Busan local food

Dongnae Pajeon — Busan's Steamed Green Onion Pancake: History, How It Differs, and Where to Eat It

Whole scallions, seafood and rice-flour batter cooked under a lid — a dish said to have been offered to the king

By Busan.net editors · Published Nov 1, 2026 · 한국어로 보기

Dongnae pajeon (동래파전) is a thick green onion pancake from Dongnae in Busan. Whole scallions are laid side by side, topped with seafood, beef, rice-flour batter and egg, then cooked under a lid so it half-steams. Stories say a Joseon-era Dongnae magistrate offered it to the king, and that it was a banquet dish before it spread through the Dongnae market. It is still eaten around Dongnae today, and spring (March to May) is the best season for the green onions.

Illustration of a thick green onion pancake with seafood cooking on a round cast-iron griddle — Illustrative image — Dongnae pajeon cooking on a cast-iron griddle. Not an actual shop photo.

Dongnae pajeon in one line

A pancake made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour instead of wheat, and cooked under a lid rather than fried crisp in lots of oil. The outside turns golden while the inside stays soft and moist, and the scallions keep their fragrance and sweetness.

Korean	동래파전 (Dongnae pajeon) — Dongnae 동래 (a district of Busan) + pa 파 (green onion) + jeon 전 (pan-cooked pancake)
Made of	Scallions, water parsley, shellfish and seafood (clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp), beef, egg, rice and glutinous rice flour. Some shops mix in wheat-based frying flour. Not vegetarian, not for shellfish allergies.
Spice	Not spicy. Usually dipped in cho-gochujang (sweet-sour chili sauce) or soy sauce.
How it's served	One large, thick pancake per order — good for sharing between two or more, often with makgeolli (rice wine).
Price	A mid-priced shared dish. Prices are on the menu.

Where it came from — a banquet dish that went to market

No written record pins down its exact origin, but several stories are told:

A pancake for the king: A Joseon-era magistrate of Dongnae is said to have sent Dongnae pajeon to the king on Samjitnal, the third day of the third lunar month.
A banquet food: When Dongnae was a regional government seat, pajeon is said to have been a special dish served at banquets held by the gyobangcheong (the office that trained female entertainers, gisaeng) for visiting officials and foreign envoys.
Into the market: In the late Joseon era, after the gisaeng were freed from their status, some made a living selling food around the Dongnae market, and pajeon spread to ordinary people.
Everyday food by the 1960s: It is thought to have become a popular dish around the 1960s. People used to joke that they went to the Dongnae market just to eat pajeon.

Some families in Dongnae have made pajeon for four generations, starting on market days in the 1950s. Busan's mix of nearby sea (for seafood) and fertile fields (for green onions) is often given as the reason the dish was born here.

What makes it different — scallions, rice flour and the lid

The green onions

Cooks use thin Korean scallions (jjokpa), laid whole and straight. Dongnae once grew its own, but with fewer local farms today most shops use green onions from Gijang, known for being tender and sweet.

Batter and toppings

A batter of non-glutinous and glutinous rice flour goes over the scallions, followed by water parsley, seafood such as clams, mussels, oysters and shrimp, beef, and beaten egg.

The lid

The pancake cooks on a round griddle, and at the end it is covered with a lid so it steams. This keeps the onion aroma in — the biggest difference from an ordinary pajeon.

	Ordinary pajeon	Dongnae pajeon
Batter	Wheat flour or pancake mix	Rice flour and glutinous rice flour
Cooking	Pan-fried in oil until crisp	Cooked on a griddle, then steamed under a lid
Texture	Crispy	Moist and soft, strong onion flavour
Main ingredients	Green onion, seafood	Scallions, water parsley, seafood, beef, egg

Some newer shops mix frying flour and gardenia water for a crisper outside, while others keep the old rice-flour-and-lid method — comparing the two is part of the fun.

Whole scallions topped with seafood being cooked under a lid on a griddle — Illustrative image — scallions laid side by side, topped with rice-flour batter, seafood and egg, then covered to steam. Not an actual shop photo.

How to eat it

Pull it apart with chopsticks: The inside is soft, so it tears easily along the scallions — no knife needed.
Dip it: Many shops serve cho-gochujang (sweet-sour chili sauce) rather than only soy sauce. Try both.
Add makgeolli: Busan's traditional Geumjeong Sanseong makgeolli, a slightly tart rice wine, is the classic match.
Come in a group: One pancake is large and filling, so it's best shared.
Best in spring: March to May, when green onions are at their sweetest and most tender — but it's served all year.

Useful Korean: "동래파전 하나 주세요" (Dongnae pajeon hana juseyo) — "One Dongnae pajeon, please." "막걸리 한 병 주세요" (makgeolli han byeong juseyo) — "A bottle of makgeolli, please."

Dongnae pajeon with chili dipping sauce and a bowl of rice wine — Illustrative image — Dongnae pajeon with cho-gochujang dipping sauce and makgeolli. Not an actual shop photo.

Where to eat it in Busan

As the name says, it belongs to Dongnae-gu in north-central Busan, served by Busan Metro Lines 1 and 4. Look around the Dongnae Market area, which carries on the old Dongnae market, and the rest of Dongnae. Dongnae was the seat of the Joseon-era regional government, so a pajeon lunch fits well with a walk through the old town. If you enjoy the makgeolli, Geumjeongsan's Sanseong village, where it is brewed, is the next stop.

We list areas, not restaurant rankings. Opening days and hours vary by shop.

FAQ

What is Dongnae pajeon?

Dongnae pajeon is a thick green onion pancake from Dongnae, Busan. Whole scallions are topped with seafood, beef, rice-flour batter and egg, then cooked under a lid so it steams.

How is Dongnae pajeon different from regular pajeon?

It uses rice flour and glutinous rice flour instead of wheat and is steamed under a lid rather than fried crisp, so it is moist and soft with a strong green onion flavour.

Is it true Dongnae pajeon was offered to the king?

That is a story passed down — a Joseon-era Dongnae magistrate is said to have sent it to the king — but there is no exact written record to confirm it.

Is Dongnae pajeon vegetarian or gluten-free?

No. It contains seafood, shellfish, beef and egg. The traditional batter is rice flour, but some shops add wheat-based frying flour, so ask if you need to avoid gluten.