A foreign friend said this, sitting in front of a bowl of kimchi stew. "I asked for it not to be spicy, didn't I?" Red broth was bubbling away in the pot. They said their nose stung even before the spoon touched the stew. ## It's already in the broth Kimchi stew and soft tofu stew aren't dishes where you take an order and then add the seasoning on top. Because it's simmered for a long time with chili powder and kimchi, the spiciness has melted into the whole broth. It's like asking someone to take out the sugar that's already been stirred into your coffee. On top of that, many restaurants make the broth ahead of time in a big pot. It's hard to make just one bowl less spicy. ## Choose a white broth from the start Milky seolleongtang or clear galbitang sends up a rich, savory aroma along with the hot steam. This kind of broth is seasoned with salt, and the spicy seasoning is kept separate, so you can relax. Bulgogi, gimbap, and bibimbap are good too. With bibimbap, the gochujang is added separately, so if you say "Please leave out the gochujang," they'll usually do it. ## Phrases you can use right away - "Do you have any non-spicy dishes?" - "Please give me the gochujang on the side." If you ask this way, the staff will often point out the non-spicy dishes first. If you only say "not spicy, please," it can sound like you just want a little less chili powder. What Koreans call "not spicy" may taste spicy to you. So rather than asking them to change the seasoning, choosing the right menu item is the surest way.