Why Do Korean Restaurants Put Spoons and Chopsticks in a Drawer?
At many casual Korean restaurants, spoons and chopsticks are not on the table when you sit down. They are in a small drawer built into the side of the table, or in a lidded box on top of it. The reason is practical: most everyday Korean restaurants are partly self-service, so customers set their own places, and a closed drawer keeps the metal cutlery clean from grill smoke, splashes and dust while saving space on a table that will soon be covered with side dishes.
How to find the drawer
If you cannot see any cutlery, run your hand along the edge of the table on your side. Many tables, especially at barbecue, soup and stew restaurants, have a shallow drawer that slides out toward you. Inside you will usually find metal chopsticks, long flat spoons, and sometimes paper napkins. If there is no drawer, look for a box with a lid at the end of the table, or a cutlery holder near the water station.
If you still cannot find anything, it is completely fine to ask. A simple "sujeo isseoyo?" (do you have spoons and chopsticks?) or just a gesture will do.
Why restaurants do it this way
Self-service is normal
In many local restaurants, staff bring the food, but customers handle small things themselves: pouring water, getting cutlery, sometimes refilling side dishes at a self-service bar. Keeping cutlery at every table means nobody has to wait for a server to bring it.
Keeping things clean
Korean barbecue tables have grills in the middle, and stews boil and splash at the table. A closed drawer keeps the spoons and chopsticks away from smoke, oil and dust between customers, which is cleaner than leaving them out in an open cup.
Space on the table
A Korean meal often comes with many small banchan dishes, plus a grill or a pot in the middle. A table edge drawer frees up surface space that will be needed for food.
Spoon and chopsticks as a pair
In Korea, the spoon and chopsticks are thought of as one set, called sujeo. The spoon is not a backup tool here: rice and soup are eaten with it. Storing them together means everyone grabs a full set at once. (Curious about why they are metal? See our article on why Koreans use metal chopsticks.)
The small etiquette of setting the table
When you open the drawer, it is a kind gesture to take out sets for everyone at the table, not just yourself. Often the youngest person or whoever sits closest to the drawer does this without being asked. A common way to set a place is to lay a paper napkin on the table and put the spoon and chopsticks on top of it, so they do not touch the table directly.
A few more habits worth knowing:
- Do not stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. This looks like a ritual offering for the dead and is avoided.
- Rest your spoon and chopsticks on the napkin or the edge of a dish when you pause.
- Do not put used cutlery back in the drawer. Leave it on the table, and staff will collect it.
Do all restaurants do this?
No. Higher-end restaurants, hotel dining and many newer cafés set the table for you, and some places hand out cutlery in paper wrappers. Food courts and fast-food chains often keep cutlery at a pickup counter. The drawer is mostly a feature of everyday local spots: barbecue houses, gukbap and stew restaurants, and neighborhood eateries.
Doyun from POPORO CITY says: "First time a friend visited, they waited ten minutes for spoons. The drawer was right in front of them."
Quick tips
- No cutlery on the table? Check the table edge for a drawer, then the end of the table for a box.
- Take out sets for the whole group, and lay them on a napkin.
- Water is usually self-service too, from a dispenser or a jug on the table.
- Leave used cutlery on the table, not back in the drawer.
FAQ
Is it rude to ask the staff for spoons and chopsticks?
Not at all. Staff are used to visitors not knowing where the drawer is, and they will usually just point to it.
Are the spoons in the drawer clean?
Yes, they are washed and put back for the next customers. If you prefer, wipe them with a napkin, which many Koreans do too.
Can I ask for a fork?
Many restaurants have a few forks or children's cutlery, especially in tourist areas. It is fine to ask, though not every small restaurant will have one.
Why are Korean spoons so long and flat?
Korean spoons are used for rice and soup throughout the meal, so a long handle and a flat, shallow bowl make it easy to reach into a shared pot or a deep bowl and to scoop rice.