Ordering Korean food for delivery is usually straightforward once you understand how menus describe quantity. The main challenge is that a menu item may be sized for one person, two people, or an entire group without saying so in the same way an English-language menu would. Korean delivery restaurants also commonly separate the main dish, rice, noodles, sauces, side dishes, drinks, and extras into different choices.
If you are learning how to order Korean food delivery, start by checking three things: the listed serving size, whether rice or noodles are included, and whether the dish is sold as a single portion or a shared menu. Then look at options such as spice level, meat type, cooking style, and add-ons.
How Korean delivery menus describe portions
Portion language varies by restaurant, but several terms appear frequently:
- 1인분 (il-in-bun): one serving, generally intended for one person.
- 2인분 (i-in-bun): two servings.
- 소 (so), 중 (jung), and 대 (dae): small, medium, and large. These sizes are often used for dishes meant to share.
- 세트 (seteu): a set menu that combines a main dish with items such as rice, fried food, dumplings, drinks, or side dishes.
- 단품 (danpum): a standalone item rather than a set.
A dish marked 1인분 is not always a small portion. A one-person bowl of 국밥 (gukbap, soup with rice) or 덮밥 (deopbap, rice topped with meat or another topping) is normally a complete meal. By contrast, a menu labeled 소 may be designed for two or more people to share, depending on the dish.
For foods such as fried chicken, jokbal, bossam, or tteokbokki, the restaurant may use a small–medium–large system rather than individual servings. In these cases, the listed size may indicate the amount of meat or the number of pieces, but not always in a perfectly standardized way. Product photos, review images, and the Korean description can help, but the safest guide is the restaurant’s stated serving count.
Single meals versus shared dishes
Many Korean delivery foods fall into one of two broad categories.
Individual meals
Individual meals are usually ordered by one person and arrive in a bowl or compartmentalized container. Common examples include:
- 비빔밥 (bibimbap): rice mixed with vegetables, meat, egg, and sauce.
- 김치찌개 (gimchi-jjigae): kimchi stew, often served with rice.
- 제육덮밥 (jeyuk-deopbap): spicy stir-fried pork over rice.
- 돈까스 (donkkaseu): Korean-style breaded pork cutlet.
- 냉면 (naengmyeon): cold noodles, usually ordered as one bowl.
Rice may be included automatically, but this is not universal. A menu may say 공기밥 포함 (gonggibap poham, rice included), 밥 별도 (bap byeoldo, rice sold separately), or simply display rice as an option during checkout.
Shared mains
Shared dishes are often ordered for the table rather than by individual diners. Examples include:
- 찜닭 (jjimdak): braised chicken with glass noodles and vegetables.
- 닭발 (dakbal): seasoned chicken feet, often spicy.
- 족발 (jokbal): braised pig’s feet sliced for sharing.
- 보쌈 (bossam): sliced boiled pork served with wraps and condiments.
- 떡볶이 (tteokbokki): spicy rice cakes, sometimes sold in portions intended for sharing.
For these dishes, a “small” order may still be enough for two light eaters, while a medium or large order may be intended for a larger group. Restaurant descriptions sometimes specify phrases such as 2~3인 (“for two to three people”) or 3~4인분 (“three to four servings”). Look for those numbers before relying on the size label alone.
What “set” usually includes
A set menu can be good value, but the word 세트 does not have one fixed meaning. Read the item list carefully. A set might include:
- one main dish and two bowls of rice;
- a main dish with dumplings or fried side items;
- a family-size main with several small side dishes;
- a lunch combination with soup, rice, and a drink;
- a “single-person set” that combines a modest main with a few extras.
Useful menu words include 밥 2개 (“two portions of rice”), 사이드 포함 (“side dish included”), and 음료 포함 (“drink included”). If the Korean menu lists an item after a plus sign, such as “치킨 + 감자튀김,” it generally means the food is included in that set, not merely suggested as a pairing.
Common options you may need to choose
Delivery apps often show customization menus after you select a dish. These options are usually practical rather than complicated, but the wording can be unfamiliar.
- 맛 선택: choose the flavor or sauce.
- 맵기 선택: choose the spice level.
- 순한맛: mild flavor.
- 보통맛: regular or standard spice level.
- 매운맛: spicy.
- 아주 매운맛: very spicy.
- 소스 선택: choose the sauce.
- 토핑 선택: choose toppings.
- 기본: the standard configuration.
“Mild” does not always mean completely non-spicy. A sauce may still contain pepper, kimchi, or seasoning even when you choose 순한맛. If you need to avoid spice, look for 안 매운맛 (“not spicy”) or write a clear request in the delivery note. That said, a restaurant may not be able to remove spice from a dish whose sauce is prepared in advance.
Some restaurants ask you to choose a meat or preparation style. For example, a chicken menu might offer 후라이드 (plain fried), 양념 (seasoned sauce), or a half-and-half combination. A noodle restaurant may ask whether you want the noodles packed separately from the broth so they do not become soft during delivery.
Add-ons: the small choices that change the order
Add-ons are often listed under 추가 (chuga, extra/addition), 토핑 (topping), or 사리 (sari, an extra ingredient added to a dish). Common choices include:
- extra rice, 밥 추가;
- extra noodles, 면 추가;
- glass noodles, 당면;
- cheese, 치즈;
- dumplings, 만두;
- fried egg, 계란후라이;
- extra meat, 고기 추가;
- extra sauce, 소스 추가;
- pickled radish, 치킨무, commonly paired with fried chicken.
사리 deserves special attention. In dishes such as budae-jjigae, dakgalbi, or hot pot-style stews, it usually means an additional ingredient cooked with the main dish, such as ramen noodles, glass noodles, rice cakes, or cheese. It is not necessarily a separate side dish.
Some extras are free, while others add a charge. Delivery apps normally show the price beside each option, but a “basic” selection may already include one topping. Check whether selecting an option replaces the standard ingredient or adds another one.
Side dishes and condiments
Korean meals often arrive with small side items, but the number and type depend heavily on the restaurant. A delivery order might include kimchi, pickled radish, sliced onions, dipping sauce, seaweed, or a small soup. These may be listed as 반찬 (banchan, side dishes) or 기본찬 (gibonchan, standard side dishes).
Do not assume that every side dish shown in a promotional photo is included. Look for wording such as 반찬 포함 (“side dishes included”) or 반찬 별도 (“side dishes separate”). Some restaurants let you request fewer disposable containers or omit items you do not want. Options such as 일회용 수저 필요 없음 mean “no disposable cutlery needed.”
How to read a menu before paying
- Identify the serving format. Check for 1인분, a size label, or a stated number of diners.
- Confirm the base meal. See whether rice, noodles, soup, sauce, and side dishes are included.
- Review required selections. Some restaurants will not accept the order until you choose a flavor, spice level, or meat type.
- Check add-on prices. Extra noodles and cheese can be inexpensive individually but add up across several dishes.
- Read the delivery notes. This is where you may find preparation instructions, minimum-order conditions, or restrictions on substitutions.
If you are unsure, a useful Korean message is 이 메뉴는 몇 인분인가요? (i menyuneun myeot inbun-ingayo?, “How many servings is this menu?”). You can also ask 밥이 포함되어 있나요? (babi pohamdoeeo innayo?, “Is rice included?”).
A practical way to build an order
For one person, an individual rice or noodle meal is usually the simplest choice. For two people, one shared main plus two bowls of rice may work, but dishes with bones, noodles, or many vegetables can feel less generous than their nominal serving count suggests. For a group, compare a set menu with separate individual meals and check whether the set includes enough rice and side dishes.
It is also worth distinguishing between “more food” and “a more complete meal.” Adding rice or noodles increases volume, while adding meat, dumplings, egg, or cheese changes the dish itself. If you are ordering a stew or stir-fry, one extra ingredient may be enough; if the main dish is sold by piece or weight, choosing the next size may be better value.
Korean delivery menus reward careful reading more than guesswork. Once you recognize serving terms, included items, spice choices, and 추가 options, you can customize an order without treating every unfamiliar menu as a mystery—and avoid the two most common surprises: receiving less rice than expected or paying extra for a side you assumed was included.