How to Order Food in South Korea Without Speaking Korean

You don't need to speak Korean to order food, you just need to recognise a handful of words. Hangul, Korea's alphabet, is pretty simple to learn, and most visitors can pick up the basics in an afternoon. Recognising patterns that mean "chicken," "pork," "spicy," and "noodles" will get you through most menus.

Here’s a list with some key Korean food-based words:

• 닭 (dak) - chicken
• 돼지 (dwaeji) - pork
• 소 (so) - beef
• 매운 (maeun) - spicy
• 면 (myeon) - noodles
• 밥 (bap) - rice
• 국 / 탕 (guk / tang) - soup / stew
• 볶음 (bokkeum) - stir-fried
• 구이 (gui) - grilled
• 튀김 (twigim) - fried
• 해물 (haemul) - seafood
• 야채 (yachae) - vegetable

A translation app can be really handy. Certain apps like Google Translate and DeepL allow you to use your phone camera for live text translation. Watch out though, these apps can make mistakes, but are almost always good enough to know what you're about to order. Naver Papago tends to handle Korean more accurately than general-purpose translation apps, so it's worth downloading before you arrive.

Many restaurants, especially around tourist areas, tend to have photo menus or plastic food models in their windows. All you need to do is point at what looks good and hold up fingers for quantity. Convenience stores and street stalls also work the same way, so you can simply point and pay.

Self-service kiosks, (the sign will read “Unmanned Operation”, 무인 운영 중) have become standard in Korean fast food chains, cafes and even some sit-down restaurants. Most offer an English language option in the corner of the screen, so just look for a small flag icon or the word "ENGLISH". There will usually be accompanying images too so you can see what you’re ordering.

You don't need much, but a few words go a long way and are definitely appreciated, even with a slightly wonky accent:

• Ju-se-yo ("please give me") - added after pointing at something on a menu or shelf
• Ma-e-wo-yo ("it's spicy") - useful to ask before ordering
• Chu-ga ("extra" or "add") - handy when ordering more rice, side dishes, or toppings
• Gye-san-seo ju-se-yo ("the bill, please") - though in many casual restaurants you'll pay at a till on the way out instead

If a full sit-down menu feels intimidating, street markets and food halls are the easiest entry point into Korean food. At places like Gwangjang Market in Seoul, vendors typically sell one or two dishes each, everything is visible and already cooking, and payment often just involves pointing and handing over cash. It's a great low-pressure way to try all sorts of Korean street food, such as tteokbokki, mandu and bindaetteok, without needing to navigate a menu.

This is a pretty standard practice in South Korea. If you walk into a restaurant and see a dish at another table that looks good, you can gesture toward it and ask the staff for "the same", usually with a smile and a nod.

• 같은 거 (gateun geo) - "the same thing"
• 주세요 (juseyo) - "please give me,"

You could try saying "gateun geo juseyo" ("the same thing, please").

• Look for English menus (“yeongeo menyu”) at the door, especially in Seoul, Busan and other major tourist areas as many restaurants will have them even if they're not immediately handed to you.
• Cash still helps in smaller, older restaurants, particularly outside the big cities, so it's worth carrying some even if you're used to paying by card.
• Allergies and dietary needs are trickier to communicate, so it's worth having a translated card on your phone in advance if you have specific requirements.

Ordering food in Korea without speaking the language is far less intimidating than it sounds. If you use the photo menus, translation apps, English-language kiosks and simply the act of pointing, it’s actually pretty easy and, afterall, half the fun is not being entirely sure what's about to arrive.