Korean dining culture

Ramyeon Guide: Types, Recipes & Where to Eat

Korean ramyeon (라면) is the closest thing Korea has to a national daily food. It is cheap, ready in about five minutes, and sold on nearly every street corner. This…

Min 2026-09-08

Food Food Culture

Banchan (반찬, Side Dish) by Restaurant Type

One of the things foreign visitors notice quickly in Korea is that restaurants often serve banchan(side dish) automatically. You sit down, order a main dish, and small side dishes appear.…

JIN 2026-08-20

Featured Food Food Culture

Banchan (반찬, Side Dish) Refills in Korean Restaurants

Are All Banchan Free to Refill? In many Korean restaurants, basic banchan (side dishes) can be refilled for free. However, not every side dish is unlimited. Refill policies vary from…

JIN 2026-08-20

Drinks Food

Drinking Etiquette & Useful Korean Drinking Phrases

Drinking Rounds: Icha (이차) and Samcha (삼차) In Korean nightlife, people may talk about icha and samcha. Ilcha means first round, icha means second round, and samcha means third round.…

Min 2026-08-16

Drinks Food

Korean Drinking Etiquette: Pouring Manners, and the Social Meaning of Drinking Together

To understand Korean dining culture deeply, you need to understand Korean drinking etiquette. In Korean, drinking etiquette is often called judo, written as 주도. In this context, ju means alcohol,…

Min 2026-08-16

Dishes & Ingredients Food

Types of Banchan (반찬): A Detailed Side Dish Guide

Banchan is one word, but the dishes under it number in the hundreds. A simple Korean table may carry three or four. A traditional full-course meal may carry twelve or…

JIN 2026-08-16

Dishes & Ingredients Food

Banchan (반찬): Korea’s Side Dish

What Is Banchan? Banchan (반찬) means "side dishes" in Korean. A Korean meal is typically built around four components: rice, soup or stew (guk / jjigae), a main dish, and…

JIN 2026-08-16