Secret Seasonings Korean Restaurants Use

My Mom used to own a restaurant and knew a lot of other restaurant owners. The secret ingredient to what makes Korean dishes you eat at restaurants taste so damn good, according to my Mom, is MSG, Seasoning Salt, or Beef Stock Powder.

MSG (We poured it into an empty spice container) & Seasoning Salt

All of these ingredients are basically MSG mixed with salt (except for the Pure MSG, of course).
I honestly think nearly all Korean restaurants use MSG, unless they explicitly say NO MSG used. It’s what gives their dishes that “ummmph” taste— the taste you can’t achieve at home— the taste that makes you want to finish the entire bowl. My Mom can definitely tell when a dish has this seasoning in it. It has an ever so subtle, yet signature umami taste to it.

Tip: If you want to elevate the taste of your savory Korean dish that contains salt, try adding one of these ingredients to your dish. Add a bit of your regular salt, and then add SMALL amounts of this seasoning, and adjust to taste. Store seasoning in an empty spice container for convenience.

Here are the brands my Mom uses & what she uses it for:

MSG: Aji-No-Moto

Just pure MSG, no blend of salt
Used for anything; in making kimchi, soups, fried rice— anything savory!
My Mom uses this occasionally for the dishes listed above

Seasoning Salt (맛소금 | Maht-Sohguhm) : No particular brand, whatever is on sale at the Korean Grocery Market

MSG mixed with salt
Used for anything; in making kimchi, soups, fried rice— anything savory!
My Mom uses this to season her roasted seaweed (and she uses MSG for savory dishes)

Beef Stock Powder (다시다 | Dasida): CJ Dasida Beef Stock

MSG mixed with beef flavor & salt
Used to enhance beef flavor in soup-type meals, fried rice—anything savory!
My Mom uses this for the dishes listed above & she does NOT use this for Kimchi

Where to Purchase: You can find these seasonings at any Asian or Korean Grocery Store in the Korean seasoning section, usually the next aisle over to the Korean Red Pepper aisle. These seasonings do NOT come in spice containers, they are packaged in little, plastic pouches.