Updated: 2023 – There are some great restaurants near AK Plaza in Pyeongtaek, go try these and let me know what you think! We have included a variety of global food options since the area has a large population of international residents and businesses. About the AK Plaza Area in Pyeongtaek In South Korea, there is a department store/mall chain called AK Plaza. As of 2023, we counted 9 AK Plaza locations in Korea with most of them being in Gyeonggi-do or Seoul. This includes one location in Pyeongtaek-dong, Pyeongtaek-si featured in this blog post. AK Plaza is located in Pyeongtaek-dong in Pyeongtaek-si which is kind of like saying New Your, NY. The Pyeongtaek-dong area is a diverse and interesting area of Pyeongtaek-si. It’s a common area for many US Military to visit during their time off. The area’s eclectic mix of old and new can make it hard to figure out where to grab a bite to eat. To make things even more complicated, many of the best restaurants in the area are off the beaten path. Keep in mind, the following list of restaurant recommendations does not all exist INSIDE AK Plaza. Instead, they may exist inside or within a 10-minute walk of AK Plaza. The South of Seoul volunteers wanted to offer a deeper look at that area and include more than the chain restaurants featured in the department store and mall. The AK Plaza department store and shopping mall is attached to the Pyeongtaek Train and Subway Stations. Near AK Plaza are two bus inter-city bus terminals as well as city buses that provide access to the cities and towns across Pyeongtaek. That makes it the perfect place to meet up with others from out of town and it makes it an area with many diverse types of food. Parking Near AK Plaza I recommend parking at one of the public parking lots in Pyeongtaek. I do not recommend parking in the AK Parking Lot unless you plan on spending money in AK Plaza since it is the most expensive parking in the area. Parking all day can be around 75,000 at AK Plaza but only about 8,000 won in a Public Parking Lot. I am including my favorite Public Parking lot near AK Plaza. However, if you ARE planning on shopping, eating, or watching a movie inside AK Plaza then parking isn’t expensive because it will be validated. Make sure to take a picture of your car’s license plate number to show the cashier so you can get your parking validated. IMPORTANT FOR US MILITARY: You will need a Korean debit or credit card to park in many of the parking garages in Pyeongtaek. Therefore, US Military may need to park at AK Plaza if they do not have a Korean bank account. Most of the public parking garages in Pyeongtaek-si do not take foreign credit or debit cards. 10 Restaurants I recommend near AK Plaza Now that we have covered a few of the little details about eating near Pyeongtaek, here are some of the spots I return to again and again. This list includes American, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Indian choices so that you have a nice selection for anyone visiting from out of town to choose from. Weekend Only Option: Honorable Mention Issues Paying with a Foreign Card? Some US Military affiliated people have trouble enjoying areas of Korea because they don’t have a Korean bank account. If you have this trouble, many US military-affiliated people can apply for a bank account with their passport, military orders (maybe you don’t need this but just to be sure), and military ID at the KEB Hana Bank in Pyeongtaek. We are including that link in this blog just to make your life a little bit easier. KB Hana has an English language handphone app and customer service number to help with your banking needs. Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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Looking for a place to meet for coffee when your friends arrive in town? Waiting for your train? Try one of these cute spots. Cafes for meeting friends and hanging out near AK Plaza in Pyeongtaek. Now you don’t have to do any work with planning to meet friends near AK Plaza Since AK Plaza is a transportation hub (two bus terminals, a train station, and a subway stop), I’m going to help you by offering you this blog to send to any of your visiting friends. They can check out the blog 1) pick a place they would like and 2) they already have directions! Sometimes, when you are in a new country, it’s just nice to have help with some of the emotional labor. I hope this eases your burden and lets you freely enjoy your time with friends. 7 cute cafes for meeting friends near AK Plaza. Each cafe offers a unique atmosphere. Many offer a minimalist aesthetic that is mentally relaxing after a busy day traveling or shopping. Some of the Cafes near AK Plaza are quite tiny like Cafe of the Day while others are expansive with many baked goods like Cafe Puz. I didn’t include any to the major coffee chains because they just aren’t my style and they tend to be busy and hectic. Not really great places to hang out and chat. Don’t worry, I’m also going to create a list of places to eat near AK Plaza in Pyeongtaek that you can also share with them! Just save these blogs in the South of Seoul app for the next time you need to plan a gathering near AK Plaza in Pyeongtaek. Lanae Rivers-Woods, MAITLanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert. Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities. Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea. Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea. When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains. www.southofseoul.net

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For years now, I’ve been looking for a samgyeupsal restaurant near AK Plaza that made me want to come back. I’m not saying I haven’t eaten meat downtown town and thought it was fine, but none made me dream of a return trip. (Yup, I’m a meat snob now. I never even saw it coming.) Not until now. Which is why taking a vacation is so important. With more time to meet up with friends and just chill out, I found the motivation to give the city center one more try. While prepping for dinner with Jennifer and Sue of Pyeongtaek Korean tutors I did a bit of research on Naver and found this new gem. Zip (as I’m going to call it since that’s what is in English) is located next to the cute little park with the water feature a few blocks from the AK Plaza. The place is newish, bright and clean with tables and chairs so no sitting on the floor was required. Their grills are big and spacious with plenty of room for all the different items included in their affordable set menus. Since I like my kimchi and my garlic well grilled this system works for me. The meal itself boasts a variety of balanced flavors, fresh ingredients, and quality meat cuts. The samgyeupsal is thick cut and gorgeous. There is only one other place in Pyeongtaek that I have round comparable meat quality (for a reasonable price) and it’s not well vented so most folks wouldn’t feel comfortable eating there. One thing I can’t remember.. if anything was in English. Don’t worry though, any set you order will be delicious so just order for a price range and dig in. As an added bonus, it’s a great place for an evening date. You can finish up dinner and then go watch the water and lights dance out front before a stroll along the river walk a few blocks away. *** This listing and all other restaurants reviewed by South of Seoul can be found in the South of Seoul app which can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store. *** For the address and a map CLICK HERE for the MollaKorea.com Listing.

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Leave your own review on www.MollaKorea.com. Just: Click Here Although I’ve been to Japan, I’ve never been there with any money (long story for another time). This means I’ve never had authentic Japanese ramen in Japan. Sure I’ve tried a few random places in Korea, but nothing really stood out until I found this place in Pyeongtaek. It was delicious. A place I would go out of my way to eat at for sure. Now, I’m not telling you this is 100% authentic, because I don’t know what that even tastes like, I’m just saying I loved eating here and it tastes way more delicious than other ramen I’ve had. The menu is simple and the shop is small.  It’s the perfect place to grab lunch alone or with a friend, but not for large groups. I finally have my go-to place near AK plaza! It’s been a while since I’d found a place I was really excited about for lunch. It’s also very easy to find, right near Del Vino on the other side of the street. Address: 경기도 평택시 평택동 289-3 Naver Map Link: http://me2.do/xYlJAaMF

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To Eat:  AK Plaza basement Although I’m not a fan of fast food, I am a fan of food on little plates going in circles. So when I am in a hurry near AK PLAZA I go down, down, down into the belly of the beast and eat some sushi off the beltway. In addition to sushi on rails, you can find a variety of other options including Krispy Kreme. On a side note: The also have an excellent high-end health supplement section. I will let you decided if I am talking about the picture above or below.

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