Busan’s maritime metropolis is where jagged mountain peaks plunge headfirst into the East Sea, serving as the glamorous stage for Asia’s premier International Film Festival (BIFF). At the docks, you’ll find a resilient food culture built by port workers and post-war refugees, from bone-deep pork broths to the legendary fish cakes that define the city’s survivor spirit. Our feasting tour of 10+ tastings invites guests around the backstreets of Busan, led by our team of professional foodie guides. Before we get started, our tour reflects the local cuisine and the limitations of street food vendors means we unfortunately cannot cater for every dietary restriction. Here's an honest appraisal for the tour so no-one is disappointed: ✖️ Vegetarians have 3-4 less tastings due to limited alternatives at some vendors. ✖️ Unsuitable for severe allergies, halal and celiac diets due to risk of traces and cross-contamination. If you are feeling adventurous for a foodie journey, read on!

Long before the filmstars arrived, BIFF square was a theatre district of street food heroes, with the scent of bubbling vats and roasted nuts cutting through the ocean breeze. We aren't here for the red carpets. We’re visiting the legendary ajummas and their open-air kitchens, with the rhythmic art of kalguksu - where dough is knifed into thick, steamy ribbons of hand-cut noodle soup, served alongside pickled kimchi, and an optional hit of gochujang chilli paste.

The next reel moves into the sprawl of Gukje and Bupyeong Kkangtong markets, known as "Tin Can Alley.", a onetime smuggling hub for US Army canned goods. This labyrinthine neighborhood tells the story of the iconic tteokbokki, where chewy rice cakes are bathed in a velvet-red glaze, perfectly paired with gochu and ojingeo twigim - deep-fried peppers and squid battered into a golden crunch. Most visitors never really scratch the surface of this city’s food landscape, and our full specturm of 10+ tastings is designed to take you behind the lens.

While fish cakes are found all over Korea, Busan is the undisputed capital. It's where the umami-laden slabs became the protein fuel for a burgeoning working class. Follow the steam to seek handmade mandu, succulent dumplings wrapped with precision, before tucking into haemul pajeon, a craggy pancake loaded with the daily catch. It’s traditionally washed down with makgeolli rice wine, a companion of Korean labourers for centuries. Stroll past Bosu-dong Book Street, before working your chopsticks over tangles of Busan japchae, a unique take on glass noodles, and dwaeji gukbap pork rice soup - a masterclass in simplicity and sustenance.

A tour of the city would be incomplete without entering the world-famous Jagalchi market. Witness a technicolor display of writhing octopuses and prehistoric sea squirts, amidst a soundscape of thudding cleavers and harbour-side haggling. Just as a great director builds up to the cinematic climax, we spoon-dive into bingsu, a K-pop favourite featuring shaved ice as light as snow, and ssiat hotteok griddled sweet pancakes, stuffed with a buttery riot of sunflower seeds. This is a food tour that ignores the tourist scripts and goes straight for the real Busan food scene. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of Busan’s culinary history, with time well spent navigating the secret recipes that have been feeding locals for decades.