Korean Food and Dining Phrases
Menus, ordering, allergies, paying the bill — this guide covers 25 Korean food and dining phrases with romanization, sounds-like hints and example sentences, so restaurants stop being stressful and start being the best part of the day.
Getting a table and a menu
Korean restaurants move fast: seat yourself where it's casual, call for what you need, and don't wait to be noticed.
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예약했어요. yeyakhaesseoyo I have a reservation
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예약 가능해요? yeyak ganeunghaeyo? Can I make a reservation?
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실례합니다, 이 자리 비어있어요? sillyehamnida, i jari bieoisseoyo? Excuse me, is this seat free?
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저기요! 메뉴 좀 주세요. jeogiyo! menyu jom juseyo Excuse me! a menu, please
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추천 메뉴가 뭐예요? chucheon menyuga mwoyeyo? What do you recommend?
Press the bell
Korean servers won't hover — you call them. Look for the 호출벨 (call bell) at the table's edge and press it, or a clear 저기요! ('over here!') is perfectly polite. Waiting silently gets you nothing but an empty glass.
Ordering like you mean it
Point, name a number, add 주세요 — that's the entire grammar of ordering in Korea.
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이거 주세요. igeo juseyo This one, please
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뭐가 맛있어요? mwoga masisseoyo? What's good here?
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3개 주세요. se gae juseyo Three, please
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커피 한 잔 주세요. keopi han jan juseyo One coffee, please
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아이스 커피 마실래요. aiseu keopi masillaeyo I'll have an iced coffee
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맥주 한 잔 주세요. maekju han jan juseyo One beer, please
Spice levels and special requests
Korean food asks one question of every newcomer: how much heat can you take? Answer honestly — 매워요 means business.
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물 주세요. mul juseyo Water, please
Water and side dishes are usually self-serve with free refills — look for the water station.
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너무 매워요! neomu maewoyo! It's too spicy!
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덜 맵게 해주세요. deol maepge haejuseyo Less spicy, please
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매운 음식을 좋아해요. maeun eumsigeul joahaeyo I like spicy food
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매운 거 잘 먹어요. maeun geo jal meogeoyo I handle spice well
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젓가락 주세요. jeotgarak juseyo Chopsticks, please
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앞접시 주세요. apjeopsi juseyo An extra plate for sharing, please
Compliments and the bill
Meals end at the front counter, not the table: take the check to the register by the door, pay there, and skip the tip entirely.
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음식이 맛있어요. eumsigi masisseoyo The food is delicious
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정말 맛있어요! jeongmal masisseoyo! It's really delicious!
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맛있게 드세요. masitge deuseyo Enjoy your meal
What servers say as they set your food down.
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맛있게 먹었어요. masitge meogeosseoyo I really enjoyed the meal
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계산서 주세요. gyesanseo juseyo The check, please
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카드로 계산해 주세요. kadeuro gyesanhae juseyo Put it on my card, please
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한국에서는 팁을 안 줘도 돼요. hangukeseo-neun tibeul an jweodo dwaeyo In Korea you don't need to tip
No tipping, ever
Tipping isn't done in Korea — not at restaurants, not in taxis. Trying it usually earns you a confused server chasing you down with your change. The menu price is the full price.
In real life: dinner for one
저기요! 메뉴 좀 주세요. jeogiyo! menyu jom juseyo
Excuse me! Could I have a menu, please?
이거 주세요. igeo juseyo
This one, please.
맛있게 드세요. masitge deuseyo
Enjoy your meal.
정말 맛있어요! jeongmal masisseoyo!
It's really delicious!
계산서 주세요. gyesanseo juseyo
The check, please.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I order food in Korean?
Pointing works, but a few phrases go further: "this one, please", "not spicy" and "the bill, please" cover most meals. The real-life scenario above walks you through a full restaurant exchange.
How do I pronounce these Korean phrases?
Every phrase comes with romanization — the phrase spelled out in Latin letters. Read it out loud slowly, then work up to the rhythm of the full phrase. Native speakers care far more about confidence and context than perfect pronunciation.
What is the best way to memorize these phrases?
Little and often beats cramming. Review a handful of phrases a day, say them out loud, and revisit them tomorrow. The Pretalk app turns lists like this one into bite-size lessons with spaced review, so the phrases actually stick.
More Korean phrases
Food & Dining phrases in other languages
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