How to order at a Korean BBQ restaurant

Your first Korean BBQ can feel like a test you didn't study for. It isn't. Here's everything you need.

Order combos, not single meats — they're built for the table and come with more banchan, the small shared side dishes that arrive free and are refilled free; asking for more is a compliment, not an imposition. Let the staff handle the scissors and tongs unless they hand them to you — that's the signal the grill is yours.

Wrap grilled meat in lettuce with ssamjang and eat it in one bite. Finish with naengmyeon (cold noodles) or doenjang jjigae. And remember the grill isn't a stove — it's a stage. Take your time.