Korean Phrases for Korean BBQ That Actually Get You Served
Korean BBQ restaurants have spread from Seoul to cities on every continent, and outlets from Eater to Bon Appétit have tracked the phenomenon for years. But every guide stops at "point at the menu." What nobody tells you is that the phrases you actually need are not on the menu — they are the ones you say at the table once the grill is hot: asking for scissors, refilling your lettuce, and flagging down your server when the pork belly is about to burn. 가위 주세요 (gawi juseyo), "Please give me scissors," might be the single most useful phrase at a Korean BBQ table.
- Order your meat: 삼겹살 주세요 (samgyeopsal juseyo), "Pork belly, please."
- Request scissors: 가위 주세요 (gawi juseyo), "Scissors, please."
- Refill a side dish: 이거 더 주세요 (igeo deo juseyo), "More of this, please."
- Check if the meat is done: 다 익었어요? (da igeoosseoyo?), "Is it all cooked through?"
How do you order at a Korean BBQ restaurant?
Most Korean BBQ menus have photos, so pointing gets you started. To confirm your order or add to it, the phrase structure is simple: [item] 주세요 (juseyo), "Please give me [item]."
| What you want | Say this |
|---|---|
| Pork belly | 삼겹살 주세요 (samgyeopsal juseyo) |
| Beef short rib | 갈비 주세요 (galbi juseyo) |
| Sliced beef | 불고기 주세요 (bulgogi juseyo) |
| Another round of meat | 하나 더 주세요 (hana deo juseyo) |
If you have dietary restrictions, say them before ordering. 돼지고기 못 먹어요 (dwaejigogi mot meogeoyo) — "I can't eat pork" — or 소고기만 먹어요 (sogogiman meogeoyo) — "I only eat beef" — land clearly and the server will guide you.
Practice this out loud with SULSUL — the app says it, you repeat it →
What do you say while the meat is cooking?
This is where most travelers go silent. They know how to order but freeze once the grill is smoking. Here are the phrases that keep a Korean BBQ meal moving:
가위 주세요 (gawi juseyo) — "Scissors, please." At a Korean BBQ, scissors are the primary cutting tool. Servers use them to portion meat on the grill. Ask as soon as the meat goes on.
불 좀 줄여 주세요 (bul jom juryo juseyo) — "Please turn the flame down a little." The grill gets very hot, and the first pieces can char if you are not paying attention.
다 익었어요? (da igeoosseoyo?) — "Is it all cooked?" Ask when you are not sure. The server will check and flip any pieces that need more time.
You: 가위 주세요! — gawi juseyo! — "Scissors, please!"
Them: 네, 잠깐만요. — ne, jamkkanmanyo. — "Yes, just a moment."
You: 감사합니다. 상추도 더 주세요. — gamsahamnida. sangchudo deo juseyo. — "Thank you. More lettuce too, please."
How do you refill side dishes and pay at the end?
Korean BBQ side dishes (banchan, 반찬) are refillable — all of them, for free. You do not need to be shy about asking.
이거 더 주세요 (igeo deo juseyo) — "More of this, please." Point at the empty bowl as you say it. Works for kimchi, lettuce, garlic, dipping sauces, and anything else on the table.
상추 더 있어요? (sangchu deo isseoyo?) — "Do you have more lettuce?" If you cannot see the server, call out 저기요! (jeogiyo!), "Excuse me!", a single word that gets attention in any Korean restaurant without being rude.
When you are ready to leave: 계산해 주세요 (gyesan-hae juseyo), "Please bring the bill." In many Korean BBQ places you pay at the front counter, not at the table — so you may need to walk up with this phrase ready.
Why does speaking up matter more at a Korean BBQ table than at any other restaurant?
At a regular restaurant you can gesture at the menu and point at your plate. At a Korean BBQ table, the food is raw when it arrives. You need to communicate about cooking time, fire level, and refills across the noise of a busy room. Every minute of silence while the meat overcooks on a too-hot grill is a language problem.
가위 주세요 is two words. 이거 더 주세요 is three. That is the full toolkit for managing a Korean BBQ table — and none of it requires a complete sentence.
If you are eating at a restaurant with a counter rather than a grill table, the post on ordering coffee in Korean covers the shorter ordering pattern.
Say it out loud, not just in your head
Reading 가위 주세요 while the grill smokes and your group is waiting is not the same as saying it loud enough for a busy server to hear.
SULSUL is a speaking gym for exactly that moment: pick a survival pattern, say it out loud, get an instant fix from the AI pronunciation coach, then run the real situation as a mission. The 100-pattern PDF workbook comes along as a bonus.
