A bacon cheese burger sits on a rooftop table at The 100 Food Truck in central Seoul's Haebangchon. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
Every time I drive around Mount Nam's Sowol-gil, I catch a strong aroma of what smells like someone's backyard barbecue back in North America, right before the road into Haebangchon. It took me a while to trace that aroma back to its source: The 100 Food Truck, which is one of my favorite burger joints in Seoul.
The 100 Food Truck is definitely not a food truck, at least not anymore. It's in a two-story building high up on the hill of Haebangchon, on the upper of two roads heading toward Huam-dong from the five-way intersection.
You walk in, and you're facing the ground-floor kitchen. Go up the stairs to the seating area, and you're faced with big picture windows leading to an outside space where you are presented with phenomenal views of the city. There is also extra seating on the rooftop.
The view is worth the visit, but it also happens that the food is good enough to match it. The 100 is mostly about burgers, with the signature 100 Burger that comes with a savory basil sour cream sauce and whole grain mustard. There are a handful of other variations, with the bacon cheeseburger standing with its thickly cut slice of domestic bacon that is said to have been "seasoned and rubbed for 14 days." There is also a Mexican burger that has guacamole and salsa, which I haven't tried yet because I haven't gotten bored of the more basic burgers. But simpler seems better — it's the meat that will knock you off a mountain, not the toppings.
The 100 also has sandwiches, with a pretty good Cubano panini and a BLT I've yet to try. They even have a beef ribs steak set available for what this Albertan considers a pretty high price. The place also offers a pretty good beer menu, so you have something to sip while you enjoy the view.
If there is one main problem with The 100, it is the lack of seats at dinner time (and sunset). If you want a good seat where you can enjoy the view, you might have to wait. Fortunately, there are some other good places in the same alley where you can pop in for a drink while you wait, such as The Royal and Brewers.
A few years ago, The 100 opened its second location, The 100 Terrace, in the area known as "Yongnidan" near Sinyongsan Station. It is nice and big and also seems to have outdoor seating despite not having the fantastic view provided by the HBC location. But if you want to just enjoy the food without feeling rushed to get out of the way of the next customers, this location might be a little more relaxing to visit.
There is even a third location now at The Hyundai in Yeouido, operating out of what looks like a bus serving customers in a food court area in the first basement level. This one seems to be about 1,000 won more expensive than the other locations, which probably won't hurt you if you're the kind of person who spends time in Yeouido. It also has a few unique menu items, including a chili dog, chicken burger and something they're calling a "100 Mac" Burger — or in Korean, "Baek Mac," which made me do a double take.
The 100 Food Truck in the basement of The Hyundai mall in Seoul's Yeouido actually looks like a truck. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
The hours for each of the three locations all differ slightly, and one advertises a mid-afternoon break while the others don't mention one. Importantly, they are all open every day of the week, not taking Mondays off — which wins them extra bonus points, since I had to make this article on a Monday. For whatever reason, only The 100 Terrace is available on Shuttle Delivery. Visit fb.com/the100foodtruck for more information.
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