Food & Drink - Seoul - page 374

Japchae is a Chinese-style dry dish of transparent noodles stir-fried in sesame oil with strips
of egg, meat and vegetables. It's sometimes served as a side dish or by royal-cuisine restaur-
ants.
Desserts & Confectionary
Desserts are not common in traditional Korean restaurants, but sometimes a piece of fruit,
coffee or traditional tea is served at the end of the meal. Ice cream, yogurt and waffle par-
lours are springing up everywhere, not to mention all the cafes and bakeries.
Tteok (pronounced 'dock') are traditional rice cakes, a bland, unsweetened and healthy
alternative to sugary Western cakes, flavoured with dried fruit, nuts and beans.
Dining Etiquette
If you're invited out by Korean colleagues or friends, it's difficult or impossible to pay the
bill or even contribute towards it. Arguing about who should have the honour of paying
the restaurant bill is a common scene at the cashier's desk.
Meals are usually eaten communally, so dishes are placed in the centre of the table and
diners put a little from each common dish in their own dish or bowl.
At some traditional restaurants, customers sit on cushions on the floor (the ondol, an
underfloor heating system, is beneath). Before stepping up, always remove your shoes.
Koreans usually call out to attract a server's attention, so don't be shy to call out
'ajumma!' or 'ajeossi!' (which literally mean 'middle-aged woman' or 'middle-aged man'
- sounds impolite but it's not). Nearly every restaurant in Seoul serves bottled or filtered
water free of charge when you first arrive.
RULES OF KOREAN DINING
» Take off your shoes in traditional restaurants where everyone sits on floor cushions.
» Pour drinks for others if you notice that their glasses are empty. It's polite to use both hands when pouring or
receiving a drink. Don't pour drinks for yourself (unless you're alone).
» Ask for gawi (scissors) if you're trying to cut something and your spoon won't do it.
» Place the chopsticks and spoon back in their original position at the end of the meal.