A bowl of kalguksu with kimchi, Seoul

Photo: note thanun · Unsplash License (Unsplash)

KVIBE IDOLS › Food guides › Korean dishes explained › 만두 (mandu)

🍜 Korean dishes explained

Mandu만두 · mandu

What is it?

Korean dumplings filled with pork, tofu, glass noodles and vegetables or spicy kimchi — steamed (jjin-mandu), pan-fried (gun-mandu) or in soup (manduguk). Wang-mandu are fist-size buns. KTO card data showed noodle and dumpling spending by foreigners up 55% in July 2025.

How to eat it

  1. Dip in soy sauce with vinegar and chilli powder.
  2. Kimchi mandu is spicy; gogi (meat) mandu is mild.
  3. Markets sell takeaway by the portion.
Typical price
₩5,000–9,000 per serving
How to order · Say it in Korean고기만두 하나, 김치만두 하나 주세요.Gogi-mandu hana, kimchi-mandu hana juseyo.One meat dumpling serving and one kimchi dumpling serving, please.

Where to try it

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FAQ

Are there vegetarian mandu?

Some shops sell vegetable (yachae) mandu, but most fillings contain pork — ask.

Mandu vs gyoza?

Mandu skins are often thinner, fillings include tofu and glass noodles, and they are commonly steamed.

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Places are long-running, well-known institutions checked against public listings (Michelin Guide, Wikipedia, tourism sites) in October 2026. No paid placements. Hours and prices change, so check the map app before you go.

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