By Honorary Reporter Nadine Postigo from the Philippines
Photos = Nadine Postigo 

I feel I always get more of my money's worth whenever I eat at Korean restaurants. Why? Because of the various banchan (side dishes) served for free. I mean who doesn't like free food, right?

Banchan is a unique and generous feature of Korean cuisine. It also serves as an appetizer since it's usually given before the main meal. Each side dish is made from Korean staple ingredients, and I love the variety of flavors from salty to sweet and sour and spicy. They are carefully picked to give diners their required intake of nutrients as the side dishes are made from a variety of vegetables, meat, seafood and other ingredients.


My first experiences at Korean restaurants in the Philippines always had banchan served at the table. Side dishes are usually placed in the center for the purpose of sharing. A minimum of two side dishes are served but that number can be as high as six to nine. I think Korean cuisine is the most generous in this aspect.

In Manila, more Korean restaurants are offering banchan buffet style, meaning no need to feel shy in getting refills of side dishes. Diners cannot help but keep getting more banchan because they're so yummy. Pairing side dishes with Korean BBQ or any other Korean dish makes the meal a little more perfect.



I think both options in how banchan is served have both pros and cons. The buffet is slightly exposed so freshness can vary but customers can get as much as they want. The other method –asking for refills from waitstaff - can make one feel a bit embarrassed and the staff can take a bit of time to bring banchan refills especially in  busy times. But at least you know you're getting the side dishes at the right temperature, particularly cold crispy salad or hot soup or stew.

Though kimchi is a staple side dish, the quality of banchan at restaurants can greatly vary so I never know what I'm going to get, but this makes eating at Korean restaurants more exciting. My favorite side dishes are probably goguma mattang (caramelized sweet potatoes), gyeran mari (rolled eggs), dangkong jorim (peanuts braised in soy sauce) and oi (cucumber) kimchi.


My fellow Filipina Honorary Reporter and food blogger Mikhaela Javier eats at a Korean restaurant no less than once a week to post a review on her blog Kimchi Adventures.
"Though it might seem like I often eat at samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) restaurants, I'm usually after the side dishes than the meat itself," she said. Her favorite banchan is danmuji (yellow pickled radish), pa (spring onion) kimchi, kim (seaweed) and baby potatoes.



Javier explained both the good and the bad in having banchan served at your table instead of being able to get it buffet style. "For buffet style, most of the time, it no longer looks appetizing since a lot of people are touching it," she said. "The tendency is that you'll just get the ones that look appealing to you. As for the served style, it looks more presentable but most of the time, there are plenty of leftovers on the table after eating because you just ask for refills of the ones you like. Still, I prefer the served ones and I'll just ask for a refill so that I can still try all the side dishes."

So how do you like your banchan, served at your table or self-service buffet style? One thing is for sure, banchan is one of the best things about Korean cuisine. I love Korean side dishes so much that I made a video about them for a contest a few years ago.

chaey0726@korea.kr


*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.