Last Updated: February 2026 | By Mukbang Shows Korean BBQ & Seafood

Affordable Korean Food In Dubai. Dubai is a city known for luxury — towering skyscrapers, gold-plated everything, and restaurants where a single entrée can cost more than a round-trip flight. But here’s a secret that food lovers are quickly catching on to: you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy incredible Korean food in Dubai. In fact, some of the most satisfying, flavour-packed meals in the city come from affordable Korean BBQ restaurants where you can grill to your heart’s content without watching your wallet shrink.

Whether you’re a seasoned Korean food enthusiast or someone who’s been curious about bibimbap and banchan but didn’t know where to start, this guide covers everything you need to know about finding affordable Korean food across Dubai — from the bustling streets of Deira to the beachfront promenades of JBR.

Why Korean Food Has Taken Dubai by Storm

Korean cuisine has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity across the UAE over the past few years, and it’s not hard to see why. The global influence of Korean culture — from K-dramas and K-pop to the worldwide obsession with Korean skincare — has naturally extended to Korean food. Suddenly, everyone wants to try tteokbokki, sample soju, and experience the communal joy of Korean BBQ.

But beyond the cultural wave, Korean food resonates with Dubai’s diverse population for several practical reasons. First, it’s inherently communal. In a city built on hospitality and togetherness, the Korean dining style — where dishes are shared, meats are grilled at the table, and banchan (side dishes) keep arriving — feels right at home. Second, Korean cuisine offers incredible variety. From fiery stews and crispy fried chicken to delicate dumplings and refreshing cold noodles, there’s something for every palate. Third, and perhaps most importantly for budget-conscious diners, Korean food offers exceptional value for money, especially at all-you-can-eat (AYCE) Korean BBQ restaurants.

Dubai’s Korean food scene has grown from a handful of restaurants in Deira and Karama to a thriving network of eateries scattered across the emirate. And for those who know where to look, some of the best Korean meals in the city are also among the most affordable.

What Makes Korean BBQ Such Great Value?

If you’ve never experienced Korean BBQ, you’re in for a treat — and your wallet is in for a pleasant surprise. Here’s why Korean BBQ consistently ranks as one of the best value dining experiences in Dubai.

The All-You-Can-Eat Model

Many Korean BBQ restaurants in Dubai operate on an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) model, which is the gold standard for affordable dining. For a fixed price, you get unlimited servings of marinated meats, seafood, rice, soup, and an array of banchan side dishes. Compare this to a typical Dubai restaurant where a main course alone can run AED 80–120, and the value becomes crystal clear. At Mukbang Shows, for example, the AYCE experience starts at just AED 99 per person for the Daegu tier, which includes seven kinds of BBQ meat, eight banchan, gimbap, soup, and rice. That’s a full feast — not a meal, a feast — for under a hundred dirhams.

Banchan: The Gift That Keeps Giving

One of the most delightful aspects of Korean dining is banchan — the collection of small side dishes that arrive at your table before the main course. Kimchi, pickled radish, seasoned spinach, bean sprouts, japchae (glass noodles), and more. At Korean BBQ restaurants, these banchan are typically unlimited and refillable at no extra cost. In any other cuisine, getting six to eight side dishes with your meal would add significantly to the bill. In Korean dining, they’re simply part of the experience.

A Social Dining Experience

Korean BBQ is designed for groups. The minimum order at most AYCE restaurants is two persons, which makes it ideal for couples, families, and groups of friends. When you split the experience across a table, the per-person cost becomes even more attractive. A family of four can enjoy a full Korean BBQ dinner with unlimited meat and sides for less than AED 400 — try finding that kind of value at most Dubai restaurants.

Cook It Your Way

There’s something deeply satisfying about grilling your own meat at the table. Beyond the entertainment factor, it means your food is always fresh off the grill, cooked exactly to your preference. No waiting for a kitchen, no lukewarm deliveries — just sizzling, perfectly charred meat wrapped in crisp lettuce with a dab of ssamjang (dipping sauce). The interactive element also means meals tend to last longer, making the per-hour entertainment value even better than a movie and dinner combo.

Where to Find Affordable Korean Food in Dubai

Dubai offers Korean food across a wide price spectrum, but if you’re looking for affordability without compromising on quality, here are the key areas and what to expect.

Deira: The Original Korean Food Hub

Deira has long been the go-to neighbourhood for authentic, affordable international cuisine in Dubai, and Korean food is no exception. The area around Al Ittihad Road and Port Saeed is home to several Korean restaurants that cater to both the local Korean community and adventurous food lovers from across the city. Deira’s Korean restaurants tend to be more traditional in style, with no-frills interiors that put the focus squarely on the food. Prices here are generally lower than in more upscale neighbourhoods, making it the ideal starting point for anyone looking for affordable Korean food in Dubai.

Mukbang Shows’ Deira location on Al Ittihad Road has become a favourite among locals who want the full Korean BBQ experience at competitive prices. The restaurant’s halal certification also makes it accessible to a wider audience — a significant advantage in a city where the majority of the population seeks halal dining options.

JBR: Beach Views Meet Korean Flavours

Jumeirah Beach Residence might not be the first place you think of for affordable dining, but the emergence of quality Korean restaurants in the area has changed the equation. While JBR restaurants generally carry a location premium, Korean BBQ’s all-you-can-eat model levels the playing field. When you’re paying a fixed price for unlimited food, the per-dish cost works out to be remarkably reasonable — especially when you factor in the beachfront atmosphere and the experience of grilling Korean meats with the Dubai Marina skyline as your backdrop.

The newest Mukbang Shows at JBR’s Bahar 7 on The Walk takes this a step further with private karaoke rooms featuring beach views — combining dining, entertainment, and atmosphere into one affordable package. It’s the kind of experience you’d expect to pay premium prices for, delivered at Korean BBQ value.

Dubai World Trade Centre Area

The area around Dubai World Trade Centre and Sheikh Zayed Road has emerged as another hotspot for Korean food, serving the busy professional crowd that works in the surrounding office towers and hotels. Love Mukbang, located in The Apartments Block A opposite the metro station, offers a convenient option for Korean food lovers in this part of town. Its proximity to the metro makes it particularly accessible for residents across Dubai.

A Guide to Korean Dishes You Need to Try (and What They Cost)

If you’re new to Korean food, the menu can feel overwhelming. Here’s a breakdown of the essential dishes, what to expect, and how they fit into an affordable dining strategy in Dubai.

Korean BBQ (Gogi-gui)

This is the star of the show. Korean BBQ involves grilling marinated and unmarinated meats at your table over a gas or charcoal grill. The most popular cuts include bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef), samgyeopsal (pork belly), dak galbi (spicy chicken), and galbi (short ribs). At an AYCE restaurant, you can try all of these and more for one fixed price. The proper way to enjoy Korean BBQ is to wrap the grilled meat in a lettuce or perilla leaf, add a slice of garlic, a piece of green chilli, and a dab of ssamjang or doenjang, then eat it in one satisfying bite.

Affordable tip: AYCE Korean BBQ starts at AED 99 per person at restaurants like Mukbang Shows, making it one of the best value dining experiences in Dubai.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap — literally “mixed rice” — is a bowl of warm rice topped with an assortment of seasoned vegetables, chilli paste (gochujang), a fried egg, and often sliced meat. You mix everything together before eating, creating a harmonious blend of flavours and textures in every bite. Dolsot bibimbap, served in a sizzling stone pot, adds a layer of crispy rice at the bottom that’s absolutely addictive.

Affordable tip: Bibimbap is one of the most budget-friendly Korean dishes, typically priced between AED 35–55 at most Dubai restaurants.

Tteokbokki

These chewy rice cakes swimming in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce are one of Korea’s most beloved street foods. Tteokbokki is filling, flavourful, and incredibly affordable. Many Korean restaurants in Dubai serve it as an appetiser or side dish.

Japchae

Glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Japchae is a staple at Korean celebrations and a wonderful introduction to Korean flavours for those who prefer milder dishes. It often comes included as one of the banchan at Korean BBQ restaurants.

Kimchi Jjigae

This bubbling kimchi stew is Korean comfort food at its finest — tangy, spicy, and deeply warming. Made with fermented kimchi, pork or tuna, tofu, and vegetables, it’s a hearty meal that’s particularly satisfying during Dubai’s (admittedly brief) cooler months.

Gimbap

Often compared to sushi rolls, gimbap features seasoned rice and various fillings — vegetables, egg, pickled radish, and meat — wrapped in roasted seaweed. It’s a popular lunch item and snack in Korea, and at AYCE restaurants, it’s typically included at no extra charge.

Korean Fried Chicken

Crispy, double-fried, and coated in either a sweet-spicy sauce (yangnyeom) or a soy-garlic glaze, Korean fried chicken has developed a cult following worldwide. While dedicated Korean fried chicken spots in Dubai can be moderately priced, many Korean BBQ restaurants include it as part of their AYCE offerings.

How to Maximise Your Korean BBQ Experience on a Budget

Getting the most value from your Korean BBQ experience is an art form. Here are some insider strategies for making every dirham count.

Go for AYCE Over À La Carte

This is the single most important decision for budget-conscious Korean food lovers. À la carte Korean BBQ, where you order individual portions of meat, can add up quickly. A single serving of premium beef can cost AED 50–80, and you’ll likely want several rounds. At an AYCE restaurant, you pay one price and eat until you’re satisfied. At Mukbang Shows, the three tiers — Daegu (AED 99), Jeju (AED 109), and Bukchon Hanok (AED 129) — all include seven BBQ varieties, eight banchan, two types of gimbap, soup, and rice. Even the entry-level tier offers a complete, generous meal.

Start with Lighter Items

Experienced Korean BBQ diners know the strategy: start with the lighter items like banchan, soup, and gimbap to take the edge off your hunger, then move on to the heavier grilled meats. This way, you enjoy the full range of flavours without filling up too quickly on meat alone. It also helps you pace your meal, which is important since most AYCE restaurants have a time limit (usually 90–120 minutes).

Don’t Skip the Wraps

Eating Korean BBQ the traditional way — wrapped in lettuce with garlic, chilli, and sauce — isn’t just more authentic, it’s also more filling. The lettuce wraps add volume and freshness to each bite, helping you feel satisfied sooner and allowing you to enjoy the experience longer.

Visit During Lunch

Many Korean restaurants in Dubai offer lunch specials or reduced prices during midday hours. If your schedule allows, a weekday lunch visit can save you 10–20% compared to dinner prices while offering the same quality food.

Bring Friends

Korean BBQ is designed for sharing. Most AYCE deals require a minimum of two people, and larger groups often qualify for better per-person rates or special group packages. Bringing a group of four to six friends turns an affordable meal into an even better deal while amplifying the social atmosphere that makes Korean dining so special.

Mind the Leftover Policy

Most AYCE Korean BBQ restaurants, Mukbang Shows included, charge for excessive leftovers (typically around AED 60). This isn’t to penalise you — it’s to encourage mindful ordering. The smart approach is to order in small batches, grill and eat, then order more as needed. This way, everything is fresh and nothing goes to waste.

The Halal Advantage: Affordable Korean Food for Everyone

One factor that sets certain Korean restaurants in Dubai apart is halal certification. In a city where approximately 85% of the population is Muslim, halal Korean food isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential for accessibility.

Historically, finding halal Korean food was challenging. Many traditional Korean dishes use pork-based products, non-halal meat, or cooking alcohols that don’t meet halal standards. This meant that a significant portion of Dubai’s population was effectively excluded from enjoying Korean cuisine.

The emergence of fully halal Korean restaurants has changed this landscape dramatically. Restaurants like Mukbang Shows have developed menus that maintain the authentic flavours of Korean cooking while adhering strictly to halal requirements. This means using halal-certified meats, substituting non-halal ingredients with suitable alternatives, and ensuring the entire kitchen operation meets halal standards.

The result is that affordable Korean food in Dubai is now truly accessible to everyone. Emirati families, South Asian expats, Arab visitors, and food lovers of all backgrounds can enjoy the full Korean BBQ experience without any dietary concerns. This inclusivity has been one of the driving forces behind Korean food’s explosive growth in the UAE market.

Korean Food Delivery: Affordable Options at Your Doorstep

Sometimes you want Korean food without leaving your home, and Dubai’s delivery infrastructure makes this easier than ever. Most Korean restaurants in Dubai are available on major delivery platforms like Talabat, Deliveroo, and Noon Food. While AYCE deals are obviously an in-restaurant experience, many Korean dishes translate beautifully to delivery.

For the most affordable Korean food delivery in Dubai, consider ordering dishes that travel well and offer good value. Bibimbap, gimbap, Korean fried chicken, and stews like kimchi jjigae and doenjang jjigae all arrive in excellent condition and provide filling, satisfying meals. Many restaurants also offer combo deals for delivery that bundle popular items at a discount.

Keep an eye out for platform-specific promotions as well. Talabat and Deliveroo frequently run restaurant-specific discounts, free delivery promotions, and bundle deals that can make Korean food delivery even more affordable.

Korean Food Trends to Watch in Dubai

The Korean food scene in Dubai continues to evolve rapidly. Here are some trends shaping the affordable Korean dining landscape.

K-BBQ Meets Private Dining

The latest evolution in Korean BBQ combines the communal grilling experience with private dining rooms and entertainment. Private karaoke rooms at Korean restaurants let groups enjoy an exclusive dining experience — singing, eating, and celebrating — at prices that are still remarkably affordable compared to typical private dining in Dubai. This trend bridges the gap between casual AYCE dining and special-occasion experiences.

Korean Street Food Pop-ups

Dubai’s growing food truck and pop-up scene has embraced Korean street food, bringing items like tteokbokki, hotteok (sweet pancakes), corn dogs, and bungeo-ppang (fish-shaped pastries) to markets and events across the city. These pop-ups offer an ultra-affordable entry point into Korean cuisine, with most items priced under AED 30.

Fusion Korean Cuisine

Dubai’s multicultural environment has spawned creative Korean fusion concepts — Korean-Mexican tacos, Korean-inspired burgers, and Korean-Middle Eastern mashups. While purists might debate the authenticity, these fusion offerings often come at very accessible price points and serve as a gateway for diners new to Korean flavours.

Healthier Korean Options

As health consciousness grows in the UAE, Korean cuisine’s inherent health benefits are getting more attention. Fermented foods like kimchi are rich in probiotics, Korean BBQ emphasises protein-forward dining, and many Korean dishes are naturally gluten-free or can be easily adapted. Restaurants are highlighting these health aspects to attract a broader audience.

Comparing Korean BBQ Value Across Dubai

To put the affordability of Korean BBQ in perspective, let’s compare it to other popular dining experiences in Dubai.

A typical dinner at a mid-range Dubai restaurant runs AED 120–180 per person for a starter, main course, and drink. A casual burger joint might cost AED 60–90 for a burger, fries, and a drink. A sushi dinner at a moderate Japanese restaurant typically falls in the AED 150–250 range per person.

Now consider Korean BBQ: for AED 99–129 per person, you’re getting unlimited grilled meats, a full array of side dishes, soup, rice, and gimbap. You’re also getting the entertainment value of cooking your own food, the social experience of communal dining, and typically 90–120 minutes of table time. Dirham for dirham, it’s hard to find better value in Dubai’s dining scene.

Planning Your First Korean BBQ Visit

Ready to dive in? Here’s everything you need to know to plan your first affordable Korean BBQ experience in Dubai.

What to Wear

Korean BBQ involves grilling at your table, which means some smoke and cooking aromas. Wear casual, comfortable clothes that you don’t mind picking up a slight smoky scent. Most restaurants have good ventilation, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

How Long to Allow

Plan for at least 90 minutes. Korean BBQ is a leisurely experience — you’re cooking, eating, talking, and enjoying the process. Rushing through it defeats the purpose and reduces the value of your AYCE investment.

What to Order First

If it’s your first time, start with the restaurant’s signature marinades. Bulgogi (marinated beef) is the most universally appealing starting point, followed by dak galbi (spicy chicken) for those who enjoy heat. Don’t forget to load up on banchan and try wrapping your meat in lettuce with the provided condiments.

Dietary Considerations

If you have dietary restrictions beyond halal, most Korean BBQ restaurants can accommodate you. Vegetarian options like tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables can be grilled alongside meats. Many banchan are naturally vegetarian or vegan. Let your server know about any allergies, and they’ll guide you through safe options.

Reservations

Popular Korean BBQ restaurants in Dubai, especially on weekends, can have significant wait times. Booking ahead is strongly recommended, particularly for groups. Many restaurants now accept WhatsApp bookings, making the reservation process quick and convenient.

Mukbang Shows: Affordable Korean BBQ Across Dubai and Abu Dhabi

For those looking for a reliable, affordable Korean BBQ experience with multiple convenient locations, Mukbang Shows Korean BBQ & Seafood has established itself as a go-to destination across the UAE. With five locations spanning Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the restaurant has made authentic, halal Korean BBQ accessible to a wide audience.

Dubai Locations

JBR — The Walk, Bahar 7 Plaza Level, Unit P33, The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence 📞 +971-54-523-1898 Featuring private karaoke rooms with beach views

Deira Al Ittihad Road, Port Saeed, Deira 📞 +971-4-886-4494 Classic Korean BBQ in Dubai’s original food district

Love Mukbang — Dubai World Trade Centre The Apartments Block A, Sheikh Zayed Road (opposite metro station) 📞 +971-54-524-5904 Convenient metro-adjacent location

Abu Dhabi Locations

Muroor Road 547 Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street, Al Danah, Zone 1 📞 +971-50-158-9433

Electra Street Zayed The First Street (behind Sun and Sand Sports), Al Danah, Zone 1 📞 +971-2-564-0446

All-You-Can-Eat Menu Tiers

Minimum 2 persons required. AED 60 leftover charge applies.

With over 500,000 customers served and TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards recognition, Mukbang Shows has proven that affordable doesn’t mean compromising on quality, authenticity, or experience.

Final Thoughts: Korean Food in Dubai Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

The beauty of Korean cuisine lies in its generosity. From the endless banchan that fill your table to the unlimited meat at AYCE restaurants, Korean food is built around the philosophy of abundance. In Dubai, a city that sometimes feels engineered for big spenders, Korean BBQ stands as a refreshing reminder that incredible dining experiences don’t require incredible budgets.

Whether you’re a first-timer curious about what all the K-food hype is about, a budget-conscious family looking for a filling meal that everyone will enjoy, or a seasoned Korean food lover hunting for your next favourite spot, Dubai’s Korean food scene has something for you — and it’s more affordable than you might think.

So gather your friends, bring your appetite, and get ready to grill. The best affordable Korean food in Dubai is waiting for you.

Craving Korean BBQ? Visit mukbangshow.ae to explore our menu, make a reservation, or find the Mukbang Shows location nearest to you.