Homesick in Seoul? Booking a flight back to the Philippines might not be the most practical thing to do when you start missing the comforts of home. According to a recent survey by Seasia Stats, Filipinos make up 74,125 of the population of South Korea, ranking 8th amongst the most foreigners residing in the country. Given the strong presence of kabayans, it definitely makes it easier to ease the homesickness with some Filipino hospitality and company.
Here are High Five places you can visit in Seoul to ease your homesickness.
Hyehwa Philippine Market
Hyewa Philippine Market | Photo from Seoul Metropolitan Government
First up is the undeniable Philippine center in Seoul. In the neighborhood of Hyehwa-dong, this is a must-visit area for Filipinos. This small so-called “Little Manila” in Seoul has been here since 1997. You can find karinderya-style booths that offer a wide variety of Filipino food to choose from. You’d probably find yourself being seated to share a table next to another Filipino who went there to get a taste of home as well. After getting your fill, do some grocery shopping of your favorite Filipino products being sold in the stalls that line all the way until the end of the street.
The Philippine market only operates on Sundays, with some stalls usually setting up from 10:00AM and operating until 5:00PM. Some stalls do start packing up by 4:00PM, so drop by a bit earlier than that to secure all the goods you’ve been craving.
Where to find Hyehwa Philippine Market:
Seoul Jongno-gu Hyehwa-dong 90-7
https://naver.me/x4lMtOl3
Kainan sa Hyehwa
Photo from Kainan sa Hyehwa
A restaurant in the same neighborhood is Kainan sa Hyehwa, which offers a lot of options to its visitors. They only operate on Sundays from 10:00AM until 7:00PM, so if you want some Filipino food brought straight to your home, check out their Facebook Page to place your orders, which they deliver every Tuesday and Thursday. You will also find other Filipino products for sale that you can browse and purchase when you visit their location.
Where to find Kainan sa Hyehwa:
Seoul Jongno-gu Hyehwa-dong 68-13
https://naver.me/GgUmV0CR
Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church
Photo from the Hyehwa-dong website
As the Philippines is a mainly Roman Catholic population, you would unquestionably find a Filipino community in the parish as well. The Seoul Filipino Catholic Community was established in 1992 with the main goal to serve the growing number of Filipino migrants and workers in South Korea. They hold a mass in Tagalog every Sunday at 1:30PM.
It is conveniently located around the Hyehwa-dong area, so if you intend to attend the mass, you can grab lunch at the market or at Kaininan sa Hyehwa before heading straight to church. You can also look out for announcements about mass schedules and other updates through the Seoul Filipino Catholic Community Facebook Page.
Where to find Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church:
Seoul Jongno-gu Hyehwa-dong 58-2
https://naver.me/5B0hYB6o
Jovy’s Grill
Photo from Jovy’s Grill
If you’re feeling a little fancy, we would recommend you to visit Jovy’s Grill. It is just one or two bus rides away from the Hyehwa Philippine Market, or if you feel like doing some exercise and lose some calories before you have a feast, it is also just an 18-minute walk—but take note that the road going there does have an incline, so prepare yourselves!
Aside from Filipino customers, Jovy’s Grill also has a lot of Koreans coming often to have their fix of Filipino food as well. As stated in their name, their specialty is barbecue so it is a must to add this to your order. They are open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11:30AM to 9:30PM, with the last order at 8:30PM. Make sure to be mindful of the time that you visit because they usually have a break from 3:30PM to 5:00PM.
Where to find Jovy’s Grill:
Seoul Seongbuk-gu Seongbuk-dong 97-30
https://naver.me/GntLqsqD
Lillie’s Inasal
Lillie’s Inasal | Photo from 도사아몬드
If you ever find yourself having to do some business at the Philippine Embassy in Yongsan, drop by Lillie’s Inasal. It’s located just a few meters down the embassy, around a 5-minute walk away. You may have guessed it but if you ever get a craving for some Chicken Inasal, this is the place to go! They do serve other Filipino food options as well, such as Filipino-style spaghetti and tapsilog, among others.
Lillie’s doubles as a store where you can shop and replenish your stock of Filipino products, get some kakanin and other delicacies, and even take a look at some second hand items like clothes, shoes and bags. The store hours are from 10:00AM until 9:00PM.
Where to find Lillie’s Inasal:
Seoul Yongsan-gu Itaewon-dong 210-1
https://naver.me/5dhkeG8N
There you have it—a whole lot of options to try in different locations that you can visit the next time you miss home. We hope you get your fix of Filipino food and feel the warmth of the Filipino community’s hospitality to help ease your homesickness until the time you are able to get on that flight back home.