We made two tofu dishes. Jun talked to us about the significance behind them and shared both the guides' stories about life in North Korea and how they'd escaped. We were free to ask as many questions as we could think of while eating very interesting and tasty dishes. 10/10 would recommend!
North Korean Cooking Class with Defector: Food & Personal Stories
5.0
22
Reviews
Recommended by 100% travellers
100% of guests rated this experience 4 stars or higher
5.0 (22)
Recommended by 100% travellers
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5.0
22
Reviews
Recommended by 100% travellers
100% of guests rated this experience 4 stars or higher
5.0 (22)
Recommended by 100% travellers
Available TomorrowSpots available tomorrow. Book now to secure your place.
Free CancellationCancel for free up to 1 day before your experience
Food for HappinessFor every guest in your booking, we donate 10 meals to children around the world
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Trusted by 50,000+ travelers worldwideCurated by food lovers, for food loversFeatured in CNN, Forbes & NYT
Language
English, Korean
Why travelers loved this
5.0
•22 reviews US$63.67 per guest
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Adult x1
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Available TomorrowSpots available tomorrow. Book now to secure your place.
Free CancellationCancel for free up to 1 day before your experience
Food for HappinessFor every guest in your booking, we donate 10 meals to children around the world
Why book with byFood?
Japan's #1 food travel platform
Trusted by 50,000+ travelers worldwideCurated by food lovers, for food loversFeatured in CNN, Forbes & NYT
Description
Good to Know
Meet Chef Se eun Choi, who was born and raised in North Korea before starting a new life in South Korea from 2017.
She now shares the stories, culture, and everyday life of her homeland through food, creating meaningful cultural exchange through cooking.
After graduating from the Department of Culinary Arts in Seoul and gaining experience in restaurants and hotels, she presents North Korean cuisine in a warm, approachable, and modern way.
This unique cooking class is more than just making food. Together, you will learn to cook authentic N Korean street foods while hearing personal stories about life in North Korea, her journey to South Korea, and the deeper meaning behind each dish.
It is a rare opportunity to understand a divided nation through taste, conversation, and human connection.
Carbonated beverages
Soda/Pop
Meals
Join a North Korean defector chef and learn how to make one of North Korea’s most famous street foods (vegan and vegetarian friendly).
We will make two of the most famous foods that were widely eaten during the famine of the 1990s. Created with very simple ingredients, these dishes are paradoxically eco-friendly and healthy.
They contain no animal products and use only minimal sugar. Discover the stories behind the food and experience the history and resilience they represent.
While cooking together, you will hear stories about everyday life in North Korea and the meaning behind the food.
You will also have the rare opportunity to hear her personal story about life in North Korea and her journey to freedom.
MAIN
InjoGogi (Soybean meat dish)
This is one of North Korea’s most famous street foods. It was soy-based meat and filled it with rice.
MAIN
DubuBap(Fried tofu pockets)
DubuBap is a popular North Korean street food made by filling fried tofu with rice and dipping it with sauce.
Meeting Point
스튜디오 하루, Seoul, South Korea, KR, 04087
Open in Google MapsHow to Get Here! [Studio Haru]
- By Subway:
Take Line 6 to Gwangheungchang Station and exit through Exit 1. Walk for about 1 minute to the right, and you will find Studio Haru on the basement level (B1).
End Point
This experience ends at the meeting point.
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 1 day before for a full refund.
No refund within 1 day of the experience or no-shows.
5.0



22 reviews
5 Stars
22
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22 reviews
5
516nikolaspSeptember 2026 • TripAdvisor
great authentic experience
S
Scenic23871515147July 2026 • TripAdvisor
Amazing
We had amazing experience, the hosts answered all of our questions and we got to learn a lot of things about life in North Korea. The food was also great.
L
liamkU7851ZAJuly 2026 • TripAdvisor
Liam’s review
It was amazing hearing about everything they had to say, and getting educated about the reality of North Korea.
Q
Q3364UXgraceeJuly 2026 • TripAdvisor
10/10 Experience
We had an amazing experience. The guides were very open and were extremely kind. The food was also amazing. Definitely worth your time!
D
Dreamer12739663506July 2026 • TripAdvisor
10/10 I loved it
It was so so so cool and fun! The food was so good and the length was perfect they told us all about their life stories and were very kind! I would 100% recommend

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