Are you entertaining friends from overseas? Old Village Korean Restaurant in Seattle should make any of your South Korean visitors feel right at home. For your own part, though, you may want to familiarize yourself with a few Korean dining customs in order to properly impress your party. Take a quick look at these simple pointers, and you’ll knock the socks off of your foreign friends.
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The number one rule to remember is to show respect for your elders. At the dinner table, this means that the eldest person sits first, the eldest person starts eating first, and nobody leaves until the eldest person is done. Of course, this also means that the eldest person is expected to pay; younger diners will generally show their thanks by picking up a lesser bill for dessert or coffee later on in the evening.
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In much of Asia, it is customary not to fill your own glass while drinking socially. Always wait for somebody else to fill you up, and be ready to refill your neighbor if you need to.
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In Korea, food is eaten in a certain order. Taste your soup first, and then move on to the rice and other foods.
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When you are finished eating, put your food and utensils back in their original positions. Do not leave your chopsticks standing up in food, as this is offensive in many Asian countries. Check that your spoon is clean, as it is considered rude to leave food stuck on your spoon.