Author
H.D. PARK
Dining out in Korea is lively, fast, and very social. Most casual neighborhood spots aren’t formal at all, but there are a few unspoken habits that can catch first-time visitors off guard if you’re used to Western-style table service.
Here are four practical table habits to keep in mind on your trip.
1. Your Utensils Are in the Side Drawer
When you sit down, don’t wait for your server to bring you a fork, spoon, or paper napkin. Look directly beneath the tabletop along the side of your chair.
Almost every modern casual restaurant has a hidden sliding drawer built into the table. Inside, you’ll find stainless steel chopsticks, spoons, bottle openers, and napkins. It’s common practice for one person at the table to pull open the drawer and lay out a napkin and cutlery for everyone sitting with them before the food arrives.
2. Don’t Wait for Eye Contact—Use the Call Button
In many Western restaurants, waving your hand constantly or calling out across the room can feel rude. In Korea, the opposite is true: servers will rarely walk up to your table to ask “How is everything?” because they don’t want to interrupt your meal.
Look closely at the corner of your table or the wall next to you. There is usually a small button (called a ho-chul-bel). Press it once. It triggers a pleasant chime and displays your table number at the front counter, and someone will come over immediately.
If there’s no button, make eye contact and say “Jeo-gi-yo” (저기요), which translates to a polite “Excuse me over here.”
3. Side Dishes (Banchan) Are Free and Refillable
When you order your main dish, the server will bring out small plates of kimchi, pickled radish, seasoned bean sprouts, or fish cakes. These aren’t appetizers you get billed for—they come included with the meal.
If you finish a dish you love, you can always get more. In smaller family-run restaurants, hold up the empty small bowl and say “Deo ju-se-yo” (더 주세요, “A bit more, please”). In larger casual spots, look around for a small refrigerated “Self-Bar” where you can walk up and refill your own side dishes as much as you like.
4. You Always Pay at the Front Counter
Unless you are dining at a high-end hotel restaurant or a western steakhouse, you do not pay your bill at the table.
When your food is delivered, the server will usually slide a small clipboard or a paper receipt with your order onto the edge of your table. When you’re finished eating, simply take that paper up to the register near the front exit door to hand over your credit card or cash.
