KOREAN RESTAURANT FIELD NOTES
How to Use a Korean Restaurant Kiosk
By Jeremy (제레미) · · 3 min read
To order at a Korean restaurant kiosk, choose dine-in or takeaway, select a dish, set the quantity and options, then check the basket before payment. You don’t need to read every word: start with the labels that change your order. Screen layouts and the order of these steps vary.
Original learning examples from MenuNori’s fictional shop. Restaurant screens, recipes and prices vary. How we make these guides.
1. Look for a language choice
If you see English or a language symbol, use it. An English screen can still show Korean dish names or abbreviations. If there is no language option, a translation app can help you read the labels. MenuNori prepares you to understand the flow; it does not replace translation or staff assistance at the restaurant.
2. Choose where you will eat
A kiosk may ask you to select 매장 (dine in) or 포장 (takeaway) before showing the menu. Another may ask near checkout. Choose according to what you actually plan to do. Takeaway packaging or prices can differ at individual restaurants; read the current screen rather than assuming the practice total will apply.
3. Select a dish, then read its options
On our fictional menu, tapping 떡볶이 opens spice and cheese options. The menu price is ₩4,500; adding cheese costs another ₩1,000. That makes one portion ₩5,500. Selecting two portions makes ₩11,000. Real kiosks may use different layouts, required options, or portion rules.
Distinguish an included ingredient from an extra: 치즈떡볶이 is a named dish with cheese, while 치즈 추가 is an option to add cheese to another dish. Choosing both without reading carefully could add more than you intended.
4. Review the basket before paying
장바구니 means basket. Check each dish name and the number beside it. 수량 is quantity; 삭제 removes an item; 합계 is total. Do not use the final button as a way to see what happens: on a real kiosk it can move you into payment.
| Korean | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| 주문 | Order |
| 수량 | Quantity |
| 추가 | Add / extra |
| 삭제 | Remove |
| 확인 | Confirm / check |
| 결제 | Payment |
5. Follow the restaurant’s collection instructions
After a real payment, the machine may display an order number or print a receipt. Keep it and follow the restaurant’s instructions. Some restaurants use a pickup counter; some bring food to your table. MenuNori stops at a simulated confirmation and never asks for a card, PIN, or payment details.
Try this before your trip
Complete the first mission without opening the hint. Then look at your basket and explain why you chose 포장. You have practiced the decision that matters, even if a real machine puts that button somewhere else.
For general travel context, the Korea Tourism Organization’s dining guide discusses self-service and ordering machines. This article’s menu examples are fictional.
A screen-by-screen example: one mild tteokbokki
Suppose you are eating at the shop and want one mild tteokbokki with cheese. Start with 매장, open 떡볶이, select 순한맛, and select 치즈 추가. Add one portion. Your basket should show one dish, two option labels, and ₩5,500. That total is the base price plus one extra, not two dishes.
If the basket says 치즈떡볶이 instead, you chose the separate cheese dish. On our menu it has the same price, but it does not demonstrate the extra-option step. Go back to the menu and choose the intended entry. The useful habit is to read the line you actually added, rather than relying on the photograph or total.
Quick check: does “결제” mean review the basket?
No. 결제 refers to payment. 확인 means check or confirm, but its effect depends on the current screen. Read the surrounding labels before pressing a real kiosk’s final button.