Korean BBQ: What to Order and How It Works

What should you order first at Korean BBQ?

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), grilled pork belly. The Korea Tourism Organization calls it the most popular of all Korean meat dishes.

Our pick for a table of two or more is samgyeopsal plus moksal (목살), pork shoulder. The Korea Tourism Organization describes shoulder as the most popular pork cut after belly, with less fat and a richer taste. Ordering both shows you the two ends of a pork menu in one meal.

What do the other cuts on the menu mean?

Menus often list cuts under pork (돼지, dwaeji) and beef (소, so). Learning the Hangul in the table above helps when a menu has no English.

On the pork side, hangjeongsal (항정살) is meat from the neck to the shoulder. The Korea Tourism Organization says a pig yields only about 200 g of it, which makes it one of the premium pork cuts. The Korea Times also lists galmaegisal (갈매기살) among the pork favourites.

On the beef side, yangnyeom galbi (양념갈비) is short rib marinated in soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Saeng galbi (생갈비) is the same rib unseasoned. Galbisal (갈비살) is boneless rib meat, served marinated or simply salted. Chadolbaegi (차돌박이) is thinly sliced brisket.

How is Korean BBQ priced?

By weight. Seoul's food safety rules require restaurants to list meat prices per 100 g. A restaurant may also show a per-serving price, but only with the serving weight next to it, for example "galbi 100 g, 1 serving 150 g".

Serving weights vary by restaurant, so read the number rather than assuming. As a benchmark, samgyeopsal averaged 21,321 won per 200 g serving in Seoul in July 2026, according to Korea Consumer Agency data reported by The Herald Business. The same rules require menu prices to include VAT and any service charge.

Can you order just one serving?

Not everywhere. Korean outlet Daily Pop reported in June 2026 that some restaurants set a two-serving minimum for dishes such as samgyeopsal, or ask diners who come alone to order more, even where the door says solo diners are welcome.

The rule counts servings, not people. A solo traveller can order two servings and eat or share them. Ask before sitting down if you only want one.

Who grills the meat?

Usually you do. The Korea Tourism Organization says Korean meat restaurants have you grill at the table, and some have staff grill for you. Where staff grill, they tell you when the meat is ready, and that is your cue to start eating.

Most tables have an extractor above the grill for the smoke. When you need more meat or a question answered, the Korea Tourism Organization suggests calling "Yeogiyo!" (excuse me). Many tables also have a call button.

Are side dishes and refills free?

Yes. The small dishes that arrive first, called banchan (반찬), come with the meal. The Korea Tourism Organization says asking for more water or side dishes does not add to the bill. More restaurants now have a self-service corner for refills instead of table service.

How do you eat it?

In a wrap, called ssam (쌈). Put a piece of meat on a lettuce or perilla leaf, add ssamjang (쌈장, a paste of red chilli and soybean paste with garlic, spring onion and sesame oil), and eat it in one bite. The Korea Times suggests adding rice, spring onion and kimchi to the leaf.

Grilled meat is cut into bite-sized pieces before it goes into the wrap. For samgyeopsal and moksal, the other option is to dip each piece in sesame oil with salt. Garlic goes with both.

What do you order to finish?

A stew, rice or noodles. The Korea Tourism Organization names doenjang-jjigae (된장찌개, soybean paste stew) and fried rice as the usual ways to finish a barbecue meal. The Korea Times describes fried rice made with kimchi and the leftover meat.

Cold noodles, naengmyeon (냉면), are the other finish. The Korea Herald describes them as a refreshing way to end a meal of grilled meat. Mul-naengmyeon comes in a clear cold broth, bibim-naengmyeon is mixed with a sweet, spicy chilli paste, and restaurants provide scissors to cut the long noodles. In Seoul a bowl averaged 12,692 won in July 2026, according to The Herald Business.

What do people drink with Korean BBQ?

Soju or Korean beer, according to The Korea Times.

What are the table manners?

Wait for older people at the table to start eating before you do, a point both Korea.net and The Korea Herald make. The Korea Herald adds that it is customary to set out spoons and chopsticks and pour water for the whole group, not just yourself.

Drinks have their own rules. Korea.net says that when you pour for someone older, or receive a drink from them, you hold the bottle or glass with both hands, and that you turn slightly away from older people when you drink.

Do you tip, and how do you pay?

You do not tip. The Korea Tourism Organization says tipping is not needed at Korean restaurants. Which cards and payment methods work where is covered in our guide to paying in Korea.

Related guideHow to Pay in Korea: Cards, Cash and TransitForeign cards work in most Korean shops. They fail at market stalls, on Korean websites and at the subway gate, and each of those gaps has its own workaround.

Is a food tour worth it for your first Korean BBQ?

If the menu is the obstacle, yes. A guided food tour takes the ordering off your hands and explains the customs at the table. Our pick is a small-group night tour through Jongno in central Seoul that includes a barbecue stop with pork belly or soy-marinated pork, plus soju and makgeolli.

Tour · Viator

Small-group night food tour in Seoul with Korean BBQ

A guided evening walk through Jongno with a Korean barbecue stop, where the guide handles the ordering, plus soju and makgeolli.

Check availability on Viator

Before you go

Naver Map lets foreign visitors book and order at restaurants after passport verification, which is explained in Naver Map and Kakao T for tourists. If you are planning Seoul days around meals, the Seoul 3-day itinerary ends its first day with a market dinner.

For everything else about planning the trip, start with the South Korea travel guide.