If you have a tough time handling spicy food, then dining in Korea can be tricky. A lot of Korean cuisine is rather spicy. So, knowing what to look out for and how to communicate getting non- or less spicy versions can be crucial.
This post isn’t sponsored nor commissioned but contains affiliate links (marked with an asterisk *). If you buy/book anything after clicking on them, this doesn’t cost you anything extra but gives me a little commission from qualifying purchases to help keep uploading free travel tips for you on to this blog.
The rule of thumb is: if there’s red, it’s probably spicy.
And locals have a different heat tolerance that you are likely used to (unless you are already used to Korean food, of course). So just asking if it’s spicy might not yield the answer that applies to you.
Call my tastebuds wusses, but they seriously can’t handle spicy food. (Hey, I’m German, we have rather bland and fatty food.)
So when I visited Korea, I was in dire need of non spicy Korean food so I wouldn’t starve. Trust me, finding actually non spicy food was hard.
After all, South Korea is famous for it’s yummy but spicy cuisine. And here’s a word of warning: don’t believe Koreans when they say it’s not spicy. It is at least a little bit. If it’s red, it definitely is!
Beware of the Korean-style mung bean pancakes known as bindaetteok (빈대떡); that’s spicy Korean food because of the kimchi. Also, if you see a vendor selling what looks like tiny hotdogs, that’s spicy. These are made from fried fish paste rolled in red ginger sauce and draped around a sloppy sausage.
How to Ask about Spiciness in Korean
Here are some phrases that will help you inquire about the heat level of dishes. It’s a good idea to have them copied in your phone to show in case you are struggling with pronunciation.
- 여기엔 안 매운 메뉴가 있나요? Yeogi-en an maeun menu-ga itnayo? (Is there something non-spicy?)
- 맵지 않은 것으로 주세요. Maeb-ji anheun geotseuro juseyo. (Please give me something that is not spicy.)
- 안 맵게 해주세요. An maebke haejuseyo (Please make it not spicy.)
- 얼큰 (eol–keun) (
I personally used the free Papago app for easy translations, which also includes voice translations.
Pro tip: Download the Naver app, which you can use without an account (for which you’d need a Korean phone number). It will show you open restaurants nearby AND give the menu with pictures and prices.
How to Best Sample Korean Food
I was super lucky that my Korean friend showed me around various markets, Korean restaurants and dishes. Otherwise I would have felt completely lost. Not being able to read or understand the language proved hard as English isn’t fluently spoken everywhere. Especially not on the off-the-beaten paths or food stalls.
So if you are headed for South Korea and really want to dive right into the Korean food in Seoul, I recommend a guided tour. This way, you have a local guide who knows the best spots and can help you translate. (And ask for an adjusted spiciness level if need be.)
If you want to try out a specific item from my list of not-spicy Korean dishes, you can just tell your guide and they can help you find it instead of trying to hunt it down yourself. That would be quite a waste of time particularly if you have only a few days in Seoul.
To give you some inspiration of how you can combine the best sights with the best Korean BBQ in Seoul, check out these tours:
- Taste hidden street food in Seoul with a 2.5h food tour – Namdaemun is THE place for mixing and matching your Korean mini dishes. Plus, on this tour you’ll get plenty of food as well as on site cooking demonstrations.
- Traditional Korean Cooking Class – In case you want to get off the streets and real hands on, why not join a cooking class? I mean, when will you get to make a four course meal in a professional cooking environment again? Plus, cooking is different in every country and thi way you will learn the basics for Korean food preparation.
Where to Get the Best Korean Food in Seoul
Hongdae is the edgy, hip district with colourful shopping stores and delicious restaurants in the day and epic street dances and clubs at night. It’s one of the coolest places in Seoul!
There are tons of things you can try. Don’t shy away from neither the street vendors nor the stores between the clothing and accessories shops.
Plus, Hongdae has fun attractions and great shopping.
Next, head to Dongdaemun and say hello to the nice old lady with the glasses who will feed you with gimbap. (Literally, she will feed you.) This is THE place to get your Korean BBQ in Seoul. Wander through the giant halls and pick and choose your various smaller dishes, skewers and pancakes.
Insa-Dong is great for sweet Korean desserts, such as crazy shaped ice creams, poop shaped pasties as well as a variety of restaurants. Plus, it’s great for shopping and quirky architecture and street art.
Why You Should Be Wary of Spiciness Levels
Ok, look everyone has a different tolerance for spicy food. A lot of it has to deal with the food you were used to eating when you grew up and what you’re currently used to. Different cultures use different flavours and spiciness.
That’s all good and fine. But when you’re not actually used to spicy food and you get REALLY spicy food, it can actually cause a mild (to heavy) burn in your throat. (Same with too hot food.) If you burn your throat a lot throughout your life, it can increase the risk of throat cancer. (Yes, that’s a thing.)
This information isn’t to scare you, if you are sensible and don’t overestimate your abilities, you are absolutely fine. But there are enough people out there who don’t want to act all cool and eat spicier than they can handle. This isn’t a contest.
On another note, the best way to “cool” down our mouth when it gets too hot is to drink milk. The casein in the milk can bind the a fat soluble capsein, which causes the spiciness, and washes it away.
Not drinking anything is better than drinking water cause it will just distribute the spiciness to the rest of your tastebuds and it will burn even more. A vegan alternative are coconut flakes or salty peanuts.
Savoury, Meat-based Non-Spicy Korean Food in Seoul
Korean love their meat – mostly spicy but also non spicy. Many of these dishes come with meat even those that are mostly vegetable based. Often, you can ask to skip the beef or pork, but might need to do that in Korean. So I included an extra section for vegetarians below.
Korean BBQ (고기구이)
A classic Korean staple is barbeque. There are tons of small places, where you sit yourself down in front of a “hole in the table” and the staff will set up the grilling tablet and give you side dishes with your choice of meat. The meat on offer is usually beef, pork or chicken.
Typically, you have to come with company and order two meat portions. In case you dine solo, like I often do, I was told a way to do that is by buying two portions and asking for the second to be takeout.
You cook your choice of Korean BBQ and whatever side dishes you like, such as pork skin or garlic cloves, yourself. The way to eat it is by taking a cabbage leaf as your “plate” and placing your meat and garnishes in there, wrapping it and then eating it as a whole.
So-Galbi-Gui (소갈비구이) means Korean barbequed beef short ribs.
Try it at: Majang-dong Food Alley serves reasonably priced premium beef that you can grill right there at the BBQ.
Bulgogi (불고기)
Sweet meat? Bulgogi makes it happen with its pleasantly sweet marinade made from soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and ginger. It’s essentially grilled marinated beef.
You can eat it with side dishes, such as lettuce, rice and dipping sauces or as part of a wrap. Plus, the leftover marinade makes for great sauce on plain rice.
It’s another favourite of mine and it reminded me a lot of Japanese gyudon.
- Try it at: Bulgogi Brothers (various locations) or a local BBQ restaurant.
Bibimbap
This popular Korean meal is a bowl filled with seasoned rice and a variety of vegetables like cucumber, carrots, pickled radish, and spinach. It’s a nice light meal.
Try it at: Jeonju Bibimbap in Insadong.Not-spicy, fish-based
Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
If you want to really heat yourself up and dig into comfort food, try samgyetang. This chicken soup is made with ginseng, garlic, rice, and jujube (a classic fruit), perfect for boosting your energy and health, especially during colder months.
Try it at: Tosokchon in Jongno-gu or Kyochon.
Jajangmyeon
Like with tteobokki, the black bean paste jjajang can also change other dishes, making them non-spicy. Jajangmyeon is a savory noodle dish with this paste sauce, and it comes with pork, and vegetables. The flavour is rich.
- Try it at: Any Korean-Chinese restaurant, especially in the Chinatown area of Incheon.
Sundae (Korean Blood Sausage)
Sausage fans might want to give sundae a try. No, it’s not the ice cream you get in the USA. Sundae in Korea is a dish made of pig’s intestines stuffed with noodles, rice, and blood. It’s usually non-spicy but can also be mildly spicy. You can expect it to be served with salt or dipping sauces.
- Try it at: Traditional markets like Gwangjang Market or street vendors in Itaewon.
Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup)
Another staple soup is galbitang. It’s a mild, clear broth made with beef short ribs, served with noodles or rice and fresh vegetables.
- Try it at: Hangang Galbitang in Itaewon or any specialty galbitang restaurant.
Korean Fried Chicken (치킨)
Koreans love their fried chicken. You definitely cannot go wrong with fried chicken. It’s fried twice, making it extra crispy and flavourful.
Sure, there are a lot of KFC stores all over Seoul. But you can also find a broad selection of local fried chicken shops. Netflix even produced a Chicken Nugget series, where you can see the passion for fried chicken.
Fried chicken can come as nuggets, or even as a whole entire fried chicken. Some of it can be spicy, too. So make sure to check the options.
To make sure you don’t get the spicy version, ask for huraideu chikin (후라이드 치킨) or the plain fried chicken and leave out the spicy coat.
- Try it at: Kyochon Chicken in Dongdaemun.
Kal-guksu (칼국수)
A noodle dish for meat or seafood lovers! Kal-guksu is made with hand cut noodles that float around in shellfish or meat broth.
Depending on the version, you get added ingredients, such as potatoes, mushrooms, clams or ground beef.
Samgyeopsal (삼겹살구이)
Unseasoned, grilled pork belly definitely doesn’t count among spicy Korean food and isn’t particularly flavourful but a life saver when you order Korean BBQ and feel a bit overwhelmed. Use it with the dips, like sesame oil or salt and pepper to add taste.
Tteok-Galbi (떡갈비)
Rib lovers will devour these grilled short rib patties made from minced meat. It has just the right texture between soft and slightly chewy.
Donkatsu (치킨)
Should pork be more your thing, then donkatsu is your alternative to fried chicken. Here, you get fried pork accompanied by rice, miso soup, salad and BBQ sauce.
Not-spicy, fish-based
Odeng (오뎅)
Korean odeng is essentially long strips of boiled fish on a stick, pushed together so it looks like a wave. The stick is boiled in miso soup, so you can drink that as well as you can get it in a cup with the broth.
Eomuk Bokkeum (간장 어묵 볶음)
In case you prefer your fish sit fried instead of boiled, grab a hold of eomuk bokkeum. Eomuk is made from pureed fish and kinda resembles fish cake. You can get it in soup at Korean street food stalls. The best eomuk is said to be served in Busan, by the way.
Jogae-gui (조개구이)
With South Korea being surrounded by the sea on three sides, there is little wonder Korean cuisine incorporates a lot of fish and seafood. For jogae-gui this is grilled shellfish and you eat it with green onions and avoid the spicy dipping sauce.
Saengseon-Hoe (회; 膾/鱠)
You know how the Japanese have sashimi? Koreans have Saengseon-hoe, sliced raw fish. It is typically eaten with sweet and spicy red chili sauce, so opt for soy sauce instead.
HweDeopBap (회덮밥)
Here, you get steamed rice with sliced or cubed raw fish as well as veggies, sesame leaves and oil and the special chogochujang sauce. The latter is made from vinegar, gochujang, and sugar.
Not-spicy, vegetarian
Jjajangtteobokki (짜장떡볶이)
One of my favourite Korean dishes is tteobokki. The rice noodle dish is spicy, however, even if you choose the cheese version, like I do. I can only eat it while having milk ready for dousing the burning in my throat.
To avoid the spiciness altogether, opt for the brown jjajang sauce.
Fun fact: Did you know that there’s a tteobokki street in Seoul? It’s known as Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town (신당동떡볶이골목).
Try it at: Local snack bars or specialized tteokbokki restaurants.
Gimbap
If you like sushi, you might like gimbap as well. It may look similar, however, but there’s no raw fish in it. It’s commonly vegetarian and can be had freshly prepared at any local food market.
Korean-style sushi rolls filled with rice, pickled radish, cucumber, spinach, and sometimes cooked meat or eggs, not spicy at all.
- Try it at: Gimbap Cheonguk or any street food stall.
Japchae (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles, 잡채)
For noodle fans, try japchae. These are glass noodles and together with vegetables they are stir-fried. The dish comes with a sweet soy-based sauce. It’s essentially vegetarian, but is often accompanied by beef or chicken.
- Try it at: Traditional Korean restaurants like those in Insadong or Itaewon.
Tteokmandu Guk (떡만두국)
As an added bonus to the regular dumpling soup, get your hands on this soup. You get dumplings AND rice cake in it – or just rice cake! Whatever you like better.
Miyeok-guk (미역국)
This dish is a simple drinking seaweed soup that tastes very fishy. It’s a tradition to drink it on your birthday.
Kong-guksu (콩국수)
This is another vegetarian noodle soup made for hot summer days. The kong-guksu broth is made with cold soy milk. Its taste is quite strong.
Juk (죽)
For those feeling a little sick or just don’t wanting a light meal, juk is the answer. It’s simply porridge made from boiled rice or beans and aids digestion. For a little more flavor, get it with sweet pumpkin (Danhobak-juk) or red bean flavour (patjuk).
Han-Jeongsik (한정식; 韓定食)
As is often the case with Korean food, you don’t just get one dish, you can a main dish with multiple side dishes in little bowls. The same applies to han-jeongsik, where you will get rice, soup and veggies. Eat everything together or separate.
Gyeranjjim (계란찜)
Should you be on a light non spicy Koran food diet (no judging), go for this steamed egg dish. It’ super simple and maybe only spiced with salt and pepper and decorative green onions on top. Actually, it’s an ideal side dish or a light meal for when you’re in a hurryin sweet marinade that will leave you wanting more.
Yeonip-Bap (연잎밥)
This isn’t a full meal but if you want a special bowl of rice to go with your other non spicy Korean dish, try yeonip-bap. For its special flavor and health benefits, the rice is steamd together with a lotus leaf.
Banchan (Side Dishes)
When you dine out in typical Korean restaurants, you will quickly notice that many meals don’t come on one big plate, but you have the main dish surrounded by smaller side dishes. This way, you can pick and choose and combine to your liking.
Banchan is such a variety of small, non-spicy dishes like pickled vegetables, sprouts and steamed egg that accompany every Korean meal. Usually, kimchi is also in one of the small bowls, which is spicy, of course. Sometimes the side dishes are also spiced up (look for any red condiments on them). So, do try a little before you stuff your mouth.
- Try it at: Any Korean restaurant, especially in local eateries or traditional markets or any BBQ place.
Korean dumplings (Mandu, 만두, 饅頭)
I am a big fan of dumplings. Any kind, really. And Korea has its own dumplings. They are called mandu and can be steamed or fried (yaki).
They can have all kinds of fillings, such as beef, cabbage, ginger, and garlic. Typically, you get them with a dipping sauce, plain or in soup (manduguk – 만두국).
Of course, you can also order them as soup, which is called manduguk (만두국). This vegetarian dish is boiled in a beef or anchovy broth and then mixed with beaten egg.
- Try it at: Ssada Gimbab, or atGubok Mandu for Chinese-style dumplings.
Naengmyeon (랭면)
In summer, this Korean dish is ideal as it is often served cold. With naengmyeon, you get buckwheat noodles in vinegar broth. To top it off, you get eggs and veggies. If you want it vegetarian, leave out the meat order.
Fun fact: There are K-Pop Songs dedicated to this not hot Korean food.
Baek-kimchi (백김치)
Yes, there is such a thing as non spicy kimchi!! This white kimchi is mild thanks to it being flavoured with fruity salty kimchi brine.
Jajangmyeon (자장면)
Jjajangmyun is made with noodles dancing in dark black bean sauce. It’s actually a Chinese-Korean fusion dish and has a mild flavor. Traditionally, it is eaten during when you move into a new home. It also often contains diced onions, pork or beef.
Okonomiyaki / Pajeonoyaki
Try the Japanese dish okonomiyaki in the small local foodie shops. Okonomiyaki is absolutely delicious and can be roughly described as Japanese cabbage and noodle pancakes.
They are freshly prepared by a skilled okonomiyaki master on a super hot surface and you eat it with tiny spatulas. If you want an exciting blend of both Japanese and Korean pancakes with added seafood, sample Pajeonoyaki.
Korean Sweet Treats – Definitely, not spicy
A no-brainer, but sweets are generally just that, sweet. Not spicy. And I haven’t come across one dessert that proved this wrong, so there you go, here is my list of must-try sweets. And if you know me, you knew I gladly took it upon myself to eat my way through them just to double-check for you. Oh, the sacrifices I make.
Hotteok (호떡)
My absolute favourite non spicy Korean food is Hotteok, an extremely yummy fried dough pancake filled with all different kinds of flavours. I liked cheese but absolutely loved honey and grains! It is basically ambrosia for all pastry lovers. Just a warning, eat in moderation, they are rich.
Bungeo-ppang (붕어빵)
It is pretty much like taiyaki; it’s bread in the shape of a carp. The usual filling is red bean paste (which is sweet) and served warm. As opposed to taiyaki, it is therefore commonly eaten in winter for extra warmth.
Patbingsu (팥빙수)
Shaved ice itself is flavourless as it’s literally just shaved ice. So you need to pick your flavour and toppings to get the most out of it and the Korean staple dish is Patbingsu. It is shaved ice with red beans.
Jipangi
Have you ever seen a giant ice cream cone made out of corn and in the shape of a J, filled from both ends? No, there you go. It has become so popular that it is slowly expanding to South East Asia and you can have it in Indonesia and Malaysia, too. It is called jipangi and it’s birthplace is in Insa-dong, Seoul.
Corn Ice Cream
Instead of just eating ice cream in J shaped cones made from corn, there’s also the version of ice cream made out of corn. You can get that in regular supermarkets or kiosks. Would you try it?
Soft Serve Ice Cream
If regular soft serve ice cream isn’t big enough for your tastebuds, there are 32cm long ones to be had in Seoul. Just don’t be a klutz like me because my cone and ice cream didn’t make it that far until gravity let it to an untimely end. Very tragic.
Giant Waffles
Sticking with obscene sizes, you might like the monstrous, rainbow coloured waffles served at Waffle House in Hongdae. They are 30cm in length and filled with ice cream, whipped cream, topped with sprinkles and sugary sauce. Just be warned, they taste incredibly sweet and artificial.
Snow Balls
A German export (from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, to be precise) and a hit in Seoul is the Schneeball. A pastry rolled up into a dough and covered with icing and chocolate. And before carrying away my new price, I had to beat it to a pulp. No kidding, the store vendor gave me a wooden hammer and instructed me to hit hard. I did and it tore up the bag. I guess there is a proper way to do it and I just don’t know how. The price of being so strong as I am (haha).
Churros
Yes, the Spanish, long cinnamon stick made it to Korea. Here, they come in large horseshoe shape and with chocolate or jam dippings.
More non-spicy Korean foods to try
This blog post is getting rather long, so I am giving you a list of even more meals that can come without the heat. It’s always a good idea to have an overview and selection. After all, I don’t know your taste and preferences.
- Seolleongtang
- Samgyeopsal
- Miyeok guk (sort of seaweed soup)
- Samgyeopsal
- Miyeok guk (sort of seaweed soup)
- Jajangmyeon
- Doenjang-jjigae (된장찌개)
- Galbi-jjim (갈비찜): braised beef short ribs
- Gyeran-jjim
- Jjajangmyeon (짜장면): black bean noodles
- Korean tempura
- Samgyetang
- Soy milk noodle soup
Is It Possible to Find Non Spicy Korean Food in Seoul?
Yes, absolutely! I wish I had had this blog post as reference on my first trip to Seoul. It would have saved me so much trouble because Korean cuisine is absolutely delicious.
Eating street food can be easily cheaper than cooking for yourself. (Especially if it’s Western food like pasta). So now armed with new found knowledge on the best Korean food in its non spicy form, you can fully enjoy your trip. Check out my sightseeing and hiking tips for Korea as well.
Non-Spicy Korean Food You Can Try at Home
When I travel I write down particularly yummy dishes and desserts to recreate at home. Sometimes I even take a cooking book with me (if I can read it) so it’s as authentic as possible. Plus, pair you knowledge with a local cooking class during your Korea trip and you’re good to go.
If you want to try your hand at the basic Korean dishes, such as (non spicy) bibimpab and fried chicken, consult the Seoul Food Korean Cookbook*.
Then there is the Korean Julia Child, Maangchi, who published her own cookbook on Korean food staples called Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking*. It has a lot of spicy dishes in it but also pickled and bulgogi dishes, which aren’t spicy.
Should the art of Korean BBQ really be your main focus, it’you’ll be happy to hear there is a cook book on exactly that. Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces* will introduce you to differnt sauces and flavours (including not spicy Korean sauces). Once you got that down, invest in a small Korean BBQ grill*.
