As we prepared to move here last year, whispers of Korea’s innovative dining experience had drifted across the ocean. However, the full extent of the creativity and convenience behind Korean food service cannot be understood outside of first-hand experience. To give you a taste, here are five things that have impressed us about food service in Korea:
Call Buttons
Almost every restaurant table has a nifty call button to alert your waiter if you need something! Sometimes, there are even multiple buttons requesting different services (food order, more beer, more water, bill, etc.).
Themed Cafes
Korea has a huge variety of themed cafes! Mostly located in and around Seoul, these cafes offer a large range of entertainment, from animal snuggles to Lego building to photography practice.
Here are some examples:
||Cat Cafes||
For around $8, visitors can purchase a coffee and spend the afternoon snuggling with felines.
||Sheep Cafes||
Same idea, minus cats, plus sheep.
||Hello Kitty Cafe||
Perhaps the most iconic cafe in all Korea, Hello Kitty Cafe is on almost every Seoul tourist’s bucket list.
||Photography Cafes||
Cafe’ra in Incheon offers a unique experience for aspiring photographers. Customers who bring their personal DSLR cameras are allowed access to the cafe’s wide array of lenses to try out in the shop! All this while sipping away on a caramel macchiato.
“Service” = Free Stuff!
Often times restaurants, as well many stores, will add complementary items to a customer’s original order. For example, we purchased pizza the other day and were given a 2 liter of Coke for free. At a coffee shop sometimes you get lucky and the owner gives you a free pastry to go with your coffee! You never know when it will happen, but you will find yourself automatically and perpetually fist-pumping the air when it does!
Fast Food Delivery
Just when you thought fast food chains’ low prices and huge servings couldn’t get any more dangerous or tempting! Almost all fast food chains deliver here in Korea! With no additional charge, McDonald’s offers “McDelivery” to almost any location. It doesn’t even have to be your apartment! Taking a stroll through the park, you often see a family setting up the picnic blankets on the grass, waiting for the McDonald’s delivery bike to bring their feast.
No Tipping
Last, but not least, is the total lack of tipping in Korea! Although this aspect is not exclusive to the country, as an American, no tipping has made life a lot simpler. Also, sales tax is built into the menu price. So, what the menu says is what you pay, that simple.
What are some of your favorite service experiences from travels abroad?
