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Guide · Korean food

What to order at a Korean restaurant, past the grill.

Korean barbecue gets the attention, but most Korean restaurants are about stews bubbling in stone pots, rice bowls, noodles, pancakes and fried chicken — with a dozen little side dishes arriving before you order anything. Here is what to order for two and for a group, what each dish is, and the table manners that matter.

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In short

At a Korean restaurant, order one stew and one rice or noodle dish per two people, and share. For two: kimchi jjigae or sundubu jjigae, bibimbap, and japchae or a seafood pancake to share. For a group: add bulgogi, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and a budae jjigae pot in the middle. The banchan (side dishes) are free and usually refilled on request; don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice, don’t lift your rice bowl, and pour for elders with two hands. Korean BBQ works differently — see our Korean BBQ guide.

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For two

A first-timer order for two.

  • One stew: kimchi jjigae (sour, spicy, pork and tofu) or sundubu jjigae (silken tofu, gentler unless you ask for it hot).
  • One rice dish: bibimbap — ask for it in a hot stone bowl (dolsot) if they have it, so the rice crisps at the bottom.
  • One to share: japchae or a seafood pancake (haemul pajeon).
  • The banchan come free with the meal — you do not order them.

For a group

For four to six people.

Cheat sheet

Eighteen Korean dishes, in one line each.

Grilling at the table is its own ritual, with its own order and etiquette — our Korean BBQ guide covers it.

Common Korean restaurant dishes and what they are
What it is
BibimbapRice topped with vegetables, meat, egg and gochujang; mix it all before eating
Kimchi jjigaeKimchi stew with pork and tofu
Sundubu jjigaeSoft tofu stew, often with seafood and an egg cracked in
Budae jjigae“Army stew” with sausage, ham, ramen noodles and rice cakes — a sharing pot
BulgogiThin slices of marinated beef, sweet and savoury
JapchaeGlass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and beef
TteokbokkiChewy rice cakes in a sweet, spicy red sauce
KimbapSeaweed rice rolls with vegetables, egg and meat — a snack or picnic food
Korean fried chickenTwice-fried chicken, plain or glazed in sweet-spicy sauce
DakgalbiSpicy stir-fried chicken with rice cakes and cabbage
Kimchi fried riceRice fried with kimchi, usually with a fried egg on top
JajangmyeonNoodles in black bean sauce — a Korean-Chinese classic
JjamppongSpicy seafood noodle soup, also Korean-Chinese
NaengmyeonCold buckwheat noodles in icy broth, best in summer
Haemul pajeonA savoury seafood and spring onion pancake, cut into pieces to share
SamgyeopsalPork belly grilled at the table — that is the Korean BBQ side of the menu
BingsuShaved milk ice with sweet toppings
HotteokA pan-fried pancake filled with brown sugar syrup

At the table

Korean table manners that matter.

  • Banchan are free, and refills usually are too. Ask the server; some places have a self-service banchan bar. Be reasonable — refills are generous, not bottomless.
  • Everything is shared. Banchan and main dishes go in the middle; everyone takes from them.
  • Never stand chopsticks upright in rice. Etiquette guides call it the single most offensive mistake a visitor can make.
  • Leave the rice bowl on the table. In Korea you eat from your rice and soup bowls without lifting them.
  • Two hands for elders. Pour for older people first, with two hands, and receive a pour with two hands. When drinking with seniors, turn your head away as you sip.
  • Calling the server. Many tables have a call bell. With no bell, raise a hand and say “jeogiyo” (excuse me).
  • Paying. Usually at the counter on the way out. Tipping is not customary in Korea.

Keep it

Twelve banchan, one photo.

A Korean table is the most photogenic in any city: a bubbling stew, a stone bowl and a dozen little dishes. One photo is enough for PlateDiary to cut out every dish — the stew, the japchae, the kimchi — each as its own save in one moment. Name them later, or not at all; the “eaten 6×” count still finds your favourite stew.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. Seoul Tourism — Korean dining etiquette: complete visitor’s guide (September 2026)
  2. Stars and Stripes Korea — Dining out at restaurants (October 2026)
  3. Wikipedia — Korean cuisine

Questions

Questions people ask.

What should I order at a Korean restaurant for the first time?

For two: a kimchi or soft tofu stew, a bibimbap and japchae or a seafood pancake to share. For a group, add bulgogi, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and a budae jjigae pot.

Are banchan free at Korean restaurants?

Yes. Banchan come with the meal at no extra charge, and most restaurants refill them when you ask, or have a self-service bar.

How do you call a server in a Korean restaurant?

Press the call bell on the table if there is one. Otherwise raise your hand and say “jeogiyo”, which means “excuse me”.

Do you tip at Korean restaurants?

Not in Korea, where tipping is not customary and you usually pay at the counter. Abroad, follow the local custom.