What to Order in Korea as a First-Timer

Korean menus can feel like a wall when you can't read them and every table around you seems to know exactly what to do. The good news is that a handful of dishes are easy to love on the first try, and once you know them you can walk into almost any restaurant and order with confidence.

The safe, easy wins

If you're not sure what to get, start here. None of these are aggressively spicy, and all are widely available.

• Bibimbap: rice topped with vegetables, a little meat, an egg and a spoon of chili paste you mix in yourself. You control the heat by how much paste you add, which makes it one of the easiest dishes for a first-timer.
• Bulgogi: thin beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce, closer to teriyaki than to anything fiery. Usually served with rice and side dishes.
• Japchae: chewy glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and a little beef, lightly sweet and not spicy at all.
• Galbi or LA galbi: marinated short ribs, grilled and tender. A crowd-pleaser.

Korean barbecue

Grilling meat at your own table is a whole experience, and it's very beginner-friendly because you cook it to your taste. Order samgyeopsal (thick pork belly) or galbi (marinated beef ribs), and the staff will often help with the grill. You wrap the cooked meat in a lettuce leaf with a dab of sauce, garlic and rice. The food and dining section covers more of what to order.

The famous spicy ones

Some of Korea's most famous dishes bring real heat. Try them, but know what you're getting into.

• Tteokbokki: chewy rice cakes in a sweet-spicy red sauce. A street-food classic, and spicier than it looks.

• Kimchi jjigae: a bubbling kimchi stew, sour and spicy and deeply savory.
• Dakgalbi: spicy stir-fried chicken with vegetables, often cooked at your table.

If you want the flavors without the burn, doenjang jjigae (a soybean-paste stew) is savory and mild, and Korean fried chicken comes in a soy-garlic version that isn't spicy at all.

Noodles and cold dishes

In summer, naengmyeon (chilled buckwheat noodles in an icy broth) is a local favorite and a genuine relief from the heat. Kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup) is a gentle, comforting option year-round.

How to order when you can't read the menu

A few things make it easy. Many restaurants have picture menus or an English menu if you ask. Pointing at what a neighboring table is eating is completely normal and usually gets a smile. And most Korean meals come with free side dishes (banchan) that refill for nothing, so you don't need to over-order.

One more thing worth knowing: meals are made to share, so a couple of dishes for the table often beats one plate each. For the customs around all of that, see our guide on how to eat like a local.