Save the Korean name of the dish you want, along with the restaurant’s name and branch. At the counter, show the Korean name on your phone or point to it on the menu. Keep the address too: a restaurant name alone may lead you to a different branch.

Four names to recognise

• 순수롤 — Soonsoo Roll. This is a named product at Sungsimdang, not a general term for cake. The bakery describes it as a combination of soft castella and milk cream. Show 순수롤 when asking for it. Sungsimdang’s product description.
• 칼국수 — kalguksu. A noodle dish whose name does not tell you the full recipe. For example, the Korea Tourism Organization describes Shindo’s version as using bone-and-anchovy broth with ground perilla seeds. Shindo’s listing.
• 오징어제육 — ojingeo jeyuk. The words refer to squid and pork. Our archive includes the longer menu name 오징어제육섞어. Save the whole label when that is the dish you want; the name alone does not establish its portion size, sauce or accompaniments.
• 떡볶이 — tteokbokki. Often translated as spicy rice cakes. VISITKOREA describes the familiar red-chili-paste version, but also notes that the cakes can be rice- or wheat-based. Treat the name as a starting point, not a complete ingredient list. VISITKOREA’s street-food guide.

Point, then ask

이거 하나 주세요.
One of this, please. Point to the item on the menu. For two, say 이거 두 개 주세요.

이거 몇 인분이에요?
How many servings is this? Useful when you cannot tell whether a listed dish is an individual meal or a shared plate.

밥도 나오나요?
Does rice come with it? Ask before adding a separate order.

많이 매운가요?
Is it very spicy? To ask about a milder preparation: 덜 맵게 가능해요? — Can you make it less spicy? This is a request, not a guarantee that the kitchen can change the dish.

포장 가능해요?
Is takeaway available? Once confirmed, 포장해 주세요. means “To go, please.”

Before you confirm

Check the item, quantity and total price on the menu or order screen. If an ingredient matters to you, ask about that ingredient and the broth or sauce; a short menu name cannot settle the question. Keep the restaurant’s answer separate from a general description you have read online.

Food descriptions checked against the linked official sources on 19 September 2026. Korean phrases are provided as practical language help; individual restaurants decide what they can offer.