A few things to keep in mind about etiquette when going to a restaurant in Korea!
This article about etiquette in Korea will be short and sweet. Restaurant habits and etiquette in Korea are quite different from what I was used to in Europe/Canada, so I thought I would share!
This blog is all about restaurant etiquette in Korea!
RESTAURANT ETIQUETTE IN KOREA
Say hello on your way in, and thank you on your way out... in Korean
I love how when you go into a restaurant, all the staff says hello! The Korean word is 안녕하세요, which is pronounced as “annyeonghaseyo”… which ends up sounding something more like “anneonaseyo” if you say it quickly.
Same thing on your way out… say thank you. The Korean word for this is 감사합니다, which is pronounced as “gamsahabnida”… which ends up sounding like “gamsabnida”.
The utensils are under the table... so don't ask for them
In most restaurants, the utensils won’t be on the table when you arrive. They’ll actually be hidden in a drawer underneath the table, as well as the napkins.
Also, you’ll generally only find chopsticks and spoons. So one way or the other, you’ll have to get used to eating with chopsticks! No more putting off learning that skill.
Get your own water, don't ask for it.
Korean restaurants are split 50/50 for this. Some restaurants will bring a jug of water to the table. However, many of them won’t bring you anything, and you’ll have to get your own water. Generally, they have water dispensers, and you can refill your water as you please.
FYI, they use tiny metal cups, so you’ll be getting up pretty often to refill them!
Bring your plates and cups back to the counter... don't just leave everything there
This was a big one for me. In Korea, they are accustomed to bringing their plates/cups back to the counter when they are done eating.
You know how in Mcdonald’s, you bring your tray back to the trash bin? Well, it’s the same principle, except you bring it back to the counter where you paid. It isn’t only for fast food, but also for sit-down restaurants, cafes, etc.
It took me a while to get used to this. But when I left, it also took me a while to get out of the habit!
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Pay at the counter... don't wait for them to bring you the bill.
Up until the moment I had gone to Korea, there were two ways in which I paid for meals. Either it was like Starbucks, where you pay for your drinks/meal before you get them. Or, like in any sit-down restaurant, you pay after eating by asking for the bill and paying at the table.
In Korea, you actually pay as you are leaving out the door. Just get up when you’re done eating, go to the front desk counter, and pay there!
When giving or receiving your credit card, hold it with two hands.
This is one that took me a while to get used to…
When you give or receive something, you must always do so using two hands as a sign of respect. So, if you were to give a credit card to the waiter, you would hold the credit card with two hands and hand it to them. You would also open both your palms to get it back.
You can also hand it with one hand, but the other should be “supporting” the hand handing the cash/credit card… as in literally holding your wrist or your elbow.
That’s it! Like I said, short and sweet. This blog was all about restaurant etiquette in Korea!
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