From Peach Pizza to a Traditional Market Feast: Enjoying Sejong Through Five Meals

【Sejong = Reporter Jeong Sun-min】 “Is there anything to see there?” That was the common reaction from people around me when I said I was traveling to Sejong. However, most of those respondents had never visited Sejong, or had gone there mainly for other purposes. It would be more accurate to say that they simply did not know what to see and enjoy, rather than that the city lacked attractions.
That prompted Sejong City and the Sejong City Culture and Tourism Foundation to investigate what attracted outsiders’ interest in Sejong. More than 60% of respondents showed a strong interest in food. That is why the city began selecting “Sejong Sarang Restaurants” last year and launched day programs such as “Sejong’s Table.” Starting this month, it is also offering a new two-day, one-night culinary travel program called “Sejong Osik,” which allows visitors to enjoy five meals in Sejong. I visited in advance to experience the food-filled program.

■ DAY 1: From Stone-Grilled Ribs to Peach Pizza
Sejong Osik was inspired by the story that King Sejong enjoyed food five times a day. Participants can enjoy five meals—lunch, refreshments at a local café, dinner, drinks and snacks at a young brewery, and a feast at Sejong Traditional Market—excluding the hotel breakfast served on the second morning.
The first meal, lunch, began with stone-grilled ribs at Sanjang Garden in Yeonseo-myeon, Sejong City, a restaurant also known for its local popularity. Stone-grilled ribs are seasoned pork ribs that are grilled in advance and served on a heated stone plate. Guests do not have to grill the meat themselves, and the plate keeps it warm to the last bite, making it easy to eat. The restaurant’s signature dish is its original charcoal-grilled ribs, while its spicy charcoal-grilled ribs and handmade rice-cake patties are also popular. Its dongchimi buckwheat noodles are another specialty.

The second meal, refreshments, was served at Cafe Pleasure in Naseong-dong, Sejong City, a café in Sejong’s new downtown area that is famous for its view. Located on the top floor—the 49th floor—of Sejong Leaders Foret, it offers a sweeping view of Sejong City. Government Complex Sejong, Sejong Lake Park, Central Park, Eung Bridge, and Sejong National Arboretum are all laid out below. There is hardly a better place to take in the new downtown while enjoying sweet desserts and drinks such as an iced Americano, ube latte, Greek yogurt, and a fruit punch made with 1 kilogram of fruit.

The third and fourth meals, dinner and the drinks-and-snacks course, were enjoyed at the Italian restaurant Pastas by Find Fine in Eojin-dong, Sejong City. The restaurant began as a small pasta bar in 2016 and grew into a local dining brand by participating in support programs for local businesses run by Sejong City and the Sejong Center for Creative Economy and Innovation. It is particularly known for incorporating seasonal ingredients from Sejong into Italian cuisine and changing its menu with the seasons.
The meal that day included Sejong fig salad, gambas al ajillo, Jochiwon Peach Prosciutto Pizza, bisque rosé pasta, and abalone gim seaweed risotto, served in that order. The dish I was most curious about was the Jochiwon Peach Prosciutto Pizza. My expectation that peaches and pizza would be an awkward combination was dispelled with the first bite. The subtle sweetness of the warm, cooked peaches paired surprisingly well with the salty prosciutto.

The drinks-and-snacks course enjoyed at the same venue was also memorable. Pastas’ flavorful dishes were paired with traditional liquor from Baekgyeong Distillery, a young brewery representing Sejong. It was a combination of Italian food and Korean liquor instead of wine. The liquor, made primarily from rice, nuruk, and water, had aromas reminiscent of fruit. Baekgyeong 15 Gold in particular had a fresh aroma reminiscent of white wine. When I drank the strongest offering, Baekgyeong 53-Degree Soju, a pleasant warmth traveled down my throat.

■ DAY 2: A Traditional Market Feast and a City Tour
On the second day, after breakfast at the hotel, the group headed to Sejong Traditional Market in Jochiwon’s old downtown area. Unlike the new downtown visited on the first day, the old market alleys were lined with stalls selling vegetables, fruit, fish, and side dishes. Because it happened to be a market day, the area was bustling with shoppers.
The fifth meal was called “The Feast We Made.” Instead of eating food prepared by someone else, participants prepared the meal themselves. They used the 30,000-won Onnuri Gift Certificate provided in advance to walk around the market and buy food, then gathered at a nearby café and laid out their purchases together. In effect, it was a potluck party.

Advance coordination was important. To prevent duplicate dishes, each group assigned categories such as appetizers, main dishes, sides, and desserts. Before departure, the organizers asked participants, “Please do not buy gimbap.” Many visitors habitually bought gimbap first when they arrived at the market, so it had already been prepared.
The market was filled with tempting foods, including the local specialty green-onion chicken, dumplings, sundae, jokbal, jeon, and fried foods. Seasonal fruits such as Jochiwon peaches, Korean melons, plums, apples, and pears also filled the stalls. Snacks were hard to pass up as well, including chrysanthemum-shaped pastries sold five for 2,000 won, peanut cookies packed with peanuts, seed-stuffed hotteok, dasik, yakgwa, and gangjeong.

After shopping, the group gathered at Cafe Hwayangyeonhwa in Jochiwon-eup, Sejong City. As each bag was opened, green-onion chicken, dumplings, mung-bean pancakes, whole fried chicken, sundae, sliced pig’s head meat, rice-cake patties, hotteok, and fried foods were spread across the table. Although everything had been bought at the same market, there was almost no duplication. Once everyone’s selections were brought together, they created a fuller spread than expected.
The participants unanimously agreed, “The feast we made was the most fun meal.” The process itself became part of the meal: walking through the market, deciding what to buy, bargaining over prices, and sharing food with the other participants, rather than simply eating a set menu.

Sejong also has many places worth visiting between meals. The most representative is Sejong National Arboretum. Opened in 2020, it features expansive areas including a four-season greenhouse, a Korean traditional garden, a bonsai garden, a rare plant garden, and a children’s garden, making it an ideal place for a stroll.
Other places not to miss include the Presidential Archives Exhibition Hall, where visitors can encounter important records from modern Korean history; Sejong Lake Park, which has five themed islands and 8.8 kilometers of walking trails; and Eung Bridge, a Sejong landmark shaped like the Korean letter ‘ᄋ’.
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