Food
The Ultimate Guide to Korean BBQ — From Grill Types to Cuts of Meat
A one-page map to give to a foreign friend who is opening their first barbecue restaurant
Hello.
Today, I’ve brought along a handy guide to K-BBQ—perfect for when a friend visiting from Korea says, “Let’s go eat some meat.”
From types of grills and cut names to how to order and how to wrap meat in lettuce—this one article is all you need before opening a barbecue restaurant.
Grill, tongs, scissors, lettuce — The basic setup for a K-BBQ table
🍽 It's the same "barbecue," but it's a completely different game
I guess the chef will grill it and serve it. — No.
At Korean barbecue restaurants, the grill is brought right to my table.
The act of baking is half the meal.
Western-style BBQ | Korean-Style BBQ | |
|---|---|---|
Who's baking? | Pit Master (Kitchen) | At the table (many restaurants have staff to assist) |
Time | Cold smoking for several hours | A few minutes over direct heat |
Meat Form | Whole Roast (Large Cut) | Thinly sliced pieces by cut |
How to Eat It | Individual Plate + Side Dish | Wrap it in a leaf, and share the side dishes at the table |
Order Unit | One menu item | Cut × Portion |
When you place your order, a charcoal brazier is brought right to the center of the table.
Meat isn't in the kitchen, but On the table It is completed.
🔥 Fire and Grills — There Are Different Types of Grills
Actually, the first thing I look for when choosing a restaurant isn't the meat, but FireThat is.
There's a reason why the sign says "Charcoal Grill" in big letters.
Fire | Features | A store like this |
|---|---|---|
Charcoal (charcoal) | The subtle smoky aroma of oak charcoal, with strong heat | A restaurant that boasts "charcoal grill" on its sign; a beef specialty restaurant |
Coal briquettes | Cylindrical coal briquettes with holes, retro charm | An Old-Fashioned, Traditional Restaurant: A Briquette-Grilled Beef Restaurant |
Gas | Most common; provides even heat and is easy to maintain | Many local pork belly restaurants, including franchises |
Placed over the fire PageIt also varies.
Page | Shape | Meat That Goes Well With It |
|---|---|---|
Grate | Wire mesh — Direct contact with the flame | Charcoal Grill + Beef · Short Ribs |
Cauldron lid | Domed cast-iron lid — oil flows down the sides | Grilling Pork Belly with Kimchi and Bean Sprouts |
Dome-shaped griddle (dome) | Bulges in the middle — oil drains into the groove | Fatty pork cuts in general |
If you want to fully savor the smoky aroma—that is, the meat’s natural flavor—choose a restaurant that uses a combination of “charcoal + grill grates.” It's not that gas is bad; it's more accurate to think of charcoal as an option that adds an extra layer of aroma.
Pot Lid Griddle — Kimchi cooks along with the food on the edges where the oil drips
🥩 Pork Cuts — Pork Belly Is Just the Beginning
On Korean barbecue restaurant menus, it's not "pork" but Name of Body PartIt is written as follows.
With just this chart, you can read the menu.
Part | In English, that would be | Features | For people like this |
|---|---|---|---|
Pork Belly | pork belly | Means "three layers of meat" — layers of meat and fat. Unseasoned | You should definitely try it. |
Pork neck | pork neck (shoulder) | It's less fatty and milder than pork belly. If you grill it for too long, it gets tough. | For those who find greasy food a bit heavy |
Pork Jowl | pork jowl | Between the neck and the front leg — chewy and full of juiciness. Also known as “thousand-layer meat.” | The Next Step After Pork Belly |
Seagull Meat | pork skirt | Lean meat from the diaphragm — rich and chewy, just like beef | Lean Meat Faction |
Gabrisal | loin kaburi | The thin layer of meat covering the sirloin—similar to pork jowl, but darker in color and with a more distinct meaty flavor | Explorer of Special Areas |
Shell | pork skin | Chunks of collagen, chewy texture | Adventurous people |
Pork belly and pork neck are staples found in every household, while pork jowl, pork shoulder, and pork rib meat are Sensitive AreasThat said, there are usually specific stores that carry it.
Pork cuts — the menu lists them by these names
🥩 Beef — Whether It's Marinated or Not, and the Name "Hanwoo"
The first choice on the beef menu is Was it seasoned or not?That is.
Part | In English, that would be | Seasoning | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
Marinated Short Ribs | marinated short ribs | O (Sweet soy sauce-based) | That flavor that comes to mind when you think of K-BBQ. However, the sugar in the marinade tends to caramelize easily. |
Raw Short Ribs | fresh short ribs | X | The authentic flavor of short ribs—usually more expensive than marinated short ribs |
Beef Brisket | thinly sliced brisket | X | As thin as a sheet of paper A few secondsOnce the noodles are cooked, dip them in the oil and salt sauce. |
Sirloin | sirloin | X | The Quintessential Hanwoo Restaurant |
Pork Loin | chuck flap | X | A popular cut with fine marbling |
Pork belly | beef belly | X | Beef sliced as thin as pork belly; relatively good value for the price |
'Hanwoo' is not a body part, but Native Korean Cattle BreedsThat is.
Beef is classified into five grades—1++, 1+, 1, 2, and 3—based on factors such as the degree of intramuscular fat (marbling), with the highest grade, 1++, corresponding to a marbling score (BMS 1–9) of 7–9.
If the menu says "1++ Hanwoo," it's a source of pride for the restaurant and explains the price.
If you ordered marinated short ribs, don’t hesitate to ask for a new grill plate—it’s actually more rude to place fresh meat on top of the charred marinade.
Marinated Short Ribs — The moment the sweet marinade hits the flame and caramelizes
💰 Ordering Etiquette — The World of “One Serving”
The standard order size at Korean barbecue restaurants is Serves 1(il-in-bun, "one person's portion").
They usually weigh about 150 to 200 grams, and most stores have a minimum Serves 2We accept orders starting from .
One benchmark for price perception: As of early 2026, the average price of samgyeopsal at restaurants in Seoul was per serving (200g) Around 20,000 won(Korea Consumer Agency) True Price (Statistics).
Prices can vary—being either cheaper or more expensive—depending on the region and restaurant, and since Hanwoo prices vary much more depending on grade and cut, it’s best to use the menu as a guide.
Here's how the order process works.
Order by meat cut + number of servings (e.g., "Two servings of pork belly, please") — It's OK to start with a smaller order; you can always order more if you run out.
Lettuce, garlic, ssamjang, and side dishes are automatically served — Most of the basic side dishes and lettuce are free refills.
Order a "meal" when you're almost done with the meat—doenjang jjigae, naengmyeon, and fried rice are the classic ways to finish the meal
The standard side dishes that come with a meat order — most of which are free refills
🥬 Ssam — There’s a proper order to eating it
The highlight of K-BBQ is Lettuce wrap(ssam, wrap).
The steps are simple.
Spread the lettuce (or perilla leaves) out on the palm of your hand
A piece of grilled meat + a little ssamjang + garlic, shredded green onions, and other toppings of your choice
Cupped A bite— In Korea, it’s not customary to split a bite between two people
Unseasoned meat is dipped in a sesame oil sauce mixed with salt, while fatty cuts are dipped in ssamjang — Just by changing the marinade, the same meat takes on two different flavorsThat's how it works.
Lettuce + Meat + Ssamjang + Garlic — The Formula for a Perfect Ssam Bite
✨ First-Time Visitor Survival Kit
Just a few sentences like this are enough to get your point across.
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Excuse me | jeo-gi-yo | When Calling a Staff Member (Excuse me) |
Please give me two servings of pork belly. | Please bring me some samgyeopsal. | Order two servings of pork belly |
Could you please change the grill plate? | Please come to the breakfast table. | Request to Replace the Grill Plate |
Can I get a refill on this? | How do I refill this? | Can I get a refill of this side dish? |
I'd like a bowl of naengmyeon, please. | Please give me one bowl of naengmyeon. | Ordering cold noodles to finish the meal |
Checklist Before You Go:
Groups of two or more (if you're alone, it's easier to find a restaurant that serves meat for one person or an all-you-can-eat buffet)
Clothes that can get smelly (many places provide plastic bags for coats)
Make sure to finish your meal, and factor in the cost of your final meal as well
If you're going to a charcoal-grill restaurant, make a reservation or avoid peak hours (7–8 p.m.)
The signs in the barbecue alley that light up when evening falls
To sum it up—choose your heat source (charcoal or gas), read the names on the cut chart, start by saying, “Two servings, please,” and finish with a bite of ssam and some naengmyeon.
My first order was pork belly, and on my second visit, I had pork neck.
Dessert is a must Cold Noodles Here's a recommendation. I recommend the bibim naengmyeon!!
When I was eating and there was just a little bit left Naengmyeon BrothIf you pour it over and eat it, Cold Noodles in WaterYou can enjoy the taste of it, too!🐷