Late-night eating in Korea

Yasik means late-night food, eaten well after dinner either as a small snack or as a full spread shared with friends or family. Popular choices are easy to deliver or take away, such as fried chicken, jokbal, bossam, tteokbokki and ramyeon. Those drama scenes of people gathered around takeout boxes at night are yasik culture in action.

Long working and study hours, restaurants that stay open late and a well-developed delivery system all helped late-night eating become part of daily life. Sharing food while watching sports or a drama is another big reason. At the same time, many Koreans now try to cut back on late meals for health reasons.

Fried chicken is the classic, followed by jokbal and bossam, snack foods like tteokbokki, pizza, ramyeon, spicy chicken feet and grilled intestines. Many of these are spicy, so check whether you can choose a milder level. When a group eats together, it is common to order two or three different dishes and share them all.

Jokbal is pork trotter simmered in a soy-based broth with aromatics, then sliced thin. It has chewy skin and tender meat and is usually served cool or at room temperature rather than hot. People wrap it in lettuce with salted shrimp or ssamjang, and there is also a spicy version coated in chili sauce called buljokbal.

Bossam is boiled pork, sliced and wrapped in napa cabbage or lettuce leaves. It usually comes with a sweet and spicy radish kimchi, garlic and salted shrimp to tuck into each wrap. Because boiling removes much of the fat, the meat tastes clean and mild, which makes it a good choice for people who do not love very spicy food.

Dakbal is chicken feet stir-fried or grilled in a fiery sauce, loved for its chewy texture and intense heat. You can find it with or without bones. It is often extremely spicy, so people commonly order rice balls or steamed egg on the side to cool their mouths. If you are sensitive to spice, ask about the heat level first.

All three are beef or pork intestines, grilled or stir-fried and popular late at night. Gopchang generally means small intestine and daechang large intestine, while makchang refers to the fourth stomach in beef or the rectum in pork. They are chewy and rich with savory fat, and many people enjoy them with soju.

Place a slice on a lettuce or perilla leaf, add a little salted shrimp or ssamjang, plus garlic or chili if you like, and wrap it up. Some shops also sell cold buckwheat or mixed noodles, and the tangy noodles pair well with the rich meat. Leftover jokbal keeps in the fridge and is fine to eat the next day.

On cold nights, people reach for fish cake soup, udon, ramyeon and hangover soups. At bars, fish cake soup or mussel soup is a common side to go with drinks. Some hangover soup and gukbap restaurants stay open very late or even around the clock, but hours vary, so check before heading out.

Plain fried chicken, soy garlic chicken, bossam, regular jokbal, pizza and fish cake soup are usually mild. Recipes differ by restaurant, though, and the kimchi or dipping sauces on the side can still be hot. When ordering, you can ask for it not spicy, "an maepge haejuseyo," or read the menu description carefully.

Yes. Watching the World Cup or a big baseball game with fried chicken and beer is a familiar Korean scene. Matches played overseas often air late at night or before dawn because of the time difference, which pushes demand for late-night food even higher. On big game nights, expect deliveries to take longer than usual.

In nightlife districts and university areas, plenty of bars and restaurants stay open past midnight, and some gukbap, hangover soup and snack shops run 24 hours. Many people say round-the-clock restaurants are less common than they used to be, though. Check opening hours in a map app before you set out.

Eating a lot of greasy or salty food right before bed can upset digestion and disturb sleep, according to common health advice. If you enjoy yasik, keep portions moderate and avoid lying down immediately afterward. People with stomach conditions or other health concerns should follow their doctor's advice.

A family or group of friends sharing chicken or jokbal at night usually signals comfort and closeness. Scenes of parents bringing snacks to a child studying late show care in a similar way. In many stories, the simple act of eating together becomes a way to console someone or patch up a disagreement.

In apartments and guesthouses, keep your voice down late at night and try not to let strong food smells drift into shared hallways. Sort leftovers and containers according to the building's recycling rules. Some accommodations limit eating in rooms, so check the house rules beforehand.

Yes, if you are an adult. Under Korea's youth protection law, you can buy alcohol from January 1 of the year you turn 19, and shops may ask for ID. Drinking in some public places is restricted, so follow posted signs, and go easy late at night.

University areas and busy entertainment districts in Seoul and other cities tend to stay crowded with diners and drinkers late into the night. Rather than relying on a list of shops, use a map app to see what is open and read recent reviews. If you stay out late, check the time of the last subway or bus in advance.

Yes. With more people living alone, many places now offer single portions such as half or solo chicken sets and small jokbal portions. Some restaurants have minimum order rules, so check first. Ready meals and takeout are other easy ways to enjoy yasik by yourself.

Dakgangjeong is bite-sized fried chicken tossed in a sticky sweet and spicy syrup glaze. It stays relatively crisp even when cool, which makes it a good takeout snack to bring back to your hotel from a market. Some shops sprinkle peanuts or other nuts on top, so if you have an allergy, confirm with the shop before buying.

The easiest way is to pick up takeout from a market or restaurant before it closes. Dishes that still taste good when cool, such as dakgangjeong, jokbal and gimbap, travel especially well. Check your accommodation's rules about eating in rooms and the closing times of nearby shops ahead of time.