KOREAN RESTAURANT FIELD NOTES
Korean Menu Prices and Portions: Won, 개 and 인분
By Jeremy (제레미) · · 3 min read
A plus button changes a number. The important question is what that number counts. One menu item might be a bowl, a roll, a set, or a portion containing several pieces.
Original learning examples from MenuNori’s fictional shop. Restaurant screens, recipes and prices vary. How we make these guides.
Separate the price from the unit
In our fictional shop, 김밥 is listed at ₩3,500. Selecting quantity 2 means two menu units and a total of ₩7,000. 군만두 is also ₩3,500, but one menu unit is a portion of dumplings. The matching prices do not mean the portions contain the same number of pieces.
At an actual restaurant, read any unit information beside the name or in the description. A photograph can show a serving suggestion. It should not be your only evidence for a piece count or a serving size.
Three quantity labels worth recognizing
| Label | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 수량 | Quantity | The number of menu units in this basket line |
| 개 | Pieces or count | Which object is being counted |
| 인분 | Servings | The stated serving size and any minimum order |
For example, 6개 describes a count of six; 2인분 describes two servings. A restaurant can also list a minimum order separately. MenuNori does not simulate minimum-order rules, shared hotpots, or set menus, so read those conditions on the real menu.
Read the comma in a won price
₩4,500 means four thousand five hundred won. The comma separates thousands; it is not a decimal point. A menu may use the symbol ₩ or the Korean word 원. Within this exercise, ₩4,500 and 4,500원 express the same amount.
Use the menu’s amount directly when checking your basket. A currency conversion is a separate estimate and can change with exchange rates and fees. MenuNori does not provide live conversions or represent typical current restaurant prices.
Work out a complete order for two
Mission 3 gives you a ₩12,000 ceiling. You need two regular ramyeon portions and one dumpling portion. Write the quantities before calculating the total.
| Dish | Unit price | Quantity | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 라면 | ₩4,000 | 2 | ₩8,000 |
| 군만두 | ₩3,500 | 1 | ₩3,500 |
The basket total is ₩11,500, leaving ₩500 below the mission’s ceiling. You have three menu units, but only two distinct dish names. A cart count and a count of basket lines answer different questions.
Include extras inside the multiplication
One tteokbokki with extra cheese costs ₩4,500 + ₩1,000 = ₩5,500 in our simulation. Two of that configured item cost 2 × ₩5,500 = ₩11,000. The extra is attached to each portion. If only one person wants cheese, add one line with cheese and another without it; the combined amount is ₩10,000.
Read both option lines before confirming. Our game combines identical configurations into one line and keeps different configurations separate. A real kiosk may present the same information differently.
A quick exercise before you travel
Calculate one gimbap and two dumpling portions from this menu. Then compare your answer with the basket in the game. If the amounts disagree, inspect the quantities before assuming the machine is wrong.
Show the calculation
₩3,500 + 2 × ₩3,500 = ₩10,500. This contains one gimbap menu unit and two dumpling portions. It does not satisfy mission 1, which asks for only one dumpling portion.
Every amount in this article belongs to MenuNori’s fictional menu. The restaurant you visit is the source for actual prices, portion sizes and charges.
Try this in the practice shop