What to eat en Corée du Sud? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Enjoying yourself en Corée du Sud

Timetable en Corée du Sud

Even if it's difficult to give a precise range of opening times, as the restaurant business is so varied, it's worth noting that establishments are generally open between 10am and 10-11pm. Of course, there are also restaurants that offer early morning service for breakfast. And that's a very good thing if you want to experience breakfast in the pure Korean tradition!

It's also worth noting that, depending on the restaurant, the last order can be placed between 1 hour and 30 minutes before closing time.

Budget & Tips en Corée du Sud

South Korea is famous for its low-cost restaurants. This is not false advertising, because for 7,000 to 15,000 won, you can have a quality meal. When it comes to barbecue restaurants, the minimum order is often for 3 people. It's very easy to find soup or stew dishes for less than 10,000 won per person. For slightly more upscale tables, you'll need to budget between 20,000 and 50,000 won, and around 10,000 won for gourmet meals.

In South Korea, it's important to know that in some establishments (restaurants as well as cafés/bars), it's compulsory to order one dish per person. Many travelers are unaware of this, but it is possible to order as many side dishes as you like(banchan/반찬) in every restaurant. You'll often find small coffee machines at the entrance to an establishment - go ahead, it's free! Keep an eye out, as many establishments offer 2+1 or 3+1 on grilled meat, or on beer and soju. If you don't have the time, or don't feel like eating out, you can always visit the "Tous les Jours" or "Paris Baguette" shops (they're everywhere!), which offer sandwiches, salads, savoury bread... at reasonable prices. The same goes for convenience stores such as CU, 7/Eleven, Ministop...

What costs extra en Corée du Sud

It's not part of Korean culture to leave tips. If you do, they may feel embarrassed and refuse them.

The local way en Corée du Sud

In South Korea, as in all Asian countries, people eat with chopsticks. Korean chopsticks are very different from those found in China or Japan, for example. They're heavier and made of metal (to check, at the time, the risk of poisoning).

To say that there's a grilled pork restaurant every 50 meters is far from an exaggeration. In fact, that's what foreigners prefer to eat here: grilled brisket. In these restaurants, as everywhere else in the country, on every table you'll find a small dish of kimchi, the typical fermented cabbage. There's no escaping it.

At first, you'll no doubt be surprised by the incessant ding-dong of table bells. Don't hesitate to use it, as it's common practice here when service is a little slow.

South Korea has a pretty impressive delivery service. It doesn't matter where you are, you can have your food delivered, at any time.

It's good to know that in the older restaurants, there are no toilets inside and you often have to take a door in the back of the restaurant that leads outside. Follow the sign 화장실.

Be careful, in Korea restaurants can be found in buildings and there are no first floors, so you start straight away on the^1st floor. It's a good idea to keep this in mind so you don't get lost. In Korea, a restaurant that is on the^2nd floor in our conception will be indicated by the Koreans as being on the^3rd.

On your travels, you're bound to see little orange tents with delicious smells. These are the pojangmacha / 포장마차, street-food stalls that could not be more typical of the Korean landscape.

To be avoided en Corée du Sud

In South Korea, some restaurants serve bosintang (보신탕), a soup made from dog meat, which, while still enjoyed by 3% of the population, is generating controversy. A bipartisan bill aims to close down the 1,000 or so dog meat farms in the near future, sparking growing opposition from animal rights activists, and testifying to a change in mentality among the general population. In the meantime, most of the time, the bosintang sign is displayed on the storefront, so paying attention will help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Kids en Corée du Sud

Newer brands will have high chairs or booster seats to accommodate toddlers. And sometimes there's even a dedicated playroom. This last point is especially true of the newer brands.

Smokers en Corée du Sud

As in many countries, smoking is prohibited in restaurants. Some places will offer small smoking rooms or outdoor terraces.

Take a break en Corée du Sud

Timetable en Corée du Sud

Cafés are open all day and until late at night (10pm-midnight), especially the big chains (Starbucks, Caffé Bene, A Twosome Place, Ediya, Angel-in-us...).

As for bars, they start their service around 5pm-6pm and finish late, around 3am-4am. The same applies to hof (beer and soju restaurants), although they generally close a little earlier.

These establishments rarely have closing days, except sometimes for the smaller ones on national holidays.

Budget & Tips en Corée du Sud

A single americano or espresso costs around 2,500-4,000 won. That's about the same as in Europe. As for beers and cocktails in bars, the prices are the same as ours. Korean beers (Cass, Hite, Kloud...) are less expensive than those from Europe.

If you decide to drink soju in a hof, the bottle costs around 4,000 won, which is a good deal because it doesn't take much to make you happy. On the other hand, you almost always have to order something to nibble on at the same time (it sponges up!).

Age restrictions en Corée du Sud

Some cafés, though still quite rare, refuse entry to children in order to preserve calm in their establishment. Fortunately, however, this policy is no longer the exception.

All alcohol-focused places refuse entry to minors (i.e. 19 years old in South Korea). And they systematically ask for proof of identity. They're very particular about this. If, in a group of young adults, only one can't show ID, the whole group won't be served alcohol.

What's very local en Corée du Sud

Cafés are sacred places here, with dozens of franchises to be found everywhere. For work, family, friends, after dinner... Koreans always gather there to sip a drink and eat a slice of cake. And these cafés have a little special feature that we don't know about: when you place your order, you'll be given a little box that will vibrate and/or light up when your order is ready. At that point, you'll have to collect it from the counter.

When it comes to having a drink, the obvious choice for Koreans is soju, the famous little green bottle that is the number 1 alcohol here. In restaurants and drinking establishments, this rice liquor is everywhere. You can't leave Korea without at least one shot.

Smokers en Corée du Sud

Smoking is generally prohibited in cafés, bars and pubs. Even if there's a terrace, smoking is prohibited. If you don't comply, you risk a fine that could ruin your stay. Nonetheless, some shops offer customers a small room reminiscent of airport smoking lounges.

Even on the street, it's complicated for smokers. Koreans often hide in small streets or use small structures dedicated to smokers (in Seoul in particular).