Eating in Korea

Korean cuisine is more than barbeque and kimchi. A rich heritage of spices, seafood and a strong agricultural heritage puts a tasty meal on every table in South Korea.

Table Manners

Most Korean restaurants from Seoul to Busan serve traditional Korean meals on low tables with customers seated on cushions on the floor. Shoes are left at the door, and there may be boxes or shelves there to hold your shoes. Shoe stealing is uncommon so don’t be concerned about it.Koreans eat with a combination of thin stainless steel chopsticks and long handled spoons usually found cradled in ornately carved wooden boxes set in strategic spots on the table. You can impress your friends by grabbing every morsel of rice with your chopsticks, but Koreans will usually use the spoon for rice. Chopsticks will however, deftly snatch food from a delectable assortment of sliced vegetables, sprouts, fruit and kimchi, out of little bowls strewn across the table. Desserts are rarely offered, but a soothing cup of cold ginseng tea with cinnamon and pine nuts sits in for the usual western decaf after dinner.

Come One, Come All

At most restaurants, food is served communal style with the number of side dishes. “Banchan” is an indication of the fanciness of the meal. More banchan means higher class dinning. Three to a dozen dishes are set in the middle of the table and each diner gets their own bowl of rice, soup and main dish, unless the main dish is being prepared on a grill built into the table.

Peculiarly Korean

Barbeque Bulgogi is a traditional meal that you must order at least once during your stay in South Korea. This marinated beef starts out as a slab of raw meat on your grill, and it maybe up to you to finish cooking it to your taste. Scissors are the weapon of choice for slicing thin strips to pass to other guests at your table. Bimpen bop is a traditional dish that may be found on the menu for every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Often served in a piping hot stone bowl, this meal features rice with an assortment of fresh and cooked vegetables topped with an egg on top, sunny side up. Experienced diners stir the egg to mix the broken yolk in with the rice and vegetables, and the locals douse various amounts of hot sauce or red pepper paste into the dish. You may want to skip this part if you are not used to spicy foods. Kimchi is not just made from cabbage. Radishes, green beans, cucumbers and a variety of garden vegetables may be among the banchan at your table for all three meals.

Rice in a Square Meal

Rice is the foundation for every meal, even breakfast. Water is served during most meals, but sometimes you have to ask for it. For breakfast, you may find a glass of what looks like dirty water at your place setting. This is barley water, a traditional beverage that is good for the digestion and has a mild nutty taste.

Lettuce for Tacos

Your table may have a small plate of individually stacked lettuce leaves. This is the Korean equivalent of a soft taco shell or tortilla. Use one leaf to scoop up vegetables and rice and eat it like a taco. Squares of nori , or dried seaweed, serve the same purpose and make a convenient way to get every last bite of a tasty meal.