Too many side dishes? Why traditional Korean homestyle restaurants are disappearing — and why it matters

gettyimagesbank

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com.

Homestyle Korean restaurants known for serving multiple vegetable-based side dishes are disappearing, largely due to the rising costs of ingredients and labor-intensive preparation. While convenient fast food like pizza, hamburgers and Chinese dishes increasingly fill the gap, health experts warn that this shift may carry long-term consequences for public health — particularly in areas like blood sugar control and obesity prevention.

Declining homestyle eateries: ‘Too many side dishes, too much work’

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Korean restaurants accounted for 41.8 percent of the food service sector in 2024, down from 45.6 percent in 2018. In contrast, those serving pizza, hamburgers or sandwiches rose from 2.4 to 3.5 percent, while Chinese restaurants and other global cuisines also gained ground.

Unlike many fast food restaurants, Korean homestyle eateries often serve meals with numerous small side dishes, which require extended preparation and intense labor. Many younger entrepreneurs are opting to open simpler, less labor-intensive businesses. Meanwhile, aging restaurant owners report that their children are reluctant to take over, leading to closures. Budget-friendly homestyle restaurants in particular are struggling to stay afloat amid surging ingredient prices.

Traditional Korean meals — especially those featuring a variety of vegetable side dishes — offer significant health advantages. These dishes are rich in antioxidants and dietary fiber, which help control post-meal blood sugar spikes and reduce triglyceride levels. Switching from white rice to multigrain rice further enhances their nutritional value.

Some health-conscious diners now travel long distances to visit restaurants that serve traditional steamed barley meals. But with children increasingly turning to pizza, hamburgers and jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), nutrition experts worry that the decline of traditional meals could lead to long-term health issues.

With diabetes on the rise, more people are being diagnosed in the prediabetic stage during routine health screenings. Left unmanaged, prediabetes can progress to diabetes, requiring lifelong medication. Experts emphasize the importance of vegetables in managing blood sugar. Eating vegetables before rice allows dietary fiber to fill the stomach first, slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates and helping prevent blood sugar spikes. For this to work, however, vegetable side dishes must be prepared with minimal salt — a plus for hypertension prevention.

Consistently eating home-cooked meals improves blood sugar and weight control

When prepared with less salt, traditional home-cooked Korean meals are among the healthiest diets available. Side dishes featuring vegetables, eggs, tofu, soybean sprouts and legumes provide essential protein. Lean cuts of pork and beef offer highly absorbable nutrients, while chicken is healthiest when boiled rather than fried.

Cases of colorectal cancer have skyrocketed in Korea, with 33,158 cases reported in 2022 alone, making it one of the two most common cancers alongside thyroid cancer, according to the National Cancer Registry. Experts attribute this rise to diets heavy in fried foods and animal fats, while lacking in vegetables.

At home, returning to traditional meals may be the key to long-term health. Relying too much on takeout for convenience can lead to weight gain and a range of chronic health problems.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top healthcare and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.