In Korea, après-ski means charcoal-grilled meat and a shared table. What to eat near Yongpyong, Vivaldi Park and High1, and the table rules visitors miss.
In the Alps, après-ski is a drink on a sunny terrace. In Korea it is samgyeopsal (pork belly) and soju around a charcoal grill.
After a full day at -10°C, a table of sizzling meat is hard to beat. Here is what to look for near three of the big resorts, plus the table rules that confuse first-time visitors.
Yongpyong sits above Hoenggye, the small town in the Daegwallyeong area, which is known for hanwoo (Korean beef) and hwangtae (pollock dried in the winter wind on the nearby hills).
The classic stop is Daegwallyeong Hanwoo Town in Hoenggye. It works as a butcher and restaurant in one: you choose your cut at the counter, pay for the meat, then pay a table charge to grill it yourself. Hanwoo is expensive, so set a budget before you start pointing at marbled sirloin.
For a cheaper dinner, order osam bulgogi, a spicy stir-fry of squid and pork belly that is a local favorite around Daegwallyeong. It comes on a shared pan and goes well with a bowl of rice.
Vivaldi Park is in Hongcheon, about an hour from Chuncheon, the city most associated with dakgalbi: chicken, cabbage and rice cakes stir-fried in a spicy sauce on a big iron pan at your table. When the chicken is nearly gone, ask for fried rice ("bokkeumbap") and the staff will fry rice in the leftover sauce.
Vivaldi draws a young crowd, so fried chicken shops and pubs in and around the resort village stay busy late. If you have a free afternoon, Chuncheon's dakgalbi street near Myeongdong is worth the trip for the original version.
High1 sits between Gohan and Sabuk in Jeongseon County, an old coal mining district. The food here is hearty mountain cooking. Look for gondeure-bap, rice steamed with dried Korean thistle and eaten with soy-based seasoning sauce. It is a Jeongseon specialty and a lighter option after a day of grilled meat. Pork and beef barbecue restaurants line the roads in Gohan and Sabuk, a short drive from the resort.
Order by headcount. Barbecue places usually expect one serving of meat per person, so a group of four orders at least four portions.
You cook. Staff may start the grill, but after that diners turn the meat and cut it with the scissors on the table.
Respect soju. It goes down easily but is stronger than beer, and mixing it with beer as somaek is popular. Keep it moderate if you want to ski in the morning, and check your resort's lift schedule before you order the next bottle.
If you are avoiding pork or alcohol, read our guides to pork-free food at the resorts and alcohol-free après-ski.