Korean Food and Drink

As I have mentioned in a previous post, you will most likely attend a 2 week Orientation. During this time, you will be served Korean food 3 times a day. For those of us who have never experienced this diet, it can be a bit of a shock.

Added to this, the food served is not fantastic-more like school cafeteria fare and therefore is not an indication of the food available at restaurants around the country. So do not be disheartened. The food in Korea is actually for the most part fantastic.

When eating at lunch at school, or dinner out your main meal is always accompanied by a variety of side-dishes or Banchan ( 반찬) and is included in the cost of your meal.

If you are not a fan of spicy food, you will find eating Korean Food quite difficult in the beginning. However, your taste buds and heat threshold soon adapt.

Lastly, in Korea unlike in the West, tipping is not required. Generally, eating out is pretty reasonable in terms of cost. Most of these dishes range on average from 5,000 -15,000 won.

Here are some of the main dishes and beverages you can expect to eat and drink once you are here (some with photo examples):

1. 불고기 (Bulgogi)-Beef Barbecue