Korean Barbecue Culture

The format is consistent across the country: a grill set into the table, an extraction hood above it, a spread of banchan that arrives unasked and is refilled free, and meat ordered by weight for a minimum of two people. What varies is the meat. Samgyeopsal is pork belly, unmarinated, the everyday default; galbi is beef short rib, usually marinated in soy, pear and garlic, and costs several times as much; there is also thin-sliced brisket, pork jowl and offal. The eating method matters: a piece of meat, a smear of ssamjang, raw garlic grilled at the edge, sometimes kimchi, all folded into a lettuce or perilla leaf and eaten whole rather than in bites. Someone else at the table generally does the grilling and turning, and staff will do it in busier places. It is finished with cold noodles or with rice fried in what is left on the pan. Soju and beer are assumed.

What you actually see

• The table grill - meat cooked in front of you under an extraction hood.
• The banchan spread - side dishes brought unasked, refilled free.
• The ssam wrap - leaf, meat, ssamjang, garlic, eaten in one.
• The finish - cold noodles or fried rice on the same pan.

When to go

Any evening. Two-person minimums are standard, so solo diners struggle outside the chains that cater for it. Expect to leave smelling of smoke.

Honest expectations

Ordering is by weight and a table for two adds up faster than the menu suggests. Vegetarians are poorly served. Ventilation varies - clothes will hold the smell.

Nearby

Every neighbourhood has them; Seoul's Mapo and Majang districts and Jeju's black pork streets are the destinations.