Have you ever eaten and still felt hungry? Like that semi-pricey meal just didn’t quite hit the spot. There’s a lingering feeling.

Sometimes you don’t want to eat solo, and while delivery food service will promise a hot meal, our evasive brains sometimes want sumptuous snacks to satisfy. 

Well, I found that the oft dismissed convenience store can be a versatile and quick fix for cravings which have no name. 

Sweet, savory, tangy, earthy, refreshing, cool, warm, brothy, and saccharine. You can add protein, fat, vitamins, and an alcoholic buzz to settle into the evening watching tv. 

Not every Korean convenience store is alike, and there can be interesting differences in the products carried between chains. These differences can be neighborhood dependent– demographics like college students or international communities can change the store’s offerings. 

Even though convenience has a reputation of being unhealthy and processed, with a little creativity you can build a healthy and nutritious meal at the Korean convenience store. Plus, the flexibility of permutations means you can flexibly treat yourself throughout the day. A pre-meal, a snack, girl dinner…

In the pictured light meal which I put together in less than 5 minutes and for less than 12,000₩ , I got  

1. vitamin packed carrot juice (4.5/5)
2. savory shoyu ramen (4/5)
3. real greek yogurt (5/5)
4. matcha chocolate covered ice cream bar (4.5/5)
5. can of peach ice tea highball that I poured into (4/5)
6. an ice cup (NA)

With an overall rating of 4.4/5, this Samgakji GS25 mini haul was in fact 99% satisfying because of 2 very important reasons.

First, the pressure and expectations were low, so low that the payoff was high.

With the food products low in cost and purchase time negligible, you are using very little resources. Meanwhile, the time and money spent on a restaurant meal that might not be satisfying will suck. 

Second, the variety and portability means it’s far more personalizable and fits into your lifestyle easily. Remember, not every convenience store is alike, some carry different products depending on location, season, day of week, and even time of day. It may take a little foraging (convenience store foraging) but this is half the joy of it. 

To be clear, this is not advocating replacing hot meals, but I do think Korean convenience stores can boost your life. And I’m not saying we are like pets (that’s exactly what I’m saying), but sometimes we need a pick-me-up treat throughout our day….That’s when some sips from a mini (concentrated) carrot juice box can elevate your mood and make your day a little brighter.