Korean street toast is an omelette sandwich that is filled with crunchy vegetables and cheese. The combination of flavors make this sandwich unique and super delicious- it is buttery, crispy, savory, and sweet!
My first time having gilgeori toast in Korea was such a trip. My mom made it all the time at home, but at that time I didn’t know it as gilgeori toast- I thought it was just a sandwich my mom made up using gyeran mari (Korean rolled omelettes). The first time I had gilgeori toast from a street vendor, it looked and tasted strangely familiar, then I realized I had been eating it my whole life, not knowing it was an actual thing in Korea hahaha.
Korean street toast is basically a sweet & savory breakfast sandwich. It is prepared using milk bread slices that are toasted in butter to crispy perfection, then filled with cheese, a crunchy vegetable omelette, and topped with sugar, ketchup, and mayo. I prefer my street toast with some breakfast meats like ham, sausage, or spam. And for personal taste, I also add some Tabasco which is my favorite hot sauce- especially for breakfast!
Ingredients
Bread- you can use regular white or wheat bread slices, but I think Korean street toast tastes best when made with either milk bread or brioche. I always get my milk bread from a Korean bakery called Paris Baguette, but one of these days I will come up with my own recipe to make at home!
Butter– you’ll need butter to toast the bread slices and to cook the egg/veggie filling.
Veggies- this sandwich is made mostly of vegetables. It has sliced cabbage, onions, carrots, and green onion.
Eggs- the eggs are what hold the veggies together, kinda like a pancake. Who doesn’t love an egg sandwich?
Spam- I add spam to my street toast for added flavor and source of protein. You can also add ham, sausage, bacon, or whatever protein you want. You can also omit this all together.
American cheese- this is another optional ingredient. If you don’t like cheese, just leave it out. You can also use a different kind of cheese if you prefer.
Condiments- this may sound like a weird combo to some, but it is very common in Korea to add some sweetness to savory street foods. Gilgeori toast is characterized by it’s savory flavor with added sweetness from sugar sprinkled all over, plus ketchup and mayo. I add Tabasco to mine for personal taste. Try it, it’s really good!
Tips for making the best Korean street toast
Sugar– do not skip the sugar! I believe this is one of the most important ingredients in Korean street toast. My recipe calls for 1 tsp of sugar but you may want to add more. 1 tsp is enough for me but my husband likes it even sweeter- 2 tsp for him.
Tabasco– this is not a traditional ingredient for Korean street toast but I have to have my spice. I absolutely LOVE Tabasco in this. Please try it! Tabasco is already a match made in heaven with breakfast sandwiches- and mixed with ketchup, sugar, and mayo? SO GOOD. This sauce combo is dangerous.
Ratio– try to stick to the recipe measurement as closely as possible. I used a scale to weigh out the ingredients for you so that the ratio of egg/veggies/bread is just right. It matters!
Bread- if you’re the type of person who judges a sandwich by the bread, here’s how to make the best buttery toasted bread- make sure you are using milk bread or brioche. These types of breads absorb and cook in butter beautifully, leaving a nicely toasted color and texture. You want the bread to be crispy but not too hard when you bite into the sandwich. If your bread got some good color but its too soft, you probably used too much butter. This last part is a bit extra, but I also recommend resting your bread on a cooling rack while the omelette is cooking so that it doesn’t get soft on one side.
One distinct memory I have from my first time ordering gilgeori toast, is that it was handed to me in a disposable cup! I thought it was so cool and such a great & easy way to eat a sandwich on the go without making too much of a mess.
You do not need to serve it this way, I did just for aesthetic purposes and to show you how some street vendors serve it. When I make it at home, I usually just cut it in half and serve on a plate.
However if you do want to serve your Korean street toast like this, I got all my supplies from Daiso (Japanese dollar store). All you really need is a wide mouthed disposable cup and some oil absorbing paper for food. The ones I purchased from Daiso are biodegradable and very affordable.
Korean Street Toast- 길거리토스트 (Gilgeori Toast)
Ingredients
- 2 slices Milk bread, brioche, or white bread
- 2 tbsp butter split
- 1 slice American cheese
Omelette
- 2 small eggs
- 2 oz cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 oz carrots thinly sliced
- 1 oz onion thinly sliced
- 1 green onion chopped
- 2 oz spam or ham, sausage, bacon (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Condiments
- 1 tsp sugar
- ketchup
- Kewpie mayo
- Tabasco
Instructions
- Mix together cabbage, onion, green onion, carrot, eggs, salt, and the optional spam. Set aside.
- Melt 1 tbsp butter on a pan over medium heat, then add the bread slices.
- Flip over after 1-2 minutes, then let the other side toast for another 1-2 minutes. The bread should sound very crispy when you run a knife across it. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same pan, then add the omelette mix. Form a rectangular shape, the same size as the two slices of bread.
- When the egg starts to take shape, split the rectangle in half to make two squares the same size as the bread.
- Flip over when the bottom is lightly browned and crispy.
- Add a slice of American cheese on top of one of the pieces. Continue cooking until the bottom of the omelettes become lightly browned and crispy.
- Layer the other piece on top of the cheese and remove from heat (This is to make sure the cheese melts- I REALLY dislike when cheese slices are not melted in sandwiches!).
- Place on top of one of the toasted bread slices.
- Sprinkle over the sugar.
- Add Kewpie mayo, ketchup, and Tabasco
- Cut in half to serve or wrap in paper and put into a paper cup for eating on the go.
This Post Has 3 Comments
Yummy! I made this with gluten free bread. I used avocado mayo because that is all I have. I ate it with store bought Kimchi. Thanks for the recipe.
I made it yesterday and its OMG!!! The most delicious sandwich I’ve ever had. I’m gonna do it today either, incredible. Thanks for an amazing recipe, love your blog!
Delicious, I just made it today and it was amazing. Instead of using milk bread I used a bagel and omg this is definitely going to be on my rotation