Where Are the Spoons? Understanding Korean Restaurant Table Drawers

Metal spoons and chopsticks inside a drawer under a Korean restaurant table

Your food arrives, but there is no spoon or pair of chopsticks on the table. Before calling a staff member, check the side of the table. The utensils may already be inside a shallow drawer just below the tabletop. A Korean restaurant table drawer can be easy to miss when you do not know where … Read more

Self-Service in Korean Restaurants: Water, Side Dishes, and What to Check

Self-service water, utensils, and side dish station inside a Korean restaurant

You sit down at a Korean restaurant, place your order, and wait for water. A few minutes pass, but no one brings it. Then you notice another customer walking to a water dispenser near the wall and filling a cup. The restaurant may not have forgotten your table. Water could simply be self-service. Self-service in … Read more

Why Korean Restaurants Have Call Buttons: How to Ask for Help at the Table

Korean restaurant call button beside metal chopsticks, a spoon, water, and side dishes

A small button on a restaurant table can be confusing when you do not know what it is for. A Korean restaurant call button is usually used to let staff know that someone at the table needs assistance. You may find it near the edge of the table, attached to a wall, or included in … Read more