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There is always something to think about when going abroad. How do I order here? How do I choose my seat? Do I have to wait for the waiter to guide me to the table?

If you do not have a local friend, you have no choice but to take a hint by looking at other people. When I first went to the US, I just sat on a random table and waited for the waiter like I always do in Korea. However, I realized later that this was a very rude thing to do. I realized that since the waiter had his own principle of  distributing customers, and he knows the restaurant better, It is American restaurant culture to wait patiently for them to guide you. 

Of course, now I am a great customer when I go to restaurants in the United States.   

So, today, I systematically organized how people should act in Korean restaurants for foreigners. I hope this will help you when you are traveling Korea!

1. Entering a Korean Restaurant

 You don't have to wait for the waiter to guide you. Just tell them how many people you are with, and choose a seat.

Most of the time, when you enter a Korean restaurant, they usually ask how many of you are there, and  guide you to the seat. However, there is nothing wrong if you take your seats by yourself without getting guided. People in Korea don't like waiting, so the waiters are used to people taking seats before they guide the customers. Therefore, if the owner does not guide you, you can just take a seat if it's an ordinary restaurant (for example, a meat restaurant). But, if you are sitting in a group seat when you come by yourself or with a friend, you may be asked to move to another table. 

Normally, if you take a seat, the employees will serve you water or side dishes. (However, there are many self-serving restaurants these days.) If they are too busy to notice your presence, raise your hand and let them know that you are here.

*CAUTION*

Restaurants(usually expensive ones) that have waiters that you would see in like hotel dining or buffet (Ashley, seasonal table),  you should wait until the waiter guides you. Do not go inside without their instruction.

If the restaurant is in a sedentary style where you have to sit down, put your shoes on the shoe shelf.

Although this kind of sedentary style restaurants are mostly gone, it still exists in traditional Korean food restaurants or in local areas. These restaurants have the shoe shelf 99% of the time, and I highly recommend you take your shoes off and put them in the shelf. If you leave the shoes on the floor people may step on it, and other people can mistake their shoes as yours and take yours home.   

(Also, make sure to remember where you put your shoes.  )

2. Ordering in a Korean Restaurant

When you want to order, lift your hand and say, "저기요(jeo gi yo)". (This means 'hey.')

In Korea, it is not enough to just raise your hand. In a noisy restaurant, no one will recognize you by holding your hand up. So raise your hand and say "저기요"(jeo gi yo) and order when the employee comes.

(Be confident and raise your hand saying Jeogiyo!)

*CAUTION*

Let's not say "아줌마(ajumma)"(This means middle aged woman) even if they actually are. Lots of people feel bad about this. But if you want to call them anyway, say "아주머니(a ju meo ni)."(This means madam) If you do not want to remember this, it's easier to say "저기요(jeo gi yo)."

* * Tips: When you are not yet decided and the employee comes to take an order, say "잠시만요(jam si man yo)." (This means "wait a minute.")

3. Paying in a Korean Restaurant

1) If you have received a check, take it with you when you pay.

Many restaurants place the check on the table these days. In this case, go to the counter with the check and pay. Employees don't come to the table for the payment in Korea. The person has to go to the counter to make a payment.

2) If you didn't receive a check, just go to the counter.

If you did not received a check, you can simply go to the counter without it and pay there.

*CAUTION*

When you are paying, make sure you don't put cash or cards on the table!! You have to hand it over carefully from hand to hand. It is natural and not a problem in other cultures, but in Korea, it is considered to be rude. If this happens, then the cashier would think, "Why do I have to pick up the money?" So please, don't forget!

(Even the top officials of the Korean government exchanges money and the receipts with their hands politely.  )

**TIPS

1: If you are paying separately, say "따로 계산할게요(ta ro gye san hal gae yo)." (This means "I'll pay it separately.") However, it is not recommended because you may have communication problems if you have to pay for several menus at various prices.

2: Korean restaurants usually do not give receipts. There is no bad intentions. Koreans often don't get receipts because it is quite cumbersome . Also, these days you can simply check the details of usage on internet that receipts are not very necessary. If you need a receipt, say "영수증 주세요(Yongsoo-jeung joo se yo)." (This means "can I have a recipt, please.)

So today we have learned about the ways to order in Korean restaurants. The following video is the one that I found on the internet which tells you how to order a food in Korea. If you have other good videos or have any questions, leave the comment! 

See you next time with a new post~

The following post was about How to Order and Pay Naturally in Korea! After reading this post if you have any questions regarding this post please do not hesitate and contact us through our email or leave a comment below.

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