Dining Out

Korea is filled with endless amazing food options, and most traditional foods incorporate relatively familiar ingredients like seafood, tofu, chicken, pork, and beef for proteins, as well as root vegetables, salad greens, cabbage varieties, garlic, and onions. From street food vendors to world class restaurants, there’s something for every taste bud. While Western and European-style food options are common, there are some popular dishes that are synonymous with South Korean cuisine. Don’t forget that banchan (small side dishes) are served alongside each meal, similar to appetizers. 

Galbi (갈비): Commonly called “Korean barbeque” this will be unseasoned or marinated meat, typically short ribs, that is grilled in the middle of your table. You can grill it yourself, or often a hostess will grill it for you. Galbi is eaten by itself or as a “make it yourself” lettuce wrap with garlic and sauces. 

Bulgogi (불고기): Thin slices of beef marinated in sweet spices and flavoring. Once marinated, it is grilled and served, similarly to galbi. 

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살구이): Essentially a very thick strip of pork belly, similar to uncured bacon. Cooked on a tabletop grill or served already grilled/baked/boiled, you eat it with an assortment of side dishes. You want to get the full flavor of the meat first by just dipping it in a little salt. Then, try it with kimchi or garlic. A popular way for Koreans to eat samgyeopsal is wrapped in lettuce (called ‘ssam’). 

Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom-tongdak / 양념통닭): Fried chicken is incredibly popular and its unique “extra crispy” reputation comes from double-frying with a ricebased flour. When ordering you will have many sauce options to try, and it’s common to mix flavors to try both at once. 

Army Stew (Budae-jjigae / 부대찌개): Food was very scarce throughout the Korean 

Peninsula during the war, so many Koreans would receive smuggled leftovers from American soldiers. They would take whatever ingredients they had and put it all into a stew called budaejjigae, or “Korean Army Stew”. While ingredients vary based on region, and ordering additional toppings like noodles, rice cakes, and cheese is common, expect a thick soup with spicy, savory broth, kimchi, Spam, beans, and sausages. 

Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang / 삼계탕): Commonly eaten during the hottest days of summer, this flavorful soup is often regarded as an energy-boosting meal. The soup features a small chicken stuffed generously with rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujube in a clear broth with vegetables and rice cakes. 

Gimbap (김밥): A seaweed rice roll made of rice wrapped in thin dried seaweed, with a wide variety of fillings to choose from. Classic ingredients can include carrot, eggs, spinach, and cucumber, with proteins like tuna, imitation crab, ham, or egg. These convenient “grab and go” snacks are found in all convenience stores and street markets, and range from $2-$5 each. 

Bibimbap (비빔밥): Bibim (비빔) translates as “mixed,” and bap (밥) means “cooked rice,” since Koreans often mix it all together before eating. This “all in one” rice bowl typically has an assortment of seasoned vegetables, fried egg, and is often served with a spicy red pepper paste. Add the paste gradually and taste it to make sure it’s to your liking. Tteokbokki (떡볶이): Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food of chewy rice cakes 

(tteok) cooked in a savory and spicy red broth and mixed with cabbage, fish cakes, and boiled eggs. It’s a popular Korean street food. You may also see Tteokbokki made with black soybean sauce or curry sauce. 

Sundae (순대): Sundae is a Korean steamed sausage made with beef or pork. While this may seem like one of the more challenging Korean foods among foreigners, Koreans love it. 

Note: You may wonder how to know what to expect when you order a soup with “guk”, “tang”, and “jjigae” in the name. Typically, “guk” has a thinner broth with simple ingredients, “tang” is a thicker broth and ingredients are cooked longer, and “jjigae” has a much thicker and heartier base broth with lots of ingredients, very similar to a stew.

Pro-Tips:

Restaurant Recommendations 

There are a lot of great restaurants around the region. Ask your friends and coworkers for recommendations, be sure to try them all!