What to order at a Korean BBQ in Phnom Penh

You sit down. There is a grill in the middle of the table. A dozen tiny dishes arrive that you did not order. Someone hands you scissors and tongs and walks away.

Welcome to Korean barbecue. It looks like chaos, but it follows a simple pattern. Here is how to order, how to grill, and where to try it in Phnom Penh. Our full list of places is in the Korean restaurants in Phnom Penh guide.

Korean restaurants in Phnom PenhThe guide · 10 places

Bring friends

Korean barbecue is a group sport. Meat comes by the plate, the side dishes are for sharing, and the best table is four people, not two. Going with a crowd also lets you order more kinds of meat without anyone getting stuffed.

Start with pork, then go to beef

Pork belly is called samgyeopsal. It comes as thick, fatty slices. Grill it until the edges go golden, then cut it with the scissors. It is the classic first plate for a reason.

Beef comes next. Galbi, marinated short rib, is sweet and soy-flavoured, and it burns easily. Keep the heat low and turn it often. Plain, unmarinated cuts taste cleaner, so dip them in salt and sesame oil.

One rule: go from lightest to boldest. Plain meat first, sweet marinades last. A sticky marinade leaves the grill messy for everything after it.

How to eat it: the wrap

Take a lettuce or perilla leaf. Add a piece of meat, a dab of ssamjang (a thick, salty-spicy paste), and maybe a slice of raw garlic, a little rice or some kimchi. Fold it up and eat it in one bite. Do not take two. That is the whole trick.

Side dishes and stew

The little dishes are called banchan. Expect things like kimchi, pickled radish and bean sprouts. Many places refill them, so just ask. Try grilling some kimchi on the plate. It goes sweet and crisp.

Then add a stew to share, plus bowls of steamed rice. Kimchi jjigae is a sour, spicy kimchi stew. Doenjang jjigae is made with soybean paste. Both are made to be eaten with rice. Not every menu has every dish, so check what is on offer.

What to drink

Soju is the classic partner for barbecue. It is a clear Korean spirit, served in small glasses. It is polite to pour for other people, and let them pour for you. If soju is not your thing, beer works fine.

A simple order for four

If you cannot decide, this works almost anywhere:

2 plates of pork belly
1 plate of marinated beef
1 plate of a plain beef cut
1 stew to share
Rice for everyone

Where to go in Phnom Penh

Prices change, so check each place's page before you go. These are all in our Korean guide.

Bornga (BKK1). On Street 352, open 11am to 10pm every day. You grill beef or pork at the table, with kimchi on the side. Around $12 to $20 a head.
TK Dae Jang Geum (Toul Kork). On Street 592, open 11am to 10pm. Order meat plates, rice and a stew. Around $12 to $18 a head.
Boeung Snor Dae Jang Geum. The second branch, in the Boeung Snor food village. It is roomy, so it suits a big group, and it opens until midnight.
Seorae Korean Charcoal BBQ (AEON Mall). Charcoal barbecue on the second floor. Reviewers like the beef and pork sets and the kimchi. Weekend lunch gets busy.
Sookdal (BKK1). One listing calls it a premium-cuts spot. Save it for a treat dinner. Maybe $18 to $30.
HunMinJeongEum Korean BBQ Buffet (BKK1). A buffet, open until midnight. Good if you cannot agree on what to order. Around $15 to $22.

Not feeling smoke tonight? Jaru and Silla Korean Restaurant serve calmer lunches, with stews and rice bowls. Jaru closes at 9pm, so do not turn up late.

Smoke and good manners

Wear something you do not mind smelling of smoke. Thin slices cook in under a minute, so do not wander off from the grill. If the plate goes black, ask the staff to change it.

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