Hello listeners, I am going to get your stomach growling by talking to you about some great food you can get in Korea. Last time we talked about how you can determine a good restaurant to eat at. Today, I am going to give you some etiquette tips about what to expect once you get inside.

First of all, if the place isn't too busy and there isn't a host at the door there is a good chance that you sit yourself. In a regular Korean place, you can't expect 5-star service. You will probably just sit, look at the menu and yell ’yogiyo’ when you are ready to order. Once you do, a server will quickly take your order and things will be taken care of quite quickly.

If you see a ’self’ sign with a picture of water then you should get your own water for the server won't get it for you. If you are offended that you would have to serve yourself, please understand that servers don't get tipped here and there is a good chance that they are pulling double duty by cooking or prepping your meal. If there is a counter with kimchi and pickles and stuff out, you are probably at a fast-food Korean place and you will have to prep these yourself as well.

So you have your food.

You can order drinks such as cola, cider, beer or soju. No, don't ask for diet soda, they won't have it. Also, cider is not apple cider; it’s sprite-like soda. They will probably ask how many cups you need because usually Koreans will share the drinks.

You will get metal chopsticks and long spoons to eat with. If you need a fork, ask for it. There is a chance that they will have it. When you eat, use the spoon to eat the rice and the soup and use the chopsticks to eat the side dishes. If there are scissors on the table it would he for cutting meat or noodles- not your hair, ok?

It is considered rude in Korea to leave the spoons or chopsticks in on on the plates of food. If you feel uncomfortable leaving them on the tabletop, then lay a tissue down first. Also, it is considered rude to blow your nose at the table. You can wipe it off, but if you need to blow it loudly then I would suggest go to the bathroom or step outside.

Also about side dishes, there is an etiquette about what you can get refilled. My general rule is that kimchi, veggies, and simple proteins like egg or ham are refillable once. Meats like BBQ, pork belly and other stuff you need to pay extra for. You should eat the banchan with the meal- it is not an appetizer. If you order an extra bowl of rice you can get some extra banchan. It also means you are very hungry.

Oh, and speaking of ordering at BBQ places or big place places. You should order minimum 2 orders of meat or a dish. This is even if you are eating alone. If you have a group you should place one order per person. The minimum would be the group minus one. For example if you have 5 people, you should order 4. You have to order food when you drink alcohol at Korean bars. The servers will let you know the minimum order.

When your meal finishes, you should get up and pay for your meal at the counter. They won't bring the check over. Oh, if they left a check at the table then you should take that up with you to the counter to pay.

Other things to note. We don't tip in Korea. If you leave money on the table there is a chance you will have a person chasing you down the street to return your money. If you really want to give a tip then hand it directly to the server and say ’tip’ or ’service’.