Korean BBQ is not just a meal; it is the defining social eating experience in Korea. Here is how it actually works, what to order, what everything costs, and how to find the best of it in Seoul.
Korean BBQ (고기구이, gogi-gui) has become one of the most internationally recognized aspects of Korean cuisine and for good reason. Grilling meat at a charcoal or gas grill set into your table, wrapping pieces in lettuce with garlic, kimchi, and fermented soybean paste, and eating communally over several hours is one of the genuinely great dining experiences in Asia. This guide covers everything you need to know before you sit down.
How Korean BBQ Works
You sit at a table with a grill built into its centre. A server lights the charcoal or gas burner. You order raw meat, and it arrives at the table to be cooked by you or by the server at some restaurants, particularly for premium cuts. Side dishes (banchan) arrive simultaneously and are refillable at no extra cost throughout the meal.
The sequence: cook a piece of meat, let it rest briefly, cut it with scissors into bite-sized pieces, take a lettuce or perilla leaf, add a smear of doenjang (fermented soybean paste) or ssamjang (a mixed paste), add a piece of meat, garlic, kimchi, and any other garnish you want, fold the leaf around everything, and eat in one mouthful. The whole thing is louder, messier, and more enjoyable than a description can convey.
Scissors: Korean BBQ restaurants use kitchen scissors to cut meat at the table rather than knives. Servers will often do this for you. At casual restaurants, you do it yourself. This is completely normal and one of the most practical aspects of Korean dining culture.
What to Order: The Main Cuts
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) – Pork Belly
The most popular cut at Korean BBQ restaurants. Thick-cut pork belly with alternating layers of fat and meat, grilled until the fat renders and the exterior crisps. Around 13,000 to 18,000 won per portion (serves 1 to 2 people depending on appetite). The definitive Korean BBQ experience and the right starting point for first-timers.
Galbi (갈비) – Short Ribs
Beef or pork short ribs are often marinated in a soy, garlic, and pear-based sauce before grilling. The marinade caramelizes on the grill, producing the most aromatic BBQ smell in the restaurant. Slightly more expensive than samgyeopsal, around 20,000 to 30,000 won per portion for beef. The sweeter, more complex cut.
Bulgogi (불고기) – Marinated Beef
Thinly sliced marinated beef is usually cooked in a shallow pan on the grill rather than directly on the grate: tender, sweet, and the most internationally familiar Korean BBQ dish. Around 18,000-25,000 won per portion.
Hanwoo (한우) – Korean Premium Beef
Korea’s premium domestic beef breed is culturally significant, comparable to wagyu. Hanwoo BBQ is a significantly more expensive experience; expect to pay 40,000 to 80,000 won per portion at a quality hanwoo restaurant. Worth doing once for the comparison. The marbling and flavour difference from standard beef is genuine and significant.
Dakgalbi (닭갈비) – Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken
Technically, it’s more of a stir-fry than a BBQ, but it’s served at the table grill in many restaurants. Spicy gochujang-marinated chicken with sweet potato, cabbage, and rice cakes. Lower price point than pork and beef. Particularly popular in the Chuncheon area (Gangwon Province), where it originated.
The Banchan (Side Dishes)
Every Korean BBQ meal comes with banchan, small side dishes served alongside the meat. Standard items include kimchi (multiple varieties), seasoned spinach, bean sprouts, pickled radish, sliced garlic for grilling alongside the meat, and dipping sauces. All banchan are refillable at no extra cost. Ask for more by pointing or saying ‘igeo deo juseyo’ (이거 더 주세요).
What Does Korean BBQ Cost?
Budget BBQ: 15,000 to 25,000 won per person, including samgyeopsal, banchan, and a drink or two. Casual neighbourhood restaurants with plastic stools and charcoal grills.
Mid-range BBQ: 25,000 to 50,000 won per person with galbi or bulgogi, better banchan, and table service.
Premium BBQ: 50,000 to 100,000 won per person at a dedicated hanwoo restaurant with premium cuts and full table service.
See the Korea travel budget guide for how BBQ fits into a daily food budget in Korea.
Where to Eat Korean BBQ in Seoul
Mapo-gu – The Samgyeopsal Belt
The Mapo and Sangam areas northwest of central Seoul have the highest concentration of quality samgyeopsal restaurants in the city, known as the Mapo Samgyeopsal Street area. Local, unpretentious, and significantly cheaper than tourist-oriented restaurants in Myeongdong or Hongdae.
Hongdae – Late Night BBQ
The Hongdae area has good BBQ restaurants open late, popular with the university student crowd. Prices are reasonable and the evening atmosphere is excellent. Good for combining BBQ with a Hongdae night out.
Gangnam – Premium BBQ
For hanwoo and premium galbi, the Gangnam and Apgujeong areas have the highest concentration of quality upscale BBQ restaurants. Budget significantly more; this is where Koreans go to impress.
Myeongdong and Insadong – Tourist-Adjacent
BBQ is available here, but prices are higher, and the experience is more performative than at neighbourhood restaurants. Not recommended if you have the flexibility to eat elsewhere.
Korean BBQ Etiquette
- Pouring drinks: Pour for others before pouring for yourself. Accept pours with two hands or one hand supporting the other forearm. This applies equally to beer, soju, and makgeolli.
- Mixing somaek: Beer and soju mixed in roughly a 7:3 ratio is called somaek, the most common Korean BBQ drink. Your server or a confident member of your group will demonstrate.
- The grill: Fat will accumulate on it and needs to be wiped off. At many restaurants, the server does this. At casual places, you do it yourself with the provided brush, or the server will swap the grill plate.
- Tipping: Not done in Korea. Leave the full bill amount.
