FOOD IN KOREA

Korean Food & Restaurants From Myeongdong's porridge and tteokbokki to samgyeopsal, fried chicken, cafés, Korean-Chinese and Japanese food. Find what you want to eat in Korea by type of dish.

Porridge in Myeongdong for breakfast, naengmyeon or kalguksu for lunch, samgyeopsal or fried chicken for dinner. Choose Korean food and cafés by type of dish.

From Myeongdong and Gangnam in Seoul to Incheon Chinatown, Busan and Jeju. Find coupons you can use on Korea Coupon.

No.01Why Trippose

What you can do on Trippose

Find spots, learn from articles and videos, and save with foreigner-only Korea coupons. Trippose brings everything you need for your trip to Korea together on one site, with multilingual service.

Korea Coupons (foreigner-only)

There are foreigner-only Korea coupons for restaurants, including porridge and noodle shops in Myeongdong, Chinese restaurants and cafés in Incheon Chinatown, and cafés and restaurants on Yeongjongdo and in Songdo. Just show the screen on your smartphone at the shop — no printing needed. Find all participating restaurants on Korea Coupon.

See Korea Coupons

Search by dish

From Korean BBQ, porridge and street food to cafés and world cuisine, restaurants are grouped by type of dish.

Choose by type of dish

Editors' picks

Not sure where to start? Begin with restaurants chosen by Trippose's editors. Photos and descriptions let you check the food and atmosphere in advance.

Trippose Picks: Korean Food

Read more about Korean food

Trippose Magazine covers how to eat Korean dishes, popular restaurants and food festivals.

Magazine & Channel

Multilingual service

Your travel companions can read the same page in their own language.

No.02EDITORS' PICKS

Trippose Picks: Korean Food

Restaurants chosen by Trippose's editors. From Myeongdong to Incheon Chinatown, Yeongjongdo Island and Haeundae in Busan, compare Korean food, cafés and world cuisine by photos, descriptions and menus. Places that accept foreigner-only coupons are marked.

See the full food list

No.03For You

Recommended for first-time visitors

Pick the types you're interested in and this page will reorder to match. Your choices are saved only on this device.

Choose what interests you

No.04Spice Guide

Spice level guide

Porridge, seolleongtang, gomtang, samgyetang and Korean BBQ can all be enjoyed without much spice. It's a good idea to check the spice level when you order.

No.05EXPLORE

Choose by type of dish

Beyond Korean food such as porridge and tteokbokki in Myeongdong, naengmyeon at lunch, and samgyeopsal or fried chicken at night, Korea also offers Korean-Chinese food in Incheon Chinatown, Japanese and Western food, cafés and desserts. Pick a type, including cooking classes and food tours, to see only those restaurants and experiences.

THIS SEASON

Korean food for the season

Naengmyeon and samgyetang on hot days, jjigae and porridge on cold days. We rotate the dish types to match the season.

Korean Food

Korean BBQ & SamgyeopsalKorean BBQ means grilling meat on a grill or griddle at your table and wrapping it in lettuce or other leafy greens. Choose by cut and seasoning, from samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) to beef or pork galbi marinated in sauce.Hanjeongsik (Korean Set Course)Hanjeongsik is a Korean full-course meal in which rice, soup and many small side dishes are served together. It lets you taste seasonal ingredients a little at a time, which makes it an easy first Korean meal.Temple FoodTemple food is the cuisine handed down in Korean Buddhist temples. It uses no meat or fish and avoids pungent vegetables such as garlic and green onion, focusing on wild greens, beans and grains.Stews & Soups (Jjigae & Gukbap)Jjigae stews, soups and gukbap rice soups are everyday staples on the Korean table. They range from spicy kimchi jjigae to mild, slow-simmered beef bone soups such as seolleongtang and gomtang.Porridge (Juk)Korean porridge (juk) is rice slowly simmered into a gentle dish, with many varieties such as abalone and pumpkin. It suits breakfast or a lighter meal between spicy dishes.Noodles (Naengmyeon & Kalguksu)Korean noodle dishes include naengmyeon in chilled broth, hand-cut kalguksu in hot soup and bibim-guksu tossed in sweet-spicy sauce. They are easy to order even when dining alone.Fried Chicken & Beer (Chimaek)Korean fried chicken comes in many flavors such as sweet-spicy yangnyeom and soy sauce, and pairing it with beer is known as chimaek. Some shops also offer takeaway.Street Food & Market EatsStreet food and market eats are casual Korean snacks served at market stalls and food carts. Try a little of everything, from tteokbokki and gimbap to bindaetteok mung bean pancakes and hotteok.Seafood (Raw Fish & Ganjang Gejang)With sea on three sides, Korea serves seafood everywhere: raw fish (hoe), grilled fish, ganjang gejang soy-marinated crab and seafood hot pots. At some harbor markets you can pick fish and have it prepared on the spot.Samgyetang & Chicken DishesSamgyetang is a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng and jujube, then slowly simmered into soup. Other chicken dishes include dakhanmari whole-chicken hot pot and spicy stir-fried dakgalbi.Jokbal & BossamJokbal is pig trotters braised in soy sauce and aromatics, then sliced; bossam is boiled pork wrapped in cabbage with kimchi. Both are shared platters often enjoyed in the evening.Regional SpecialtiesMany Korean dishes are tied to the places they come from, such as Jeonju bibimbap, Busan dwaeji gukbap (pork soup with rice) and Chuncheon dakgalbi. Use this to find the flavors each region is known for.

No.06Browse

Browse by type

Choose a type to see restaurants for that dish. You can also narrow it down to places that accept coupons.

Stews & Soups (Jjigae & Gukbap)

Jjigae stews, soups and gukbap rice soups are everyday staples on the Korean table. They range from spicy kimchi jjigae to mild, slow-simmered beef bone soups such as seolleongtang and gomtang.

See more Stews & Soups (Jjigae & Gukbap)

Seafood (Raw Fish & Ganjang Gejang)

With sea on three sides, Korea serves seafood everywhere: raw fish (hoe), grilled fish, ganjang gejang soy-marinated crab and seafood hot pots. At some harbor markets you can pick fish and have it prepared on the spot.

See more Seafood (Raw Fish & Ganjang Gejang)

Cafés

Cafés in Korea are places to enjoy not just coffee but each shop's interior, view and seasonal menu. Some, such as hanok conversions or cafés with sea views, are destinations in themselves.

See more Cafés

No.07Collections

Browse by theme

Not sure what to eat? Start with a theme. We've gathered places for your first day, breakfast and solo meals.

THEME

Korean food for breakfast

Abalone porridge shops and gomtang (beef bone soup) restaurants, both great for breakfast. Check each restaurant's page for opening hours.

No.10Voices

Traveler voices

Records of “Been there” and “Want to go,” plus reviews, leave helpful tips for the next traveler.

Been thereWant to go

Your “Been there” and “Want to go” marks are saved as a travel log you can look back on later.

  • Dami Porridge(Damijuk)Want to go
  • Myeongdong Pizza Myeongdong Main Branch CouponWant to go
  • Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Myeongdong BranchWant to go
  • BEANS BINS COFFEE Myeong-dong BranchWant to go

No.11How To

How to use free, foreigner-only Korea coupons

All foreigner-only coupons for your Korea trip are free. Just show the coupon on your smartphone screen, so even first-timers can use them right away in 3 simple steps.

  1. 1Choose your coupon on your phoneOpen the coupon for the shop or facility you want to visit on the Korea Coupon page. These coupons are just for international travelers and cost nothing (free). Some coupons can be used at cafés, bakeries and Korean restaurants.
  2. 2Show your phone screen at the shopBefore paying, open the coupon on your smartphone and show it to the staff. No printing needed. If several people are using coupons, each person usually shows their own.
  3. 3Get your discount or perk on the spotOnce the staff checks the screen, you'll get the discount or perk on the spot. Some coupons can't be combined with other discounts or require a reservation, so it's best to check the terms on the coupon page before you use it.

Foreigner-only coupons by area and occasion, including Myeongdong, Incheon Airport and Songdo, are collected on Korea Coupon. Check each coupon's page for terms, participating stores and the expiration date.

No.12About

Korean food (hansik) and world cuisine in Korea

Korean food (hansik) is a food culture in which rice, soup and side dishes such as kimchi are served together. It ranges from everyday restaurant dishes like Korean BBQ, jjigae, porridge and naengmyeon to street and market snacks, royal court cuisine and temple food, and there are non-spicy options too. The dishes you come across change by area, from Myeongdong, Gangnam and Hongdae in Seoul to Incheon Chinatown, Yeongjongdo Island and Haeundae in Busan. Korean cities also offer Korean-style Chinese food such as jajangmyeon, as well as Japanese and Western food and cafés. Trippose introduces restaurants by type of dish, centered on Korean food, with menus and opening hours. You can also find places that accept foreigner-only coupons.

How to enjoy Korean food: picks for breakfast, lunch and dinner

For breakfast, try a porridge shop in Myeongdong or a mild soup such as seolleongtang. For lunch, go for dishes that are easy to order alone, like naengmyeon, kalguksu or jjigae. For dinner, there's samgyeopsal, fried chicken or tteokbokki from a street stall. Choosing by time of day makes it easy to sample a range of Korean food.

Some Korean BBQ and hot pot dishes must be ordered for two or more. If you're unsure about spice, start with non-spicy dishes such as porridge or samgyetang.

Check each restaurant's page for menus, prices and opening hours. Find places that accept foreigner-only coupons on Korea Coupon.

FAQ

FAQ

What are the classic Korean dishes? What should I eat first?

Classics include Korean BBQ (samgyeopsal), kimchi jjigae, bibimbap, naengmyeon and tteokbokki. On your first day, start with hanjeongsik, a set meal with many side dishes, or non-spicy samgyetang to taste a wide range of Korean food at once. Find restaurants for each dish under “Choose by type of dish.”

What Korean food is good for breakfast?

Porridge such as abalone porridge and soups like seolleongtang and gomtang are good for breakfast. Opening times vary by restaurant, so check the hours on each restaurant's page. Find coupons you can use from the morning on Korea Coupon.

Are there non-spicy Korean dishes?

Yes. Porridge, seolleongtang, gomtang, samgyetang and Korean BBQ can all be enjoyed without much spice. It's a good idea to check the spice level when you order.

Which restaurants are easy to visit alone?

Porridge, noodle, gukbap and gimbap shops make it easy to order a single serving, so they work well for solo travelers. Some Korean BBQ and hot pot menus must be ordered for two or more, so check the restaurant's page.

Any tips for eating at street stalls and markets?

Order a little at several stalls to enjoy eating as you stroll. Payment methods and hours vary by stall, so it helps to have some small change ready. Find market food under “Street Food & Market Eats.”

Are there coupons for food?

Yes. Foreigner-only coupons for restaurants and cafés are collected on Korea Coupon. Show the screen at the shop to get a discount or perk. Check each coupon's page for terms.

Can I eat Chinese or Japanese food in Korea?

Yes. Korean cities have Korean-style Chinese restaurants serving jajangmyeon and jjamppong, hot pot restaurants, and Japanese, Western and other Asian restaurants. Find them under “World Cuisine” in “Choose by type of dish.” Foreigner-only coupons for restaurants are collected on Korea Coupon.

Where can I eat porridge or tteokbokki in Myeongdong?

Myeongdong has porridge shops serving dishes like abalone porridge, as well as places that serve tteokbokki. Porridge is mild and good for breakfast, and tteokbokki is a Korean rice cake dish simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Find porridge shops under “Porridge (Juk)” and tteokbokki and other snacks under “Street Food & Market Eats” in “Choose by type of dish.” Foreigner-only coupons for restaurants in Myeongdong are collected on Korea Coupon.

About these labels

  • CouponPlaces that accept foreigner-only Korea coupons