What to eat in Korea: a no-fear food guide

For first-timers — what to order, what it costs, how to survive the spice

Korean food is one of the best parts of visiting or living here — and you don't need to speak Korean to eat well. Most restaurants specialize in one thing, portions are generous, and the free side dishes keep coming. Here's how to order with confidence.

Dishes that are hard to get wrong

• Korean BBQ (고기 / gogi) — you grill the meat yourself at the table. Order samgyeopsal (pork belly) or galbi (marinated ribs). Staff often help with the grilling if you look unsure.
• Bibimbap — rice with vegetables, egg, and gochujang (red pepper paste); mix it all together. Usually mild unless you add more paste.
• Kimbap — seaweed rice rolls, cheap and everywhere. A safe, non-spicy snack or light meal.
• Bulgogi — sweet marinated beef, almost never spicy — a good "safe" order.
• Korean fried chicken (치킨) — order "half-half" (반반) to get both soy-garlic and spicy.
• Naengmyeon — cold buckwheat noodles, a summer lifesaver.

Surviving the spice

Not everything is spicy, but the red ones usually are. Handy words:

• Not spicy, please — "an maepge haejuseyo" (안 맵게 해주세요)
• Milder-by-default picks: bulgogi, galbi, kimbap, gyeranjjim (steamed egg), most soups labeled 곰탕/설렁탕.
• Spicy classics to approach carefully: tteokbokki, buldak, jjamppong, kimchi jjigae.
• Water won't help much — rice, egg, or the free side dishes cut the heat better.

How Korean restaurants work

• Side dishes (banchan) are free and refillable — just ask or point.
• Many places have a call button on the table; press it instead of waving.
• No tipping. The price on the menu is what you pay.
• Pay at the counter on the way out, not at the table, at most casual places.
• Water and sometimes tea are self-serve and free.

Rough prices (casual meals)

• Kimbap / a simple noodle dish: around ₩4,000–7,000
• Bibimbap / a rice meal: around ₩8,000–12,000
• Korean BBQ: roughly ₩15,000–25,000 per person
• Convenience-store meal (great value): ₩3,000–6,000

Not sure what that is in your currency? Check today's rate with our exchange-rate tool.

Vegetarian / halal / allergies

Pure vegetarian is harder than you'd expect — many "vegetable" dishes use fish sauce or anchovy broth. Look for temple-food (사찰음식) spots, Indian/Middle-Eastern restaurants, or use a translation app to say your restriction clearly. Halal restaurants cluster around Itaewon in Seoul. For allergies, show the Korean word for your allergen on your phone — staff take it seriously.

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