Korean Delivery Panic? Your Survival Guide to Sold-Out Menus!

Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills!

Have you ever successfully ordered food on a Korean delivery app, only to get a dreaded phone call from the restaurant? Don’t panic! Today, we’re going to learn how to handle one of the most common situations: when the menu item you wanted is sold out.

These days in Korea, limited-edition menu items are a huge trend! From a special spicy tteokbokki flavor that a K-pop idol mentioned, to a unique chicken that’s only available for one week, everyone rushes to try the latest craze. This means popular items sell out fast. But don’t worry! After this lesson, you’ll be able to handle this situation smoothly and still get a delicious meal.

Let’s get started!

⭐ Core Expressions You Need to Know ⭐

Here are three essential phrases to save your delivery order!

• 1. 품절 (pum-jeol)
  • Pronunciation [Romanized]: Pum-jeol
  • English Meaning: Sold out / Out of stock
  • Detailed Explanation: This is a noun you will see and hear everywhere in Korea, from cafes to online shopping sites. When a restaurant calls you, they will likely say, “품절이에요” (pum-jeori-eyo), which means “It’s sold out.” It’s a simple but powerful word to know!
• 2. 어떻게 할까요? (eotteoke halkkayo?)
  • Pronunciation [Romanized]: Eo-tteo-ke hal-kka-yo?
  • English Meaning: What should I/we do? / How shall we proceed?
  • Detailed Explanation: The restaurant staff will say this politely to ask what you want to do next. They are putting the decision in your hands. It’s a combination of “어떻게” (how) and “하다” (to do), with the polite “-ㄹ까요?” ending used for making suggestions or asking questions.
• 3. 그걸로 바꿔 주세요. (geugeollo bakkwo juseyo.)
  • Pronunciation [Romanized]: Geu-geol-lo ba-kkwo ju-se-yo.
  • English Meaning: Please change it to that one.
  • Detailed Explanation: This is your magic phrase! When the restaurant suggests another menu item and you want it, you can use this expression. “그걸로” (geu-geollo) means “with that,” and “바꿔 주세요” (bakkwo juseyo) is a polite request meaning “please change/switch.”

💬 Example Conversation 💬

Let’s see how these expressions work in a real conversation. Imagine you ordered the super-trendy “Mala Rosé Tteokbokki” that everyone on Instagram is talking about.

• A (Restaurant Staff 👨‍🍳): 여보세요. 주문하신 마라로제 떡볶이가 품절이라서 전화드렸습니다. 정말 죄송합니다.
  (Yeoboseyo. Jumun-hasin mara-roje tteokbokki-ga pum-jeor-iraseo jeonhwa-deuryeosseumnida. Jeongmal joesonghamnida.)
  Hello. I’m calling because the Mala Rosé Tteokbokki you ordered is sold out. I am very sorry.

• B (You 👱‍♀️): 아, 진짜요? 그럼 어떻게 할까요?
  (A, jinjja-yo? Geureom eo-tteo-ke hal-kka-yo?)
  Oh, really? Then what should I do?

• A (Restaurant Staff 👨‍🍳): 대신 까르보나라 떡볶이도 인기가 많아요. 괜찮으세요?
  (Daesin kkareubonara tteokbokki-do in-giga manayo. Gwaenchan-euseyo?)
  The Carbonara Tteokbokki is also very popular instead. Would that be okay?

• B (You 👱‍♀️): 네, 좋아요! 그걸로 바꿔 주세요.
  (Ne, joayo! Geu-geol-lo ba-kkwo ju-se-yo.)
  Yes, that’s good! Please change it to that one.

See? You handled it perfectly!

💡 Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive 💡

Why do things sell out so fast in Korea? It’s often due to “limited edition” marketing. Brands create a huge buzz on social media (SNS) for a new, special item. This connects to Korea’s “빨리빨리” (ppalli-ppalli) or “hurry, hurry” culture—everyone wants to try the hot new thing before it’s gone!

Pro Tip: When a restaurant employee asks you “어떻게 할까요?“, you can show off your Korean skills by asking for a recommendation! Just say:
“추천해 주세요.” (chu-cheon-hae ju-se-yo) – Please recommend something.
This will make you sound like a local and you might discover a new favorite dish!

📝 Let’s Practice! 📝

You’ve learned so much today! Let’s quickly review and practice.

1. Fill in the blank:
   The chicken I wanted is sold out. -> 제가 원하던 치킨은 ______이에요.

2. Make a sentence:
   You want to change your order to Bulgogi Pizza. What would you say?
   -> ______ 피자로 바꿔 주세요.

Great job today! Now you are fully prepared to handle any delivery food challenge.

Leave a comment below using one of the expressions you learned today! For example, tell us about a time a food you wanted was 품절!