When it involves choosing the proper beer to scrub it down with, Choi references native manufacturers like Terra, Kloud, and Oriental Brewery, identified for his or her lightness. “Korean beer is, flavor-wise, not really strong. You get the coolness from the beer, and then you get the flavor from the chicken.”
Seoul’s excessive inhabitants density and youthful demographics make it a pure epicenter for soccer fandom, with public match watching spots alongside the Han River and in Gwanghwamun Square, which swelled with crowds through the 2022 World Cup with dwell screenings. For these in Seoul when Korea performs Czechia within the group stage on June 11, the recommendation is easy: Find the get together, and the chimaek will comply with. “It’s fun to go to areas in Seoul where there will be a lot of people gathering, like Hongdae, or Itaewon, which is very international,” says Yoo. What’s extra, diners can get just about something delivered–at any time–on to wherever they’re watching the sport. Delivery drivers may even deliver meals to a particular row in a stadium, or GPS location.“The delivery culture is so big in Korea, and chicken is the most [popular] order,” Choi says.
More than comfort, nonetheless, chimaek speaks to the communal eating traditions current throughout Korea. “These days, most K League clubs have developed their own unique fan atmosphere and food culture around the stadium experience,” says Min Joo Kim, Head of International Business Development on the Korea Professional Football League. “Food plays a very important role in the overall fan experience because clubs understand that eating together naturally encourages people to stay longer, interact, and enjoy the atmosphere collectively. Food culture has become an important part of how clubs build community around matchdays.”
If ordering chimaek on sport day, it’s a meal finest loved with buddies, says Yoo. “Maybe your friend loves yangnyeom, and you love regular, so you can order 50/50. The beer has to be ice cold, better if you can get it on draft. In Korea we usually drink beer with little short beer glasses, but in more hof‑style places you might find classic beer steins.”