How Korean restaurants work

⏳Getting a table: lines and waiting lists

• ●Most popular places don't take phone bookings. You line up at the door, or put your name on a tablet or kiosk there (often Tabling or CatchTable), and the staff call you when a table is free.
• ●The kiosk usually asks for a phone number so it can text you. If you don't have a Korean number, tell the staff. They will usually let you wait close by instead.
• ●Joining a list remotely or booking ahead in the Korean apps needs a Korean phone number. The CatchTable Global app lets visitors sign up with an email address instead, at restaurants that use CatchTable.
• ●Many places seat you only when your whole group has arrived.
• ●Our place guides say how the line works at each place and how long the wait usually is.

한국 전화번호가 없어요. 여기서 기다려도 될까요?I don't have a Korean phone number. Can I wait here?

🥬Side dishes are free, and usually refillable

• ●Small side dishes (banchan) such as kimchi arrive with your meal at no charge. You don't order them.
• ●Refills are usually free too. Ask the staff, or help yourself if there is a self-serve side-dish bar (look for the word 셀프, "self").
• ●A few places now limit refills or charge for extra servings of pricier sides. Our place guides say so when they do.
• ●Take only what you'll eat. Leaving piles of refilled side dishes is seen as wasteful.

반찬 좀 더 주세요.Could we have more side dishes, please?

🍚Rice: often included, and you can order more

• ●Rice is the staple of a Korean meal. A small steel bowl of it is called gonggibap (공기밥).
• ●Stews, soups and set meals usually come with a bowl of rice, so check before ordering another.
• ●Most restaurants let you order an extra bowl. It's usually a small extra charge, and a few places refill it for free.
• ●Barbecue places often don't include rice, so order it when you want it.

공기밥 하나 더 주세요.One more bowl of rice, please.

🚰Water is free, and often self-serve

• ●The house water restaurants give you is free at almost every place.
• ●Some places also sell bottled brands such as Evian. Those are a paid item, so order one only if you want it.
• ●At many places you get it yourself from a water dispenser or a fridge of water bottles, with cups stacked nearby. A sign may say 물은 셀프 ("water is self-serve").
• ●Elsewhere the staff bring a bottle or jug of water to your table when you sit down.

물 좀 주세요.Some water, please.

🥄Spoons and chopsticks are in the table drawer

• ●If there is nothing on the table, look for a small drawer on the side or end of the table, or a box on the tabletop. Spoons, chopsticks and napkins are inside.
• ●Set them out yourself, usually on a napkin. Wet wipes may be in the drawer or handed to you.
• ●Koreans eat rice and soup with the spoon and use chopsticks for side dishes.

🔔Calling the staff

• ●Staff rarely stop by to check on you. When you need something, call them.
• ●Many tables have a call button. Press it once and someone will come.
• ●No button? Raise your hand and say "Jeogiyo!" ("excuse me"). It is polite and normal.

저기요!Excuse me! (to call the staff)

📝Ordering

• ●Some places take orders at a kiosk by the door or a tablet on the table. Look for a language button.
• ●Korean BBQ and hot pot places often have a two-serving minimum, so some won't serve a solo diner. Some restaurants also expect one main dish per person. Look for our solo-dining labels.
• ●At places that serve only one dish, the staff may just ask how many people you are.
• ●Many restaurants take a break in the afternoon (usually somewhere between 2 and 5 p.m.) and stop taking orders 30 to 60 minutes before closing. Our place guides show whether a place is open now.

🙋Eating alone: our solo-dining labels

• ●"Great for solo diners": single portions are the norm and plenty of people eat here alone.
• ●"Fine on your own": you can order one portion, so eating alone is no problem, but the place isn't especially set up for solo diners and most people come in pairs or groups.
• ●"Better with a group": the food comes in portions for two or more (barbecue, hot pots, big platters), or there is a two-serving minimum.
• ●No label: we couldn't find enough to say either way.
• ●We set these labels from recent reviews and the menu. The "Solo-friendly" filter on the map shows the first two; the "Eating alone" page lists only the first.

🧾Paying: usually at the counter, after you eat

• ●Most places don't bring the bill to your table. When you're done, go to the counter by the door and pay there. Bring the order slip if one was left on your table.
• ●Some busy places ask you to pay first, when you order. Our place guides say when that's the case.
• ●One bill per table is the norm. If you want to split, ask before paying.
• ●Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but self-order kiosks sometimes reject foreign cards. If yours doesn't work, ask the staff to take it at the counter. Carry a little cash for market stalls.

계산해 주세요.Could I have the bill, please?

해외 카드인데 카운터에서 계산할 수 있을까요?My card is from overseas. Can I pay at the counter?

🥡Leftovers and spice

• ●Packing up leftovers is common, especially pancakes, fried chicken and grilled meat. Just ask the staff.
• ●Many dishes are spicy. Some places can make a dish milder if you ask, but sauces made in advance can't be changed, so ask before you order.

남은 음식 포장해 주세요.Could you pack the leftovers to go?

덜 맵게 해 주세요.Less spicy, please.

🙅No tipping

• ●Tipping is not expected in Korea. The price on the menu is what you pay.

🍚A few table manners

• ●Leave your rice bowl on the table. Don't lift it to your mouth.
• ●Dishes in the middle are for sharing. Take what you want with your chopsticks.
• ●Don't stand your chopsticks upright in rice. It recalls offerings made at memorial rites.
• ●Pour drinks for others, not yourself. It is polite to start with the oldest person at the table.