You walk into a tiny Korean restaurant.
It smells incredible.
Everyone around you seems to know exactly what to do.
Then you look at the menu.
It's completely in Korean.
No English.
No obvious ordering counter.
And you're suddenly wondering whether walking back outside would be easier.
Don't.
Quick Answer
You do NOT need to speak Korean to eat well in South Korea.
In many situations, you can order by pointing at the menu, showing a photo, using a translation app, choosing from a kiosk or using a tablet at your table.
Learn just a few simple phrases and understand how Korean restaurants work, and the experience becomes much easier.
What Do You Do When You Enter a Korean Restaurant?
First: don't assume every Korean restaurant works the same way.
Depending on the restaurant, you may:
- Wait for a server to seat you.
- Choose an open table yourself.
- Order directly from a server.
- Use a touchscreen kiosk before sitting down.
- Order from a tablet at your table.
- Pay before eating.
- Pay at the counter after eating.
This sounds confusing on paper.
In practice, you usually only need a few seconds to watch what the people ahead of you are doing.
The easiest first move
Walk in, make eye contact with the staff and indicate how many people are in your group with your fingers. If they point toward a table, sit down. If they point toward a kiosk, order there first.
This is the moment many first-time travelers worry about most.
But you have several options.
OPTION 1
Look for photos
Many menus, wall signs and kiosks show food photos. If you know what you want, pointing at the picture can be enough.
OPTION 2
Use your phone camera
Take a photo of the Korean menu and use an image-translation tool.
Papago is particularly useful in Korea because it can recognize text in images and translate Korean into multiple languages.
OPTION 3
Show the staff a photo
If you found the restaurant because of a specific dish online, showing the food photo on your phone can be much easier than trying to pronounce the Korean name.
OPTION 4
Ask for an English menu
Tourist-heavy restaurants may have an English or multilingual menu even when the Korean menu is the first one you receive.
Do you have an English menu?
영어 메뉴 있어요?
Yeongeo menyu isseoyo?
Before translating the entire menu...
Look around. If almost every table is eating the same dish, you may be in a restaurant specializing in one particular food. In that case, choosing may be much simpler than the menu makes it appear.
Can You Just Point at What You Want?
Yes.
You do not need to turn lunch into a Korean-language exam.
Point to the item and indicate the quantity.
One of these, please.
이거 하나 주세요.
Igeo hana juseyo.
Two of these, please.
이거 두 개 주세요.
Igeo du gae juseyo.
Even simpler:
This one, please.
이거 주세요.
Igeo juseyo.
Point.
Smile.
Say the phrase.
That can solve a surprising number of restaurant situations.
How Do You Order From a Korean Kiosk?
Self-order kiosks have become common in many cafés, fast-food restaurants and other casual food businesses.
The exact screen varies, but the basic process is usually similar.
STEP 1
Look for a language button
If the kiosk supports multiple languages, look for English or a globe/language icon.
STEP 2
Select your food
Photos can make this easier, but check options carefully because the next screen may ask about size, quantity, side dishes or add-ons.
STEP 3
Choose dine-in or takeout if asked
Some machines ask whether you are eating inside or taking the food away.
STEP 4
Pay
Available payment methods vary by machine and business. If your foreign card does not work, ask the staff rather than repeatedly attempting the same transaction.
STEP 5
Keep the receipt or order number
At counter-service restaurants, your number may appear on a screen or be called when the food is ready.
No English button?
Use your phone's camera translation on the screen, or ask a staff member for help. You do not need to understand every button before ordering.
Which Korean Restaurant Phrases Do You Actually Need?
You do not need to memorize twenty sentences.
Start with these.
Excuse me / Over here, please.
여기요!
Yeogiyo!
This one, please.
이거 주세요.
Igeo juseyo.
One, please.
하나 주세요.
Hana juseyo.
Two, please.
두 개 주세요.
Du gae juseyo.
Water, please.
물 주세요.
Mul juseyo.
Thank you.
감사합니다.
Gamsahamnida.
If you remember only two expressions
이거 주세요 — Igeo juseyo.
“This one, please.”
여기요 — Yeogiyo.
A common way to get a server's attention.
What Is the Button on the Restaurant Table?
You may sit down and wonder:
Why isn't anyone coming back to the table?
Look around for a call button.
Many Korean restaurants have a button on or near the table that customers can press when they need a server.
VISITKOREA specifically highlights restaurant call bells as a common convenience in Korean dining. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Don't wait 15 minutes hoping someone notices you.
If there is a call button, use it. If there isn't one, saying “Yeogiyo!” is a practical way to get a server's attention.
Why Did Food Arrive That You Didn't Order?
Welcome to banchan.
Korean meals commonly arrive with several small side dishes alongside the main food.
VISITKOREA describes rice, soup and a variety of side dishes as a typical Korean meal arrangement. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
So if kimchi and several small plates suddenly appear, don't assume the restaurant misunderstood your order.
Kimchi
Fermented vegetables, often spicy.
Banchan
Small side dishes served with the meal.
Water
May be brought to you or available at a self-service station.
Utensils
Sometimes stored in a drawer built into the table.
Some restaurants also have a self-service area where you refill water or certain side dishes yourself. VISITKOREA notes that self-service water and side-dish systems are increasingly common. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
How Do You Order Korean BBQ?
Korean BBQ can be slightly more confusing because some restaurants have minimum-order rules.
A menu might list the price for one serving, but the restaurant may require a minimum number of servings for the first order.
Do not assume every BBQ restaurant has the same rule.
Before ordering BBQ
Check whether the menu mentions a minimum first order, portion size or number of servings. If you're unsure, point to the meat and show the number of people in your group.
Another question:
Do you cook the meat yourself?
Sometimes.
At some restaurants, staff cook or help cook the meat. At others, customers handle most of the grilling.
Watch what happens when the grill is prepared rather than assuming one system applies everywhere.
What If You Have an Allergy or Dietary Restriction?
This is one situation where pointing at a picture is not enough.
If avoiding an ingredient is medically or personally important, communicate it clearly before ordering.
Do not assume that a dish that looks vegetarian is necessarily free of meat, fish or seafood ingredients.
VISITKOREA specifically warns vegetarian travelers that Korean stews can use meat or fish broth, while dishes such as bibimbap and gimbap may contain ingredients that are not obvious from the name alone. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
For serious food allergies
Prepare a written Korean allergy card before the trip.
Show it to the staff before ordering. Translation apps are useful, but a severe allergy is not the right situation to rely only on guessing, menu photos or an improvised translation.
How Do You Pay at a Korean Restaurant?
In many sit-down restaurants, you pay at the counter rather than waiting for the server to bring a bill to your table.
But again, not every restaurant follows the same system.
Some kiosks require payment before the food is prepared.
Some table-order systems allow payment through the device.
Others expect you to take your bill or simply walk to the counter when you are finished.
Finished eating and unsure what to do?
Look toward the entrance or counter. If you see a payment terminal there, take your card and head over. You usually do not need to sit at the table waiting for someone to bring a check.
And one major difference for visitors from tipping cultures:
Tipping is generally not required or expected at Korean restaurants. VISITKOREA states this directly in its guidance for visitors. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Can Tourists Order Food Delivery in Korea?
Yes, but this can be more complicated than ordering inside a restaurant.
Some domestic services can create difficulties for short-term visitors because of Korean phone-number verification or local payment requirements.
Tourist-oriented services can remove some of those barriers.
VISITKOREA's current guidance highlights services designed for foreign visitors that can work without a Korean phone number and support international payment methods. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Want a popular restaurant instead?
For restaurants that require reservations or waitlists, CATCHTABLE Global can be useful. Current VISITKOREA information says international visitors can use it without a Korean phone number and access menu/reservation information in multiple languages. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
What Mistakes Do First-Time Visitors Make?
- Leaving because the menu has no English.
- Waiting for a server when there is a call button.
- Assuming every side dish was accidentally added to the order.
- Waiting at the table for a check when payment is at the counter.
- Assuming every kiosk accepts every foreign card.
- Assuming a dish is vegetarian from its appearance alone.
- Trying to pronounce a complicated dish instead of simply pointing at it.
- Expecting every Korean BBQ restaurant to have identical ordering rules.
The easiest ordering strategy
Point + Phone + “Igeo juseyo.”
Point at the menu.
Use your phone when you need translation.
Say “This one, please.”
You do not need perfect Korean to have a great meal in Korea.
Are You Ready to Order Food in Korea?
Answer all five questions.
Your result appears after exactly 3 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I order food in Korea without speaking Korean?
Yes. Pointing at menu items, using food photos, camera translation and simple phrases can handle many ordinary restaurant situations.
Do Korean restaurants have English menus?
Some do, especially in tourist-heavy areas, but you should not assume every restaurant will. A camera-translation app is useful when the menu is only in Korean.
What is the easiest Korean phrase for ordering food?
“이거 주세요” (Igeo juseyo) means “This one, please.” Point at the menu item while saying it.
How do I call a waiter in Korea?
Look for a call button on the table. If there isn't one, “여기요” (Yeogiyo) is commonly used to get a server's attention.
Do you pay at the table in Korean restaurants?
Often you pay at a counter, but restaurant systems vary. Some kiosks require payment before eating, while some newer table-order systems handle ordering or payment digitally.
Do I need to tip at restaurants in Korea?
Tipping is generally not required or expected in ordinary Korean restaurants.
Are Korean restaurant side dishes free?
Traditional side dishes are commonly served as part of the meal, and VISITKOREA notes that requests for more water or side dishes generally do not incur an additional charge. Restaurant policies can still vary.
Can I use a foreign credit card at Korean restaurant kiosks?
It depends on the restaurant, payment terminal and card. Do not assume every unmanned kiosk will accept every foreign-issued card. If payment fails, ask the staff for another option.
How can I translate a Korean food menu?
A camera-translation app is one of the easiest options. Papago supports image text recognition, making it useful for photographing and translating Korean menus.
Can tourists reserve Korean restaurants without a Korean phone number?
Some international-facing services can help. CATCHTABLE Global currently supports restaurant reservations and waitlists for international visitors without requiring a Korean phone number.
The One Thing to Remember
Don't let the Korean menu scare you away.
The restaurant you almost walk past could become your favorite meal in Korea.
Open your translation app.
Point at what you want.
Say:
“Igeo juseyo.”
And eat.
Keep Planning Your South Korea Trip
NEXT: A QUESTION THAT CONFUSES MANY FIRST-TIME VISITORS
You successfully ordered your meal. Now the bill arrives. Should you leave a tip? Next, we'll cover exactly what travelers should know about tipping in restaurants, taxis, hotels and cafés in South Korea.
Restaurant Note
Restaurant systems vary by business. Some use servers, some use kiosks, some use table tablets and some use self-service systems.
If you have a serious food allergy or strict dietary restriction, communicate it directly and clearly rather than relying only on photos or assumptions.
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