12 Must-Try Korean Dishes

From ‘addictive’ snacks to a seafood dish so fresh it’s still moving (in your mouth), Korean food is fresh, flavoursome and fun.

With all things Korean capturing our collective imaginations of late, it’s little wonder that South Korea’s diverse and interesting cuisine is also hot right now (figuratively and literally).

The food scene in this country of 51 million is one of the most exciting in all of Asia, with a multitude of dishes, cooking styles and flavour profiles to sample.

While Korean BBQ is most people’s entry point into Korean fare, there is so much more to excite. From plump, juicy dumplings (mandu) to all manner of soups (including a beefy hangover cure – haejangguk – and a vivid green seaweed option served up as a traditional birthday treat – miyeokguk) to the omnipresent kimchi, which is served as a side dish (banchan) with just about everything.

Koreans’ passion for their produce, food traditions and cuisine, and their exuberant, unabashed love of eating and drinking, is instantly evident when visiting the capital of Seoul. There is food available on just about every main thoroughfare, back alley, and street corner, at all times of the day and night.

And no matter if you are ordering from a Michelin-starred restaurant (Seoul was the tenth most awarded city in the 2022 guide), a family-run noodle shop, a thronging food market (Gwangjang Market is one of the largest traditional markets in Korea, making it the perfect place to head to fill up) or a sidewalk street food vendor, it is almost impossible to have a bad meal there.

So, book your ticket, punch another hole in your belt, and order anything and everything from this list of must-devour Korean dishes.

1. Gimbap

These rice and seaweed roles present like sushi but don’t make the mistake of calling them that – ever.

While gimbap (also seen as kimbap) comes in all manner of thicknesses and lengths, the cigar-sized mini version is the ultimate snack food. Their nickname of mayak gimbap, which translates to ‘narcotic’ gimbap, hints at how addictive they are.

The shiny little rolls are filled with rice, wilted spinach, carrot and pickled radish, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with a tangy-sweet mustard sauce. Stop at one if you can!

a hand reaching for Gimbap or seaweed rice rolls — Grab a bite of these seaweed rice rolls. (Image: Filippo Faruffini)

2. Bibimbap

A traditional dish dating back centuries, bibimbap (bibim meaning mixed and bap being rice) is presented like an edible artwork. The colourful ingredients including julienned carrot, zucchini, cucumber, mushrooms, bean sprouts, tofu, seafood or meat are laid on top of rice and crowned with gochujang (red pepper paste – a staple of Korean cuisine), sesame seeds and a soft egg yolk or fried egg. The ingredients are mixed together before eating to make a moreish, delicious mess.

Dolsot bibimbap is served in a hot stone bowl which results in the rice at the bottom becoming crispy and crunchy hidden treasure.

a bowl of Bibimbap on the table — Bibimbap is an authentic Korean food classic.

3. Bindaetteok

These mung bean pancakes (also known as nokdujeon) are created from stoneground mung beans, used to create a batter that is mixed with spring onions, ground pork and kimchi and fried to golden goodness.

Gwangjang Market is the best place to try this filling snack, where you can watch the beans being ground at numerous stalls.

Korean cuisine boasts a number of savoury pancakes; try spicy kimchi pancakes (kimchijeon), green onion pancakes (pajeon, which are usually paired with makgeolli, a milky fermented rice wine) and vegetable pancakes (yachaejeon).

mung bean pancakes or Bindaetteok with a special dip on the table — Try Bindaetteok if you’re a pancake lover.

4. Tteokbokki

This hugely popular, super-spicy stew can be found bubbling away in giant pots at markets and food stalls across the city.

Made from thumb-sized chewy rice cakes which are cooked in a sauce of anchovy broth, gochujang, soy sauce and sugar, along with thin slices of fish cake (eomuk), cabbage and spring onions, there is also a pan-fried version that is deliciously sticky and smoky.

a serving of Tteokbokki — Tteokbokki are a must-try.

5. Mandu

Korean dumplings are as generous as the cuisine itself – shiny, plump and juicy, they fill your mouth to capacity when consumed whole. The most popular versions are kimchi mandu (kimchi, tofu, ground pork and onion) and pork mandu (pork, cabbage, chives and glass noodles).

a plate filled with Korean dumplings or Mandu — Mandu are more flavourful when dipped in a special sauce.

6. Jajangmyeon

This gooey noodle dish is the stuff food porn is made of. The thick black soybean sauce that the firm wheat noodles are coated in makes a juicy, squelching sound when you plunge your chopsticks into it, and rings your lips as you slurp them into your mouth. Laced with pork and vegetables and topped with cucumber, it is super filling and well-priced.

a woman eating Jajangmyeon — Jajangmyeon is a popular Korean-style Chinese noodle dish. (Image: Ruth Georgiev)

7. Bungeoppang

A fun, on-the-go snack, these cute carp-shaped pastries filled with sweet red bean paste are made fresh at street stalls and sold for just a dollar or two.

fish-shaped pastries or Bungeoppang — Find these fish-shaped pastries along the streets of Korea.

8. Gogi-gui

That’s Korean BBQ to you, ‘grilled meat’ to locals. There are various meat dishes to choose from when grilling including bulgogi (thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar, Asian pear, garlic, ginger, black pepper and sesame oil), galbi (marinated beef ribs) and samgyeopsal, pork belly that you wrap in a fresh leaf and top with sliced green chillies, garlic slices and thick, umami ssamjang paste.

There are various cuts of meat and vegetables on the menu at most barbeque restaurants, but whatever you choose it will be grilled in front of you, cut into bite-size pieces with scissors and accompanied by the ultimate Korean side dish: kimchi.

a Korean bbq grilling meat setup — Try Gogi-Gui if you’re craving grilled meat.

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9. Chicken and beer

The basic version of KFC – Korean Fried Chicken – is coated in a salt and pepper seasoning and cooked to a crunchy finish while a sticky, sweet and spicy version combines gochujang and rice syrup. The ultimate accompaniment is beer (maekju), resulting in the combination being known as chimaek.

chicken and beer on the table — Chicken and beer is the ultimate pair.

10. Kalguksu

Knife-cut noodles swimming in a light vegetable broth, kalguksu is served fresh and piping hot in any number of small noodle shops down back streets across the city.

The perfect comfort food, it is plentiful and cheap. In the summer months, mul-naengmyeon is a cooling alternative; bouncy buckwheat noodles are served in a cold beef broth, complete with ice cubes.

a bowl of Korean noodle soup or Kalguksu — Warm your tummy with Kalguksu.

11. Hotteok

These disks of golden fried pastry stuffed with cinnamon, nuts and sugar are calorie-packed and habit-forming.

a close-up photo of round-shaped pastries known as Hotteok — These fried pastries are crispy outside and gooey inside.

12. Sannakji

This dish consists of raw small octopus (nakji) tentacles sliced into bite-sized pieces, topped with sesame oil and sesame seeds and accompanied by a dipping sauce.

But there’s a surprise element: due to the nerve endings located in the tentacles, they are still wriggling when they arrive at the table – and as they go down!

As the suckers are also still active, you need to chew them well before swallowing so they don’t latch on in your throat. If you are up for the challenge, head to Noryangjin Fish Market for the freshest (and wiggliest) offerings.

a plate of Sannakji — Pair Sannakji with soju.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.