Korean BBQ 101: How to Actually Eat It Like a Local

What Is Korean BBQ?

Korean BBQ (고기구이, gogi-gui) is not just a meal — it's an experience. You cook raw meat at a grill built into your table, wrap it in lettuce with garlic and sauces, and eat it in one bite. Sounds simple. But walk into a Korean BBQ restaurant without knowing the basics and it can feel overwhelming fast.

Here's everything you need to know.

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1. How to Order

Most Korean BBQ restaurants offer meat by the portion (인분, inbun). One portion is usually enough for one person but Koreans almost always order more than one portion per person — the social expectation is that everyone eats well.

Common cuts to know:

• 삼겹살 (Samgyeopsal) — Thick pork belly. The most popular. Fatty, rich, and almost always available.
• 목살 (Moksal) — Pork collar. Slightly leaner than samgyeopsal.
• 소갈비 (So-galbi) — Beef short ribs. More expensive but incredible flavor.
• 차돌박이 (Chadolbaegi) — Thinly sliced beef brisket. Cooks in seconds.
• 한우 (Hanwoo) — Korean domestic beef. Premium quality, premium price.

If you're unsure, just point at what the next table is eating.

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2. The Staff Will Grill For You (Usually)

At most mid-range and upscale Korean BBQ spots, a staff member will come and grill the meat for you — cutting it into pieces, flipping it at the right time, and telling you when it's ready. Let them do it. It's part of the service.

At cheaper, casual spots you grill yourself. Watch what other tables are doing.

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3. The Banchan System

When you sit down, the table fills up with small side dishes called 반찬 (banchan) — kimchi, pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, egg, soup. These are free and refillable. Don't be shy: if you run out of kimchi, just ask or catch the staff's eye.

Banchan is eaten alongside the meat, not before it.

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4. How to Eat the Ssam (Wrap)

This is the move:

1. Take a lettuce leaf (or perilla leaf) in your palm
2. Add a piece of grilled meat
3. Add a small spoonful of ssamjang (the thick, salty-spicy paste)
4. Add a slice of raw garlic and a piece of green chili if you want
5. Fold the leaf around everything and eat it in one bite

Eating it in multiple bites is fine at home. In public, one bite is the move.

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5. What to Drink

• 소주 (Soju) — Korea's iconic spirit. Clean, slightly sweet, very drinkable. Almost always ordered with BBQ.
• 맥주 (Maekju) — Korean beer. Light lagers like Hite or Cass are the standard pairing.
• 소맥 (Somaek) — A soju-beer mix. The default drink at Korean BBQ tables. Mix 1 part soju with 3 parts beer.
• Non-drinkers: barley tea (boricha) is always available and free.

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6. The Bill

In Korea, one person usually pays for the whole table — splitting the bill item by item is uncommon and considered a bit awkward. Among friends, the custom rotates: one person pays this time, someone else pays next time.

As a tourist, just be aware that if a Korean friend insists on paying, arguing too hard is considered rude. A sincere thank you and buying the next round of drinks is the right response.

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Where to Go

Check out our Korean BBQ restaurants on PickyMap — every spot is recommended by food YouTubers who actually visited and ate there.