What to order, what to ask about, and what to skip at Korean restaurants — plus the phrases to say it.
Muslim travelers differ on what's permissible based on the madhhab (legal school) they follow. Three points matter when eating Korean food:
Only scaled fish is halal
All sea creatures are halal
Only scaled fish is halal for the Hanafi school — shrimp, crab, clams, octopus, squid, abalone and similar sea creatures are makruh or impermissible. Strict Hanafi travelers should prioritise fish-based dishes (galchi-jorim, okdom-gui, dongtae-tang, daegu-tang, saengseon-hoe, godeungeo-jorim).
Korean gochujang, doenjang and some soy sauces often contain added 주정 (ethanol) as a preservative. Some scholars accept trace cooking ethanol from non-khamr fermentation; others reject any amount. If strict, request 주정 없는 versions or choose clear-broth dishes (yeonpo-tang, sujebi, plainly grilled fish).
Mirin (미림) and cooking wines used in Korean marinades (bulgogi, dak-galbi) are intoxicant-derived. All four main schools generally treat these as impermissible. Request 미림 없이 (mirim-free) or 술 안 들어간, or pick salt-only / plainly grilled alternatives.
These are general notes, not fatwa. When unsure, consult your own scholar or ask the restaurant directly.
Dishes that are typically free of pork and alcohol.
Mixed rice with seasoned vegetables and egg.
Rice porridge with abalone — a Jeju signature.
Rice porridge with tiny Jeju top-shells and seaweed.
Chopped raw fish over rice with vegetables and chili sauce.
Rice in clear oyster broth with seaweed and scallions.
Rice and vegetables rolled in seaweed — order 야채 or 참치 only.
Sliced acorn jelly with rice in cold kimchi or anchovy broth.
Bubbling red-broth pot of shrimp, clams, squid, tofu.
Crab, shrimp and shellfish braised on a bed of bean sprouts.
Silky soft tofu with clams, shrimp, and seafood broth.
Whole octopus simmered in mild clear broth with vegetables.
White-fish pollock stew with radish and vegetables.
Fresh cod stew with tofu and scallions in clear broth.
Hand-torn wheat dough in anchovy-seafood broth.
Fine green sea-hair algae and oysters in clear broth.
Jeju traditional · Clear cutlassfish broth with radish and pumpkin leaves.
Jeju traditional · Sea-urchin and seaweed in clear broth — local birthday dish.
Jeju traditional · Bubbling earthenware pot of mixed seafood in spicy broth.
Hand-cut noodles in seafood broth.
Chilled noodles in creamy soy-milk.
Chilled noodles with raw fish in cold broth.
Hand-cut noodles with small Jeju top-shells.
Hand-cut noodles in clear sea-urchin broth.
Thin noodles in light anchovy broth with scallion garnish.
Buckwheat noodles in chilled white-kimchi radish broth.
Buckwheat noodles with perilla oil, soy and seaweed.
Often sold at Jeju seaside stalls · Korean instant ramyeon topped with squid, shrimp, mussels.
Jeju's iconic silver fish simmered with radish and chili.
Premium Jeju red tilefish, simply salted and grilled.
Chilled vinegary broth over raw fish or abalone.
Mackerel simmered with radish in a spicy-sweet sauce.
Fresh raw fish with sauces and raw vegetables, at hoetjip.
Scallops, clams and mussels grilled right at your table.
Fresh eel grilled with just salt — a Korean health food.
Live abalone browned in butter — a Jeju luxury.
Fresh-chopped live octopus served with sesame oil.
Tofu simmered in a soy-based sauce.
Crispy pancake with scallions, squid, shrimp, and mussels.
Pan-fried batter pancake with chopped fermented kimchi.
Crispy pan-fried grated-potato pancake — Gangwon specialty.
Mountain root brushed with gochujang and grilled.
Namul is a broad family of lightly seasoned vegetable side dishes — spinach, bean sprouts, fernbrake, radish, seaweed, dozens more. Often 3–5 show up free as banchan.
Chilled acorn jelly tossed with seaweed and sesame sauce.
Sliced lotus root simmered in sweet soy glaze.
Fish cake strips stir-fried with vegetables and soy.
Silky steamed egg custard in a hot pot.
Pan-fried dough filled with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Fish-shaped waffle filled with sweet red-bean paste.
Jeju millet rice-cake rolled in red-bean powder.
Seaweed brushed with glutinous rice paste and fried.
Sugar and baking soda toasted into a candy disc.
Deep-fried sweet potato tossed in honey or syrup.
Rice or corn puffed by heat and pressure — Korean popcorn.
Thick rice cake grilled until golden, dipped in honey.
Whole corn grilled with butter and a pinch of salt.
Sweet corn baked with mozzarella until golden.
Sweet pan-baked bread with a whole egg in the center — a winter street snack.
Skewered fish cakes simmered in hot anchovy broth — pojangmacha (street-stall) staple.
Jeju traditional · Buckwheat crepe wrapped around seasoned radish strips.
Spiral-cut whole potato on a skewer, deep-fried and seasoned — popular street snack.
Usually safe, but marinades or broths may contain alcohol — confirm with the kitchen.
Thin-sliced beef in sweet-soy marinade, grilled.
Clear beef rib broth with glass noodles.
Chicken, cabbage and rice-cakes in gochujang sauce.
Whole young chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng.
Fermented-kimchi stew with tofu — a Korean mainstay.
Chewy rice cakes simmered in a red chili sauce.
Fermented soybean-paste stew with clams, shrimp and vegetables.
Octopus with vegetables in gochujang sauce.
Squid with vegetables in gochujang sauce.
Blanched tofu with stir-fried kimchi on the side.
Chilled noodles tossed with gochujang and vegetables.
Dishes that contain pork or otherwise aren't advisable.
Spicy Pork Stir-Fry — Contains pork.
Grilled Pork Belly — Contains pork.
Blood Sausage — Contains pork and blood.
Ox Bone Broth — Beef only, but bones are often sourced non-halal.
Pork Cutlet — Contains pork.
Fried Dumplings — Most are pork — avoid unless clearly labelled 김치/야채 (kimchi/veg).
Show your phone or read aloud — Koreans will understand.
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · Unsplash
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