KOREA FOUNDATION

Between Dongdaemun Station and Dongmyo Station on Seoul Subway Line 1 lies Nepal Street, an area of Changsin-dong established by Nepali people who have gradually settled in the neighborhood since the early 2000s.

The street is packed with stores selling Nepali spices and seasonings or traditional clothes. There are also many restaurants that serve food from Nepal, India, and Tibet, including the popular Nepali lentil and rice dish dal bhat and steamed dumplings called momo; Indian curries; and thukpa, a Tibetan noodle soup. Many restaurants feature dishes from all three countries on their menus as the geographically close trio shares very similar food cultures.

The flavor of the dishes served on Nepal Street attract not only Nepali people in Korea but also Koreans, foreign residents, and tourists. Unfortunately, the street has been suffering from a lack of visitors in the year and a half since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Written by Lee Haeng-rim
Illustrated by EEWHA

Changsin-dongNepal StreetNepalese food