What do you want to eat?

There is an absolute abundance of shit, greasy, bar/family restaurant type food (burgers, tacos, wings etc etc).

The hardest thing to find here eating out is decent, healthy, reasonably priced food.  Stir fry dishes, salad sandwiches with decent bread (decent bread would be an incredible addition to this city), meat and vegetables, good Kebabs, good gyros...

hmmmm...

u may be right but during my seven year stint in korea, five in the b-town, i did not find a single authentic taco or buffalo wing.  burgers were semi-decent but nothing like the ones back home.  As far as health goes, correct me if i'm wrong, but korean cuisine is very good for you.  i was able to lose 50 lbs on it so it couldn't be all bad...

i agree with the part about the bread though.  korean breads usually are way too sweet and milky which makes it hard to make decent sandwiches. 

thanks for your input...

The breads are too sweet here and even the ones you find that aren't sweet you bite into it and discover it has some bean paste or other nasty filling. Why do they do that?

Truthfully, the only decent chicken wings I've ever had here where on camp Hialayea(spelling?) about 10years ago. You might want to start with that.

When were you in Korea? The amount of western food here has increased significantly over the last few years to the point I was thinking to my self the other day "damn, anyone coming here these days has an easy time of it."

There are quite a few bars and restaurants and bars that do wings and tacos (Eva's. Geckos, Sharky's, Sunset, Fuzzy Navel off the top of my head).  I couldn't compare to America since I've never been there but for Korea and for people who like that kind of stuff it seems passable.

There seems to be a niche market for good quality, exclusively Mexican food but quite a few restaurants have tried and been unable to strike the balance.  There are also quite a few places that offer good sandwiches (Au Bon Pain, Bruscetta) with better than average bread but still not close to what could be served back home.

Some Korean food is very healthy but it's difficult to eat exclusively and it's kinda depressing that almost all of the non-Korean options aren't doing your body a whole lot of good.  Personally I don't cook, I have plenty of disposable income and if I found a place serving healthy, western meals for under 20,000 won I would probably eat there most days.

Does anyone actually crave Buffalo wings? Haha. 

I don't care what it is but I find 99% of the Western food here to be not good.  I can cook it at home for cheaper.  I'd almost always rather eat at a Korean or Japanese restaurant instead because of the mediocre quality.  Basically, make your food delicious and special.  Don't be one of those places that charges 10,000 won for what tastes like a frozen burger with a side of stale potato chips. 

OPS Bread is pretty good, but a wider choice would be appreciated.

With reference to the original post. I would love some good hearty comfort food that I would be able to find in any bar back home. Such as Beef and Guinness pie, Irish stew bangers and mash, a REAL English breakfast and fish and chips. Of course the problem lies in having the ingredients available to do these, and doing them well. I've made all at home in Korea, but it's often costly and timely and now and again would just like the option to eat out available.

And whoever the original poster is, think carefully about location, that could strongly influence your clientelle.

Location (as matt said) would be extremely important; feast or famine no pun intended for a restaurant biz. If you go in a university area you have to keep the prices low enough for students to patron and rely on volume. If you go into the richer areas the rent itself will dictate higher prices and more quality clientelle. 

Personally, I would never cater to breakfasts or at least not on weekends. Too many drunken foreigners on their last fumes, eye's squinting like gerbals coming out of their holes.

Ops bread = good... for Korea.  Lately I've been eating the rye from Costco which is all right but the loaves are so small.

Back to the OP, one thing I would really love to see is an actual restaurant serving decent food during eating hours as opposed to yet another bar serving burgers and wings of which there is an absolute abundance none of which I ever really get a chance to eat at because they all open after dinner time.

Not sure how long you have been away from Korea for but these days a lot of teachers (50%) are working 9-5 schedules in public schools and I also see a lot more hakkwons advertising things like 11-6 etc... so I think a restaurant cattering to foreigners would be much more viable these days than say 5 years ago when the vast majority of teachers weren't done work until 9 or 10.

Thinking you can come here and just open something up is kind of funny. When were you here last? In Haeundae there are now, as I cound it, 9 bars that cater to foreigners. There used to be two just a couple of years ago. Kyungsung is saturated and even Songjeong beach has a foreigner owned bar that won the contest for best burger in town. I used to be partners at two places here but the biz being split with all these bars, it was hard work. The only places to open would be Haeundae or Kyungsung but then you are competing with the normal restaurants like Outback and so on but also bars like RNR BAr, Sunset, Sharkys, Geckos, Fuzzy Navel, Thursday party and this is just Haeundae.  Kyungsung there are jsut as many places if not more.

And to be honest, slamming others food already is not going to win you many friends. It is a tight community here as you know so word of mouth makes or breaks you as much as location does. Saying a 'real burger' is a put off right from the get go. My friends work hard to make good food so try being a little more respectful. This is just a suggestion but I already dont like you and you are not even here so way to go! I hope your cooking is better than your PR skills.

thanks everyone for your input...

my most recent stint ended about 6 months ago so it hasn't been long.  like i said...i know there are places to do some of these dishes, but its just i myself never had anything of good quality. 

and whoever asked, buffalo wings have a cult like following.  it is a huge, huge business in the united states.  but i'm guessing from your ideas that you're from across the pond.

burgers would be of the highest quality, and prices would be set appropriately.  we have no intentions of going out there to strike it rich, just enjoy life, meet people, etc.

and btw, i am not one of the cooks.  i am an associate and an involved business partner.  i am also a member and moderator of this fine website, and have been trying my best to provide my two cents to anyone that has asked for years.  so i don't want anyone to think im a trolling new-comer, testing the waters for business ideas.  im really just curious as to know what people out there want.

proper salads and sandwiches seem like popular suggestions.  i guess we'll see how it pans out.

Hahahaha.

There's some decent Western fare here - even great.  HQ and Eva's really dial some stuff in... that said, I almost never go out for Western food.  I make sandwiches and Mexican at home when I'm in the mood, otherwise it's Korean all the way around.  So much to choose from and so cheap and good.

like others have said, good sandwiches (hot & cold) and salads are a must! and during those cold windy months, a nice hearty soup/sandwich set would be great. pretty hard to find yummy soup at a restaurant in busan.

and don't neglect the dessert menu!

good luck to you!

what's funny dude?  something wrong with you?

Nonsense- you obviously seem to know little about food or it's quality.The food here is for the mostly shite, especially in those you mention( in my opinion). I think they are all much of a muchness, as with most American food chain styles.Just my opininion

A World styled restaurant with some fast food would be good :like a real giant burger,giant (30 inch)pizza,Fish & Chips, Jeolafff Rice from Ghana,Goat curry, Granpea soup ,Shrimp , coconut & collared Greens curry would do well. Do a couple of exotics like Piri Piri, Tandoori. Do a real COSMO mix, and you
can win out. Coffee beef from Brazil and Peruvian Seviche is nice, but a risky strategy.

As you know, there's more money in Starters abnd Desserts.Something these f--kers don't understand.Something as simple as Cheddar fries( not Outback style), could be a good starter.Starters such as carnitos, chicken Livers, mini fish and chips would be a killer.Pies like Shepherd's pie, Steak and Ale, a meaty lasagne,Just my opinion.

OR

I think u need to go Giant size!!!!!!!!!Do giant foods like on Man V
Food.Giant sized pizzas, burgers would appeal to the big groups of
cheap skate foreign customers ( packs).Or big groups of Korean kids and University students looking for a themed experience.Most foreigners here are tight, in my opinion.

Don't listen to us- just do it- but be orginal, but do your market research.U need Koreans to buy, if you want to survive.Don't be overly worried about us, they have the money.

It's "pretty hard to find yummy soup at a restaurant in Busan?"  Are you serious?  Almost every Korean restaurant in this city serves up great soups...  wow.

Giant size?  Like some of the whoppers here need to get fatter?  Come on now.

And no chicken livers.  Please.

chicken livers? tharpster is that 'dak-dong-jip'? chicken ass? or is it the gullet? I've never gotten a straight answer from anyone in regards to what dong-jip really is.

Ignorance is bliss- Grand pea soups is a stew, it's a West African peanut stew. A man of your knowledge and travel would know that.

I'm talking about Chicken livers Piri Piri, wonderful dish from Portugal.I'd like some Pasties, Lamb, etc, on the menu.

@Lee:  Hahahaha.  Me too about the "dalk ddong jibs."  I don't think Koreans even really know which part they are, though I was told once and suspect that they are actually sliced up chicken intestines.

@Angel:  I'm sure much of the food you describe is delicious, but foreigners around here need no super sizing.  I see Westerners come over here all the time and totally hef out because they "don't like Korean food" and just eat pizza and pasta all the time.  As Seoul-based comedian Brian Aylward says:

"A lot of my Canadian friends complain how they can't eat Korea food.  It's called vegetables you fat f*ck."

Pasties?  Aren't those what burlesque dancers glue to their nipples?  I ain't eatin' that.

You're still a funny fella.Nice to see ya back online. LOL . You still about Dayendong, etc?

Did someone say pasties? Like Cornish pasties? I tried making them at home once, but couldn't find swede anywhere so used sweet potato instead, but wasn't the same. My pastry wasn't bad though!

AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! 

Mattsid, how could you? That is sacrilege!!!

You used sweet potato instead of swede??? 

Better no pastie than one without swede!!!!!!

Being Cornish, you are now talking to the original pasty man. Gotta admit, I think a proper pasty shop would do quite well out here, bearing in mind the variations on pasty fillings, from savoury to dessert. My mouth waters just with the thought of a real proper steak and veg pasty.

How about a kimchi pasty, or better still, maybe puppy pasty.

You probably know the origins of pasties, where the Cornish tin miners used to have one end filled with vegetables and the other end with fruit or jam. As the miners ate with dirty hands and in the dark, the crust( crinkled edge)
was used to hold the pasty and this was thrown away when the main part was eaten.  

Don't know how you made the pastry, but perhaps a recipe would be gratefully received by all of the "emmits" (non Cornish) out there to try. 

Beats the shit out of chicken wings, that's for sure.

Must be because I am from Devon. 

You guys are the kings of Ambrosia Creamed Rice though. 

Damn, I am making myself so hungry, you can hear the stomach grumbles from 200 metres away. 

If you ever serve peameal bacon, I'm there.

They are chicken gizzards. Think about how small and thin intestines would be.

Gyros.

A hot Phillies Cheeseburger!!   If it is from a beach in Côte d'Azur, Southern Frace, a huge provençal tuna sandwich, Pan Bagna is the best.