The 20 Best Korean Dishes You Must Try

Korean Cuisine: An Explosion of Flavors

Korean cuisine is one of the most diverse and flavorful in the world. Spicy, fermented, grilled, or stewed — each dish tells a cultural story.

The 10 Dishes Everyone Must Try

1. 김치 (Kimchi)

The Korean national dish. Fermented cabbage with chili, garlic, and ginger. It accompanies every meal in Korea.

2. 비빔밥 (Bibimbap)

Mixed rice with vegetables, meat, an egg, and chili paste (gochujang).

3. 불고기 (Bulgogi)

Marinated and grilled beef in a sweet-savory sauce (soy sauce, sugar, garlic, pear).

4. 떡볶이 (Tteokbokki)

Cylindrical rice cakes in a spicy red sauce. The #1 street food in Korea.

5. 삼겹살 (Samgyeopsal)

Pork belly grilled at Korean BBQ. The quintessential Korean social experience — you grill the meat yourself at the table.

6. 김밥 (Gimbap)

The Korean "sushi roll": rice, vegetables, and meat wrapped in seaweed. Perfect for a quick meal.

7. 라면 (Ramyeon)

Korean instant noodles. Unlike Japanese ramen, Korean ramyeon is spicy and ready in 4 minutes.

8. 냉면 (Naengmyeon)

Cold noodles in an icy broth. The quintessential Korean summer dish.

9. 순두부찌개 (Sundubu jjigae)

Ultra-spicy silken tofu stew. Served boiling hot with a raw egg cracked in.

10. 치킨 (Chikin)

Korean fried chicken — crispy, juicy, often coated in sweet-spicy sauce. Koreans are obsessed with chikin.

10 More Dishes to Discover

Useful Restaurant Vocabulary

💡 In Korea, banchan (side dishes) are free and unlimited. Ask for a refill with "리필 주세요" (ripil juseyo).