🥢 How to Order Food in a Korean Restaurant (A Guide for First-Time Visitors)

If you're planning a trip to Korea and feel a little nervous about ordering food at a restaurant, you're not alone. A lot of my students tell me they freeze up the moment a waiter walks over. I’ve been there too. That awkward moment of trying to say something while pointing at the menu... it’s not fun.

So I put together this guide to help you feel more confident. It includes useful phrases, what to expect at typical restaurants, how self-serve works, and even a free PDF you can keep on your phone. It’s made for travelers, beginners, or anyone who just wants to enjoy their food without stressing over what to say.

📌 Perfect for: First-time travelers, Korean language learners, or anyone who wants to avoid pointing awkwardly at the menu 😅

📝 A quick note about romanization

You’ll see romanized Korean (like jeo-hui ne myeong-i-e-yo) throughout this guide to help those who don’t read Hangul yet. Just keep in mind that romanization doesn’t sound exactly like English. It’s only there as a rough pronunciation guide.

If you already know how to read Hangul, I recommend focusing on the Korean script instead. It’s much more accurate, and Korean pronunciation is easier to learn that way! 💡

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🪑 Step 1: Getting a Table

At most casual Korean restaurants, there's no host or server waiting to seat you. You usually just walk in and choose a table. If it's your first time, that can feel strange, but it's completely normal here.

In bigger restaurants or BBQ places, someone might ask you first:

몇 분이세요?

Myeot bun-i-se-yo?

How many people?

You can answer with any of the phrases below.

If you're with others, say:

저희 네 명이에요

Jeo-hui ne myeong-i-e-yo

There are four of us.

You can also say:

저 혼자예요.

Jeo hoon-ja-yeyo

It’s just me.

(두) 명이요.

Doo-myeong-ee-yo

Two people.

Replace the one in the bracket with the answer you need.

한 han (1)

두 doo (2)

세 se (3)

네 ne (4)

다섯 da-sot (5)

여섯 yaw-sot (6)

일곱 eel-gop (7)

여덟 yo-dol (8)

아홉 ah-hop (9)

열 yol (10)

Say it clearly as you walk in. Staff might hear you and respond with a smile or a nod, or better, they might show you your seat. That’s your sign to go ahead and sit.

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📖 Step 2: Getting the Menu (or Not)

Sometimes the menu is already on the table, or it’s posted on the wall or TV screen. In some places, there’s no paper menu at all, and you’ll order by scanning a QR code or using a tablet screen provided at your table.

If you can’t find the menu and want to ask, say:

메뉴판 주세요

Men-yu-pan ju-se-yo

Please give me the menu.

If you see a QR code on the table, just scan it with your phone.

Many places have mobile ordering now, especially fast-casual spots.

Many Korean BBQ and casual dining restaurants now use tablet menus. You can scroll through photos, tap to select, and place your order directly without calling the staff.

Ordering at a kiosk is common in Korean fast-casual restaurants. You can choose your food, customize it, and pay right at the screen. Look for the words 주문하기 (order) and 결제 (payment).

Sometimes the menu is on the wall.

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🍲 Step 3: Placing Your Order

Here’s a simple sentence structure that works in most places:

While pointing at the menu,

이거 주세요

ee-gaw-ju-se-yo

Please give me this.

[menu] 주세요

[menu] ju-se-yo

Please give me [menu]

Examples:

김치찌개 하나 주세요

Kim-chi-jji-gae ha-na ju-se-yo

One kimchi stew, please

불고기 2인분 주세요

Bul-go-gi ee-in-bun ju-se-yo

Two servings of bulgogi, please

공기밥 하나 추가요

Gong-gi-bap ha-na chu-ga-yo

One more bowl of rice, please

If you're ordering from a tablet screen, just tap the items and press the “주문하기” (ju-mun-ha-gi) button, which means "Place Order."

🧍‍♀️ Tip:Use 인분 (in-bun) for shared dishes like BBQ or hotpots.Use 개 (gae) for most other things and 잔 (jan) for drinks.

If you're not sure what to get, ask:

추천 좀 해 주세요

Choo-cheon jom hae ju-se-yo

Please recommend something.

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🥄 Step 4: What If It’s Self-Serve?

In Korea, many restaurants have self-serve areas for things like water, side dishes (반찬), and sometimes even rice or utensils. It’s completely normal.

Look out for these signs:

물은 셀프입니다

Mul-eun sel-peu-im-ni-da

Water is self-serve

반찬은 셀프입니다

Ban-chan-eun sel-peu-im-ni-da

Side dishes are self-serve

밥은 셀프입니다

Bap-eun sel-peu-im-ni-da

Rice is self-serve

When you see this, you don’t need to ask. Just get up and take what you need. There’s usually a little station in the corner or along the wall. If it feels unfamiliar at first, that’s okay. After one or two times, it’ll feel natural.

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💳 Step 5: Paying at the Counter

In most Korean restaurants, you don’t ask for the check. When you’re done eating, you just go up to the front counter to pay.

Phrases you can use:

계산할게요

Gye-san-hal-kke-yo

We’d like to pay

따로 계산할게요

dda-ro gye-san-hal-kke-yo

We’ll split the bill

You might also hear staff say:

계산 도와드릴게요

Gye-san do-wa-deu-ril-kke-yo

I’ll help you with the payment

Cards and cash are both fine in most places.

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💡 Common Restaurant Phrases You’ll Hear or Use

Korean	Romanization	Meaning
포장해 주세요	Po-jang-hae ju-se-yo	Please pack it to go
여기서 먹고 갈게요	Yeo-gi-seo meok-go gal-kke-yo	We’ll eat here
추천 좀 해 주세요	Chu-cheon jom hae ju-se-yo	Please recommend something
덜 맵게 해 주세요	Deol maep-ge hae ju-se-yo	Please make it less spicy
맵지 않게 해 주세요	Maep-ji an-ke hae ju-se-yo	Not spicy, please

🎁 Free Download: Korean Restaurant Phrases Cheat Sheet

I know it can be hard to remember all the phrases, especially when you’re already trying to figure out what to eat. So I made a simple beginner-friendly PDF that you can print out or save on your phone. yayyyyy!

It includes:

✔️ The must-know phrases from this blog

✔️ A basic sentence pattern for ordering

It’s super handy to bring along when you’re in Korea, or even just practicing at home!

📥 Click below to get the free download.

Useful Korean Restaurant Phrases.pdf

Download PDF • 299KB

💎 Want to Go a Bit Deeper? (Premium PDF)

If you're the type who likes having everything ready to go, I’ve also put together a more detailed version of the PDF together with audio files!

It includes everything from the free one, plus:

✔️ Extra phrases for food preferences, substitutions, and dietary needs

✔️ How to politely say things in both casual and formal Korean

✔️ Step-by-step guide for using kiosks (with screenshots!)

✔️ Printable flashcards with audio links

✔️ Mini practice dialogues you can fill in to test yourself

I made this for those of you who want to feel extra confident when ordering in Korean, not just memorizing lines but actually understanding how things work.

🛒 Available in my shop @ only $2.99!

💬 Premium Korean Restaurant Phrases – PDF + Audio

Buy Now

You don’t need perfect Korean to have a great meal. Just be polite and try to speak. Even if you point and smile, most people will understand and appreciate your effort. After a few tries, you’ll feel much more comfortable.