Why Do Korean Restaurants Cut Food With Scissors?
Korean restaurants cut food with scissors because it is the quickest, cleanest way to turn large pieces of grilled meat, long noodles or whole kimchi leaves into bite-size pieces right at the table. Korean meals are eaten with chopsticks and a spoon, not a knife, so a pair of kitchen scissors does the job a knife would do in a Western restaurant. It is completely normal, hygienic and expected, not a sign of a casual or cheap place.
Why scissors instead of knives?
Food is cooked at the table
Many favorite Korean dishes, such as samgyeopsal (pork belly), galbi (marinated ribs) and dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken), are grilled or cooked in front of you. Meat goes on the grill as long strips or large pieces so it cooks evenly and stays juicy. Once it is browned, it needs to be cut, and doing that with a knife on a hot grill plate would be awkward and unsafe. Scissors let you cut directly over the grill without a cutting board.
No knife at the Korean table
A standard Korean place setting is chopsticks and a spoon. Food is meant to arrive in pieces you can pick up and share. Scissors, used by the staff or one person at the table, solve the cutting step once for everybody.
Fast and practical
Scissors cut through fat, skin and chewy noodles in one motion, and they are easy to wash. Many kitchens keep sets of scissors just for food, separate from other tools.
Dishes you will often see cut with scissors
- Korean BBQ: pork belly, beef and ribs, sometimes cut off the bone with scissors.
- Naengmyeon (cold noodles): the noodles are very long and chewy; staff may ask if you want them cut, often in a cross shape.
- Kimchi: whole napa cabbage kimchi is cut into pieces at the table or in the kitchen.
- Dakgalbi and jjimdak: chicken pieces and rice cakes are trimmed in the pan.
- Jeon (savory pancakes) and gimbap at home: many families use scissors for these too.
Who does the cutting?
In many BBQ restaurants, staff will come by and cut the meat for you, especially when the restaurant is not too busy. In other places, scissors and tongs are left on the table and customers do it themselves. In a group, the person closest to the grill or the youngest person often takes the tongs and scissors, but nobody will mind if you ask for help. If you would like staff to do it, a polite "jeogiyo" (excuse me) and pointing at the meat usually works. For more ordering words, see our Korean BBQ ordering guide.
Leni from POPORO CITY puts it simply: "Tongs in one hand, scissors in the other — that's the Korean BBQ pose."
Is it hygienic?
Yes. Restaurants use scissors only for food and wash them like any other utensil. If you are worried, you can always ask for a new pair. At home, Koreans also keep kitchen scissors as an everyday cooking tool, as common as a knife.
Quick tips
- Let meat cook before cutting; cutting raw meat too early can make it dry.
- Keep the scissors on the side of the grill so the handles do not get hot.
- For naengmyeon, say "jalla juseyo" (please cut it) if staff do not offer.
- Do not use the meat scissors on vegetables or kimchi after raw meat without asking for a clean pair.
- Side dishes are part of the same table culture: here is why Korean restaurants give free banchan.
FAQ
Is it rude to cut my own food with scissors?
No. If scissors are on the table, they are there for you to use.
Can I ask for a knife instead?
You can ask, but many Korean restaurants simply do not keep table knives. Scissors are the normal tool.
Why do staff cut naengmyeon noodles?
The buckwheat or starch noodles are long and very chewy, so cutting them makes them easier to eat. Some people prefer them uncut, so staff often ask first.
Do Koreans use scissors at home too?
Yes. Kitchen scissors are a basic tool in most Korean homes for meat, kimchi, noodles and seaweed.