Food Delivery Culture
Korea has one of the most advanced food delivery systems in the world. Almost any restaurant delivers, and delivery is often free or very cheap.
Delivery Apps
- Baedal Minjok (๋ฐฐ๋ฏผ) โ Largest selection. Korean only but easy to navigate with Papago.
- Coupang Eats โ English interface available. Fast delivery.
- Yogiyo (์๊ธฐ์) โ Similar to Baedal Minjok. Korean only.
Most delivery apps accept credit card or mobile payment. Minimum order amounts (๋ฐฐ๋ฌ ์ต์ ์ฃผ๋ฌธ) usually apply, typically 10,000โ15,000 KRW.
Korean Dishes to Know
Rice Dishes
- Bibimbap (๋น๋น๋ฐฅ) โ Mixed rice with vegetables, meat, and chili paste
- Gimbap (๊น๋ฐฅ) โ Rice rolls wrapped in seaweed
- Bokkeumbap (๋ณถ์๋ฐฅ) โ Fried rice
Soups and Stews
- Kimchi-jjigae (๊น์น์ฐ๊ฐ) โ Kimchi stew. Korea's most common home meal.
- Doenjang-jjigae (๋์ฅ์ฐ๊ฐ) โ Soybean paste stew
- Sundubu-jjigae (์๋๋ถ์ฐ๊ฐ) โ Soft tofu stew
- Samgyetang (์ผ๊ณํ) โ Ginseng chicken soup
Meat
- Samgyeopsal (์ผ๊ฒน์ด) โ Grilled pork belly
- Bulgogi (๋ถ๊ณ ๊ธฐ) โ Marinated grilled beef
- Dakgalbi (๋ญ๊ฐ๋น) โ Spicy stir-fried chicken
Noodles
- Jajangmyeon (์์ฅ๋ฉด) โ Black bean noodles
- Naengmyeon (๋๋ฉด) โ Cold buckwheat noodles
- Ramyeon (๋ผ๋ฉด) โ Korean instant noodles, a staple
Dining Etiquette
- Side dishes (๋ฐ์ฐฌ) are free and refillable โ just ask
- Elders eat first at group meals
- Do not pour your own drink in a group setting โ others pour for you
- Tipping is not practiced or expected in Korea
- Water and banchan are self-serve at most casual restaurants
For Dietary Restrictions
- Halal โ Limited options. Itaewon has the most halal restaurants. Check the Korea Muslim Food directory at koreahalal.org.
- Vegetarian/Vegan โ Challenging as many Korean dishes contain meat stock or fish sauce. Temple food restaurants (์ฌ์ฐฐ์์) are fully vegan. The app HappyCow lists vegetarian restaurants.
- Allergies โ Allergen labeling is required on packaged food but not always at restaurants. Learn the Korean words for your allergens.
Restaurant info and app features change frequently. Check current reviews before visiting.