One of the best parts of traveling in Korea is souvenir shopping. You’re probably already planning a run to Olive Young, Daiso, Lotte Mart, or Emart to pick up gifts for family and friends — but did you know that No Brand, Emart’s own private-label line, offers seriously impressive quality for the price?
If Costco has Kirkland, Emart has No Brand.
From everyday essentials to groceries, No Brand covers every category so well that many Korean locals go to Emart specifically to shop for No Brand products. Today, I’m sharing the top 10 No Brand food items that locals love.
Top 10 Emart No Brand Picks
1.Oldiestaco Nacho Chips (₩2,380)
No Brand teamed up with Euljiro 3-ga’s hotspot “Oldiestaco ” for this one. The packaging alone is bold, right? Inside is a chipotle sauce, and the flavor is close to Subway’s taco salad. These nacho chips are already great on their own as a beer snack, and if you mix in some canned tuna and mash it all together with a spoon, you get a whole new flavor. It’s a collab item, so grab it while you still see it on shelves.
2. Choco Biscuit (₩3,280)
Think of it as the budget-friendly version of Bichobi. A thick layer of chocolate coats each biscuit, giving it a creamy, sweet bite, while the biscuit itself has a texture close to a Digestive biscuit. It comes individually wrapped with about 20 pieces inside, which makes it easy to share.
3. Caramel Chocolate Waffle Cone (₩3,980)
Costco has a similar product, but this one is way cheaper!
This is basically the “waffle cone tip” snack — you know, the part of a ‘World Cone’ ice cream that some people eat the ice cream just to get to. The waffle cone is crunchy and the chocolate flavor runs deep. It’s individually wrapped too, so it’s easy to carry around and snack on. It does contain palm oil, so don’t overdo it — just have a few pieces for a quick sugar boost while you’re out sightseeing.
4. Yeongdeok Snow Crab Meat Sauce (Daegaesal-jang) (₩3,480)
If you’ve tried gejang in Korea (things like ganjang gejang or crab shell fried rice) and loved it, this one’s a must-try. It’s canned, so you can easily enjoy red crab (hongge) innards and crab meat. The briny taste is well balanced, so it’s easy for anyone to enjoy, with the naturally sweet, savory umami that’s classic to gejang. Just spoon it over rice with a drizzle of sesame oil and mix it all together — it tastes exactly like the gejang you’d get at a Korean crab restaurant.
Tip for the best flavor: cooked rice + a can of daegaesal-jang + 1 spoon of sesame oil + 1 spoon of toasted sesame seeds, all wrapped in seasoned gim (dried seaweed).
5. Sweet Potato Latte & Red Bean Latte (₩5,480)
Each box comes with 20 packets. Since red beans (pat) and sweet potato are Korean specialty crops, this makes a more special gift than the usual coffee.
It’s a warm drink that’s perfect for winter. Mix it with milk or soy milk rather than just water, and you’ll get that same cafe taste. It also has brown rice and job’s tears (yulmu) flakes mixed in, giving it a nice crunchy texture. Each packet calls for about 90ml of water or milk, and people usually use 2 packets at a time — 2 packets with roughly 150ml of milk seems to be the sweet spot.
6. Purple Sweet Potato Chips (₩1,480)
No Brand’s potato chips are cheaper than Pringles, with a more savory, less greasy flavor! They come in ‘Original, Sour Cream, and Purple Sweet Potato’ f’lavors, and my top pick is the purple sweet potato one. Most sweet-potato-flavored snacks in Korea tend to be on the thicker side, or a soft, pie-like texture. No Brand’s purple sweet potato chips are different — thinly sliced, crispy potato chips with the nutty, subtly sweet flavor of purple sweet potato woven in. It’s a genuinely unique combination.
7. Buldak Perilla Oil Buckwheat Noodles (₩1,980)
This is another recent new release. perilla oil buckwheat noodles has been having a huge moment in Korea lately (as of 2026), and this one takes the already-delicious deulgireum( perilla) makguksu and adds spicy buldak sauce for an extra kick. There’s no way this doesn’t taste good! The fragrant perilla oil fills your mouth first, then the spicy buldak sauce hits right after with a real punch. You can eat it warm or cold, but I’d recommend having it cold (naengmyeon-style). It’s shelf-stable, so it also makes a great gift to bring home.
8. Cheese Crust Pizza (₩5,980)
If your accommodation has a microwave, No Brand’s cheese crust pizza is a great late-night beer snack or breakfast, I highly recommend it. The crust has a nice chewy texture and isn’t too thin, so it’s actually filling. It’s loaded with a cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend, which might sound like it’d be greasy, but the slightly spicy tomato sauce underneath cuts right through that. The amount of cheddar cheese packed into the crust is honestly impressive. It’s the perfect size for two people to split, so it’s great value too!
9. Gimbugak Snack (₩2,080)
Do you like Bibigo’s gimbugak snack? This is basically the budget version. It has the crunchy texture of a corn snack, combined with the flavor of gimbugak (fried seaweed) and sesame oil, giving it a nutty, savory-salty taste. This one’s also a great beer snack, so I recommend it.
10. Memil Kimchi Jeonbyeong (Buckwheat Kimchi Crepe) (₩5,480)
It comes with 6 large, palm-sized pieces. At a Korean restaurant, you’d usually pay around ₩6,000 for just 3–4 pieces of memil kimchi jeonbyeong, so this is basically half price. The tastiest way to eat it is to pan-fry it with a little oil, but if you’re traveling and don’t have access to a frying pan, microwaving it for 1 minute 30 seconds on each side works great too. It has kimchi inside, so it has a slightly spicy kick. It pairs really well with makgeolli, so I’d recommend it as a late-night snack at your accommodation.
Recommended Emart No Brand Store Locations
Emart stores are located in major downtown areas, so you can just head to the one near your accommodation. For a location that’s both near tourist spots and spacious enough for comfortable shopping, I’d recommend “Emart Yongsan” inside Yongsan I’Park Mall, or “Emart Mapo” right next to Gongdeok Station
TIP! No Brand Standalone Stores
If you specifically want to shop for No Brand products, I’d recommend visiting a dedicated No Brand store! They’re less crowded than the large Emart hypermarkets, and they carry the full No Brand lineup. There are about 10 No Brand stores in Seoul alone, including locations in Gyeongdong Market, Dongdaemun Doota, and near Sinchon Station — so search for the one nearest you and be sure to check it out! without waiting.
| If you’re curious about hotels near the No Brand and Emart stores, check out my review of Hotel Naru M, which has Han River night views |
| If you are curious about Gimbap with Soju in Seoul, please check out my review of Bada Phocha Dolsum Itaewon (Featured in the Korean Gimbap Guidebook) |