South Korea for Foodies: 22 Dishes You Have to Taste
Get ready to dive into the bold, flavorful world of South Korean food. We’re taking you on a culinary journey through our favorite dishes—along with must-try classics that no food lover should miss while exploring South Korea.
We loved Korean food, it is a true delight, it is healthy and packed with flavor. We had the misconception that it was going to be meat heavy, mostly pork and spicy. Well, we were very wrong. It can be a litte bit spicy, but you are mostly served with red chili peppers as a side dish and the kimchi can be a little bit spicy. We tolerate fiery foods, but if you are unsure if you can take it, start carefully.
For Koreans, food is more than fuel—it’s a way to care for the body, mind, and soul. Traditional Korean food isn’t just about curing or preventing illness; it’s about balance and harmony. Inspired by the five elements and yin-yang, dishes bring together five tastes (spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, salty) and five colors (red, yellow, black, white, blue) for both health and flavor.
With Korea surrounded by the sea, seafood plays a huge role in the cuisine. Koreans are also experts in preserving food through fermentation and drying, creating deep, complex flavors in dishes like kimchi or fermented seafood. From staples like cabbage and radish to unique mountain herbs, Korean food is all about blending tradition, nature, and care in every bite.
Korean food is made for sharing, so if you are a solo traveler it will be difficult for you to try some of the iconic dishes for just one person. For example, if you want a Bulgogi Ssambap or BBQ you will see two prices: one price for one person and a cheaper price for every following person or it will simply say minimum 2 persons. This means that for every other person you share with, the price per person gets cheaper and cheaper.
TIP | If you do not want to miss out, bring your own collapsible food container and take the rest with you home. We recommend you to look at the menu first and ask, if it can be made for only one person. Another tip is to look at the pictures in Naver, if you see a lot of side dishes, then it is a meal meant for sharing.
We hope you enjoy Korean food as much as we did and that you’ll be inspired to try some of our recommended dishes! If you want to try some of them, check out our city guides at the end of the article for the food stalls and restaurants that we absolutely loved.
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Dietary Restrictions
Korean food is very diverse and originally, we thought we will struggle as we both don’t enjoy eating pork meat. However, we were able to indulge in a lot of seafood, vegetarian meals and some beef. Yes, Korean food showcases pork in many dishes, but we were able to always find any other protein.
We will not say that it is an easy country for vegetarians and at some point we gave up. We tried using the app HappyCow for vegetarian/vegan restaurant recommendations, but besides Seoul we could not use it a lot. Some Buddhist temples have a restaurant offering vegetarian meals, but whenever we tried they were closed. So check the opening hours first and plan your day accordingly.
Peanuts are a key ingredient in Busan-style Hotteok, though they’re not commonly found in other traditional Korean dishes. However, on Udo Island near Jeju, peanuts are more widely used, appearing in a variety of dishes like burgers, makegeolli, and even ice cream. If you have a peanut allergy, it’s important to inform the vendor right away or ask if peanuts are included in your meal.
Rice is a staple in Korean meals making it easy for the gluten-free diet. Rice is often served with meats, vegetables, or side dishes. Stir-fried or in soups, noodles are also very common. But not all noodles are made of rice, double check before ordering if they are made of wheat or eggs.
Now that we discussed what you should keep in mind in case of any dietary restriction, get your chopsticks ready.
TRADITIONAL KOREAN DISHES
1. Banchan – while not a dish you order on its own, Banchan refers to the small side dishes served alongside main meals in Korean cuisine, similar to tapas. These flavorful bites are meant to be shared and enhance the taste of main dishes like rice, soup, or grilled meats. The best part? In most restaurants, banchan is unlimited, so you can always request more of your favorites.
Kimchi - fermented vegetables, usually cabbage or radish, seasoned with chili, garlic, and spices.
Jangajji - Pickled vegetables
Namul - seasoned vegetables
2. Bibimbap – a cold rice bowl mixed with vegetables, meat, and a fried egg, often served with spicy gochujang (fermented bell peppers sauce). Do not forget to mix everything before you start eating. We loved it and it is definitely a must-try.
3. Korean BBQ - each table at a restaurant has its own grill and it is an activity meant for sharing. You can choose the meat cut per 100 g and it will be complemented with Banchan. Normally the BBQ restaurants are either beef only or pork only, so choose before you go which one you would like to try.
TIP | try a Galbi (beef or pork rib) BBQ Restaurant, this is a Korean specialty and it was our best BBQ experience in the country.
4. Ganjang gejang - we talk today about this raw soy sauce crab to this day. This was by far our favorite dish at Honglim Banchan in Gwangjang Market—the crab meat was sweet and tender. We are sushi and sashimi lovers, so we are used to eating raw fish. If this is not you, then probably you shouldn’t give it a try.
5. Bulgogi– is a thinly sliced beef marinated in a sauce that is a mix of soy sauce, sugar or honey, sesame oil, garlic, onion, and often pureed Asian pear. It is often served with rice or in Gimbap, but we advice you to try it on its own with some banchan and rice to really savor all the delicious flavors.
6. Tteokbokki – Spicy and chewy rice cakes in a rich, spicy-sweet sauce. They can be served with cheese or different sauces. We recommend you to try the rose sauce, which is a Korean spicy flavor sauce mixed with cream.
7. Ssambap - is Korean leaf-wrap. You can choose between beef, duck or pork served with rice, banchan and condiments and then wrapped them in leafy greens like lettuce, perilla leaves, or cabbage. The term "ssam" means "wrap," and "bap" means "rice." So you make your own leaf wraps with rice, meat and banchan.
8. Pajeon - we simply could have this fried pancake every single day. It is savory and can have chives, seafood, and vegetables. It is served with a delicious sesame oil and soy sauce and some onions on the side. It always tastes different and it can be a hit or a miss.
9. Japchae – Stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat, seasoned with soy sauce. But be super careful, it is not meant for children or elderly. They are so chewy, you really cannot chew them apart and we felt a bit anxious as you almost only can swallow them down. It felt very dangerous and we did not order them again, even though the flavor is amazing.
TIP | ask the restaurant for scissors and cut them in small pieces, if you feel as scared as we did.
10. Korean Fried Chicken – Crispy, double-fried chicken with sweet or spicy sauces. We absolutely loved it! There are many sauces to try them, such as soy sauce, garlic or gochujang. We love spicy food, so we were always so happy when we could choose a spicy Korean flavor. It is normally paired with a beer and it known as Chimaek.
11. Naengmyeon – Cold buckwheat noodles in a refreshing broth, perfect for summer. Korean noodles are definitely amazing, but this were our favorite. They are simple, but the sauce is incredible and they are very refreshing.
12. Gimbap – sushi but uniquely Korean, it is rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed topped with sesame seeds. Gimbap’s fillings can be spam, egg, crab, tuna, yellow pickled radish, carrots, spinach, or beef. You definitely cannot leave Korea without trying them.
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SOUPS AND STEWS
13. Kimchi Jjigae – A comforting stew made with kimchi, tofu, and pork. We had the option to try it several times without meat, as we ate in vegetarian or seafood restaurants and we enjoyed this stew a lot.
14. Samgyetang – Ginseng chicken soup, often eaten for its health benefits.
15. Sundubu Jjigae – A spicy stew with soft tofu, vegetables, and often seafood or meat.
STREET FOOD
This was the first country we have visited, where street food is as expensive as eating in a restaurant. It is definitely a tourist attraction and in some cities, it is hard to find local and typical street food markets. You have to check them and try some of the iconic snacks. But, do not have high expectations as in many popular markets they use frozen and packaged foods, this was also a first one for us. It is a bit enraging, to pay so much for frozen food, but hey do it for the experience.
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16. Potato Corn Dog - Our favorite Korean snack without a doubt. We preferred the ones filled only with cheese, but you can also find them with sausage. It is a frozen and packaged product, so do not expect vendors to prepare them from scratch in front of your eyes.
TIP | Try, to find stalls, where they are getting fried right at the spot to ensure you have these gooey and runny cheese.
17. Hotteok – Sweet crispy pancakes filled with runny brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. You have to try them in Busan, as only here you can buy them filled with nuts.
18. Eomuk (Fish Cake) – Skewered fish cakes served in warm broth. This is Ingrid’s favorite snack and it might look not so appetizing, but it is worth a try. In Busan, near Jalgachi, you can find them with many different flavors, shrimp, crab, spicy fish, etc.
19. 10 won bread - This pancake, similar to a waffle, can be filled with various flavors like cheese, chocolate, red bean, or even pizza, depending on the location. In Gyeongju, however, it’s typically available only with cheese, while in places like Seoul or Jeju, you’ll find it offered in the widest range of flavors.
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DESSERTS
20. Bungeoppang – Fish-shaped pastries (sometimes made of puff pastry) filled with sweet red bean paste. In Asia red beans are eaten sweet, contrary to what we are used to in the west. But we recommend you to give it a try, it is delicious and definitely a new experience for your taste buds.
21. Patbingsu – Shaved ice dessert topped with red beans, fruits, and sweetened condensed milk.
22. Hodugwaja – Walnut-shaped pastries filled with red bean paste and nuts.
DRINKS
soju - fermented white rice with a crisp flavor, a little apple, and sometimes a touch of burnt rice. We have to say, we did not enjoy soju at all, as its taste is similar to vodka.
makgeolli (rice wine) - we loved peanut Makgeolli originated from Udo (near Jeju), but you can find regular makgeolli in almost every restaurant or convenience store.
Korean teas - such as Jeju’s green tea or gingseng tea
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