How to Order Korean Foods

I was asked by Muslim readers to list out Korean delicacies that do not contain meat. Rather than that, I will list out :

Food with/without meat
The method to request the cook to exclude meat from the order.
Survival phrases in Korean restaurant

First of all, you could always go to any seafood or vegetarian restaurant to try Korean food. Check out this link for vegetarian/Halal restaurants in Seoul:

Otherwise, use this sentences to remind the cook to exclude meat (beef, chicken, pork and etc) if you are not in a vegetarian/seafood restaurant.

Survival phrases in Korean restaurant

고기를 놓지마세요 - gogi rel nohjimaseyo - Please do not put in/include meat.

햄을 놓지마세요 - hem el nohjimaseyo - Please do not put in/include ham.

얼마예요? - Olmayeyo - How much (price)?

이것 뭐 라고 해요? - Igeo mou ragu he yo? - What is it called?

김치 점 더 주세요 - jeom deo juseyo - Please give more *You can change with rice - bab/ side dishes - banchan

이걸로 주세요 - Igeollo juseyo - Please give me this

Some of the cooks do not understand that 'ham' is made from meat so you need to inform them too.

Tips: Nowadays, there are many restaurants having menu with pictures and explanation in English. Just point to the picture and make your order.

Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed rice." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot (Source: wikipedia). Check out the bibimbap that my friends and I had for about 7,000 won in Hongik at BAB restaurant.

Kimchi jjigae

Kimchi jjigae is a variety of jjigae or stew-like Korean dish made with kimchi and other ingredients such as scallions, onions, diced tofu, pork, and seafood, although pork and seafood are generally not used in the same recipe. (Source: wikipedia).

As wikipedia explained that normally the serve it with pork or other meat, so if you request this, you may need to remind the host not to include meat.

Sundubu jjigae

Normally it is cooked with seafood and sundubu means soft tofu. It looks similar like Kimchi jjigae. Sundubu jjigae is a hot and spicy jjigae (Korean stew) dish made with uncurdled dubu (tofu), seafood (oysters, mussels, clams and shrimp are common ingredients), vegetables, mushrooms, onion, scallions, and gochujang or gochu garu (chili powder) in Korean cuisine. A raw egg is put in the jjigae while it is still boiling. This dish is eaten with a bowl of cooked white rice and several banchan (side dishes). It is widely eaten and one of the favorite meals in South Korea.

Dwenjang / Doenjang jjigae

I ate this a few times at Kimbap Nara and once at one of the back alley restaurants in Insadong between 3,000 to 7,000won. I really love dwenjang jjigae. Dwenjang jjigae is a variety of jjigae or stew-like Korean traditional dish, made with dwenjang (Korean soybean paste) and available ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, or dubu (tofu).It is regarded as one of the representative dishes of commoners' food in Korea. (Source: Wikipedia)

Rabokki/ Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is a dish of korean rice cake with spicy red sauce and sometimes egg. You could easily eat this at any pojangmacha - street stall for around 2,000/ 2,500 won. If you put ramen/instant noodle it is called rabbokki and set you off for 3,000/ 3,500 won. (Source: Wikipedia)

Hobak juk / Squash porridge

Juk - Porridge / Congee
Juk is a predominantly Korean porridge made of grains such as cooked rice, beans, sesame, and azuki beans. Juk is often eaten warm in Korea, especially as a morning meal, but is now eaten at any time of the day.(Source: Wikipedia)

There are so many varieties of juk. My favourite is pat (red/azuki bean) juk and there's korean rice cake inside too. You could try eating juk at any Bonjuk restaurant in Korea for about 6,000 to 10,000 won.

Kimbap behind Dongdaemun

Kimbap, samgak kimbap
Gimbap or kimbap is a popular Korean dish made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients, rolled in gim (sheets of dried laver seaweed) and served in bite-size slices. Gimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with danmuji or kimchi. It is similar to the better-known Japanese sushi. (Source: Wikipedia)

Rest assured, it is nothing like sushi at all. I love packing some kimbap and strolling along Han River. The feeling..hmm like at home? Hahah..that's too much to put it that way right? One evening, I packed chungmu kimbap from Myeongdong and went straight to Yeoido Park (it's far). Stayed at the park for a good one hour watching people flying kites and riding bikes. The weather was cool and I felt contented, a perfect day.

You could pack kimbap from any kimbap house like kimbap nara/kimbap jongguk/kim ga ne in tuna, vegetables or kimchi. It varies from 1,000 won to 2,500 won. Cheap and filling. Another variation is samgak kimbap, in a triangle shape. A lot of it sold in convenience shop like 7-Eleven, Mini Stop etc for 600 to 1,000 won.