cheongnyangni Station was easier to find than the one at Seoul Station, thanks to a large banner near Exit 3 that displayed its location and operating hours.  

Still, its entrance was tucked away by an inconspicuous stairwell off to the side of the subway exit — hardly an obvious spot.  

The cafeteria gave off a “word of mouth” vibe. There are plenty of regulars eating, and the owner seems to know many of the patrons by name. 

The eatery served breakfast and lunch from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the price of 6,000 won for station employees and 7,000 won for nonemployees.  

When these reporters visited around 10 a.m. on a Monday, there were already quite a few people digging in.  

"I eat lunch here every workday,” a worker at a department store near the station, who asked to be identified by his surname Kang, said. “The meals offer good value for money, and the food suits my tastes. Most of the regular customers I see here are older people." 

The cafeteria had a wider variety of food options than the single-menu option the Seoul Station location offered.  

At Cheongyangi, the bounty included pork cutlets, fried seafood roll, tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), different salad and pickle options and, as a wild card, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  

The dining hall was not packed as peak lunch hour had not yet hit, but a constant stream of people entered and exited as these reporters enjoyed their meal.  

The cafeteria, however, does not always attract a steady flow of customers.  

“The number of customers hasn't increased,” the cafeteria owner surnamed Kim said. “We've seen fewer people lately because of the vacation season. Business owners in this area tell me they're struggling as sales aren't what they used to be, so many find it difficult to spend money on meals. On our busiest days, we serve around 250 customers, but we hardly see any customers on weekends."  

Hangangjin Station  

While the cafeterias inside Seoul and Cheongnyangni stations were off the beaten path of the ordinary metro traveler, the one inside Hangangjin Station was located much closer to a platform.  

That said, the cafeteria was still not conspicuous, as the entrance to its dining hall looked the same as doors leading to restricted employee work areas. However, a sign with the word “cafeteria” and a medium-sized banner indicated that the eatery was indeed inside.   

The door didn’t actually open though, leading the reporters to resort to an unmarked door nearby that led into another nondescript hallway, which eventually led to the cafeteria.  

Located on the floor right above the platform, the cafeteria's entryway felt like that of an area designated "authorized personnel only."  

The atmosphere inside, however, resembled that of the two other cafeterias visited earlier. With meals priced at 8,000 won, the cafeteria was filled that Monday mostly with station employees in uniforms, while nonemployees began arriving after noon.  

Hangangjin’s food was in the same lane as Seoul Station’s: a standard meal of spicy pork, rice, kimchi stew and some salad greens for wrapping up bite-sized morsels. 

The cafeteria ran in two sittings — metro staff ate first, with the general public admitted later in the afternoon. Hard to find and unmarked from the outside, it was nonetheless packed, with its own logo above the counter and tables full of workers and wanderers alike.

"I came here after spotting the sign by chance while passing through,” a customer who asked to be identified by his surname, Han, said. “I work nearby. Office workers have to decide what to eat every day, but this place offers a set menu and the food is good, so I keep coming back."  

Yongsan Station

Walking into Hangangjin Station’s cafeteria felt like entering an area for authorized personnel only, but accessing the cafeteria at Yongsan Station meant actually entering a restricted area.

The cafeteria was located on the fifth floor of the station employees' work area, which was situated above the express train platforms used by KTX and ITX.

A door leading to the area even had a sign expressly stating, “Entry is limited to Korail personnel and meeting room users,” although a station employee confirmed the eatery inside is open to everyone.  

The location and signage made it nearly impossible for passengers to know about the cafeteria without having learned about the secretive spot on the internet.

“Some people who go to the cafeteria often ask me whether this is the right place,” a station employee in front of the door said.

The inside of the cafeteria was the same as other eateries visited earlier both vibe and food quality-wise.

Many station employees as well as people not in uniform, likely members of the general public, were having meals priced at 6,500 won. The menu on Friday was white rice, pork cutlet, kimchi and Japanese soba, somewhat similar to the options served at the Cheongnyangni station eatery, although more limited.

But the Yongsan Station cafeteria had an instant noodles machine not found at any of the other cafeterias. The machine automatically cooks instant noodles by controlling the cooking time and water temperature, making the process quick and consistent.

“You can only use that from 2 to 5 p.m.,” a cafeteria employee said.

Oksu Station

The Oksu Station cafeteria had a more welcoming vibe than the one at Yongsan Station, as it had a welcoming sign: “Open to nonemployees.”

Finding the place was also much easier. It was located right outside Exit No. 3 of Oksu Station, adjacent to a barber shop.

With its meal priced at 7,000 won for station employees and 8,000 won for nonemployees, the cafeteria was not as hectic as the one at Seoul Station at 12 p.m. on a Friday, although nonemployees continued to arrive.

Customers were scooping large portions of rice into metallic bowls to make bibimbap, which also came with meatballs, soy-braised lotus root, beef and radish soup and, of course, kimchi.

The crowds kept coming well past 12:30 p.m. — a pattern repeated across all five locations. Station cafeterias may be built for transit workers, but office workers, students and anyone watching their spending have figured out they're welcome too.

One view shared by customers at all five cafeterias was that they offer good value for money.

"The other restaurants may be fancier, but they're too expensive for ordinary people like us," a customer at the Seoul Station cafeteria surnamed Hong said. "This place, on the other hand, is affordable."

BY PAIK JI-HWAN, FERGUS GOODALL SMITH [[email protected]]