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Banchan
(Panchan) - Korean
An assortment of side dishes, traditionally served alongside most
Korean meals (the more formal the meal, the greater the variety and
number of plates.) Examples of banchan include fermented stuffs
such as kimchi, namul (stir fried vegetables with sesame oil, chili
peppers and soy sauce), panjeon pancakes, and a category of steamed
foods known as Jjim.
Would I try again? Yep - ESPECIALLY a
particularly great side dish of black beans and soy sauce - known as
Kong Jaban
Where I found it: Any and all
Korean restaurants
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Bibimbop -
Korean
A very traditional Korean meal, Bibimbap is a salad of boiled rice with
vegetables, topped with red spicy sauce (Gochujang). Bibim means
"mixture of wet ingredients" in Korean, and Bop means cooked
rice. (Bop also means a meal in general.)
The vegetables can be cooked or raw, including such items as
gosari (fernbrake), tojari (bell flower root), chestnuts, and
ginseng. Sometimes they top it with egg or a small amount of
meat. With some variations, the rice is cooked at the bottom of
the pot with the veggies and get a little 'scorched'--thus adding a
crunchy texture.
It's a good, fresh salad with taste. It didn't rock my world, but
it was refreshing. (And I do wonder if it would taste different
in a full fledged restaurant.)
Would I try again?
Yes, although I'm not running out for it.
Where
I
found it: Old Bridge
Deli
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Goroke - Korean
"Goroke" is the Korean way of saying "croquette" (thanks, Don!)
It's kind of a Korean empanada - a pastry/bakery shell stuffed with
tuna, chicken, etc, etc.
Mine was curry. It was good, although nothing special. Nice
for a grab n' eat at $1.50 though.
Would I try again?
Yes, but I'm not in a hurry.
Where
I
found it: Koryodang
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Ham Roll -
Korean
At least, that's what they called it at Koryodang. It was an open
topped, hollowed out round pastry, filled with diced ham, peas, and (I
think) mayo. At $1.50, it was very reasonably priced,
satisfactorily filling, and tasty, too. Don't know if they're a
regular snack food in Korea, but...not bad!
Would I try again? If
not for the ham....yes! (I generally don't eat ham, for ethical
reasons...)
Where I found it: Koryodang
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Ho Bak Jook
(Sweet Pumpkin Porridge) - Korean
Sweet, thick pumpkin soup, made with a sprinkling of sweet rice powder,
sugar and the sporadic bean. You get alot in one serving - and
it's a slightly sweet meal that really fills the
tummy. (I had it cold, and can only imagine how
satisfying it would have been serving piping hot. Mmmmmm....Ho
Bak.....Drool.
Would I try again?
Yep. Good stuff. And really filling.
Where
I
found it: Woorijip
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Hot Dogs -
Korean
No, we're not talking about
Gaegogi (dog meat). We're talkin' about the good old American
hot dog, done up Korean deli style. Don't know if these have a
name, but they sit in Koryodang, right next to the Ham Rolls discussed
above. Sometimes cut in half lengthwise, or done up wrapped like
pigs in a blanket, or on a flat flaky pastry, and covered with a number
of different dressings, like mayo or ketchup, and a few unidentifiable
things. Tried one. Only $1.75, and it was nice. A
good change from the corner cartdogs around town.
Would I try again?
As with the ham roll - sure...if it weren't for my vow not to eat
mammal. (Except once, for new items I've never, ever had before.
It's a semi-vegetarian thing.)
Where I found it: Koryodang
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Hwe Dup Bop -
Korean
A mixture of raw fish and salad, covered with Korean spicy red
sauce. ("Hwe" means raw fish, or seafood. Dup means over or cover). Basically, it's spicy
tuna
sashimi on steroids! If
you like sushi, you are going to loooooooooove this! As with most
Korean dishes, it's on the expensive side, but with very large
portions. 3.88 stars!
Would I try again?
Yes.
Where
I
found it: Old Bridge
Deli
(6/24/05: a recent visit sadly showed
that
the Korean offerings had been removed from the menu at Old
Bridge. But they've built
an upstairs - maybe it's still available there!)
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Jeon (Pancake)
- Korean
Pronounced 'jun' - Jeon is a pancake made of flour batter and several
different ingredients (depending on the style). (The word
actually means battered and pan fried). There are ones with Green
Onions (Pa Joen), and then there's "Hwe Mool" Pa Jeon, which are
seafood infused.
The kind I tried
(and really enjoyed) was Kimchi Pa Jeon (spicy pickled cabbage
pancake.) It tastes much as you imagine a flour pancake would,
with a spicy zing. Really enjoyable, and a staple of Korean
cuisine. 3.75 stars.
Would
I try again?
Yes, I would.
Where I
found it: Han Ah
Reum
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Kimchee - Korean
Korean fermented cabbage (and other
vegetables.)
A signature food of Korea. I found it yummy, although the smell
is
strong. A *little* spicy, and my husband complained that the car
smelled like gasoline. But I enjoyed it, and here's the plus:
it's
very few calories, to boot.
Would I try again? Yes, although
it 's going
to have to be outside the car. Another *almost* four
stars.
Where I found it: JASMart
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Laver - Korean
a.k.a. Ghim
(pronounced Kim)
Korean snack - sheets of roasted and salted
seaweed. Usually served as a side dish (part of the Korean
concept of panchan/banchan.) Normally eaten by wrapping it around
a chunk of rice and eating as an ensemble. I've been told they
come in various flavors and seasonings, too.
Would I try again? Sure - but
when I had it, I ate it straight. So my first experience with it
was kind of plain...
Where I found it: Aji
Ichiban
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Mandoo - Korean
Korean dumplings, which can be boiled, fried or steamed. The
version I sampled was Vegetable Mool Mandoo: steamed, with a bright
green skin and a veggie filling. It had a fresh, breezy taste,
and was very filling (even though I only had four!) A very
similar taste to Tibetan Momos.
Would I try again?
Yes.
Where
I
found it: Mandoo Bar
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Noodles and
Variations - Korean
(Translation tip: Myeon =
Noodle in Korean)
Dotori:
Acorn Starch Jelly Noodles - thin, brown noodles (something like
buckwheat), with a light sweet taste. Not bad. But
honestly, the best part of these were the slivers of a sweet white
vegetable that were interspersed in the salad that came with the
noodles.
Where
I found it: Mandoo Bar
Japchae:
Stir Fried Glass Noodles (Dang Myun), with Vegetables and Spicy
Sauce. The noodles are made from sweet potato starch and water,
and are also known as Korean vermicelli. This is a great dish for
any noodle lover - it goes down quick, and the spiciness sets off the
Dang Myun beautifully. My version had octopus in it, which was
also tasty. (I do think that Korea Palace toned down the
spiciness for my Caucasian self...oh well!) 3.1 stars.
Where I found it: Korea Palace
Jjolmyeon:
Spicy, chewy thick noodles. Made from buckwheat, they've got a
fascinating chewy texture, and they're bathed in
this tangy, spicy sauce that's something akin to tteok bokki sauce (see
below.) My
version also came with salad, and
an egg - but forget them, and go straight for the noodles. I am told
that the Choon-chun area of South Korea is particular well known for
making these kinds of noodles, and an item called "Mahtgooksoo." Highly, highly
recommended! 3.8 stars.
Where
I found it: Mandoo Bar
Yomogi (Mugwort Herbal)
Noodles:
Soba noodles, mixed with mugwort (an Asian herb), and served chilled
with a slightly spicy sauce and salad. The taste of the noodles
is
delicate, and the sauce gives a good (albeit small) kick to the
dish.
It's a refreshing meal, although I'm going to go gonzo over it.
Where I found it: Mandoo Bar
Zapa
Noodles: Couldn't find anything on the web about
Zapa
noodles. But basically, they were curly, looked like ramen
noodles, and were cooked in a black bean sauce/veggie stir fry that
resembled a not-as-greasy lo mein. (I've been told that they might be a noodle called
JaJangMyeon - although we're not quite sure...) They're okay, but nothing that would
make me race out for seconds.
Where I
found it: Mandoo Bar
Would I try again?
Both the Japchae and the Jjoll were terrific! Both in
taste, and (interestly enough) texture....
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Oyi Naeng-Guk
(Cold Cucumber Soup) - Korean
A cold, tangy cucumber soup (with the veggies cut up into nice, edible
slivers.) Extremely nice and tasty and popular during the summer
months...!
Would I try again?
Yes. Really tasty - this stuff hits the spot.
Where
I
found it: Woorijip
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Soondae - Korean
Blood pork sausage, mixed with sweet potato vermicelli. It's a
staple of Korean street food, and I really had no urge to try it.
Not that I was grossed out, but I thought it would be blah. Was I
wrong! Soondae is lightly spicy, and AMAZINGLY moist and soft and
tasty. You have to try this stuff - it melts in your mouth.
Wonderful texture. 3.5 stars!
Would I try again?
Yes! (Except that I try not to eat mammals much - it's a partial
vegetarian thing.) But if not for that, I'd eat this regularly!
Where I found it: Han Ah
Reum
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Soon Dubu -
Korean
Soft bean curd (ie: soft tofu), served either plain with soy sauce and
sesame seeds, or in hearty, spicy stews such as Soon Dubu Jigae (as shown in the
picture on the left.) In the case of Soon Dubu Jigae (which is
what I actually sampled), the stew is a flavorsome mixture of soon
dubu, clams, chili paste (gochujang), some veggies and (sometimes) an
egg cooked atop. Nice. And it comes bubbling, so be careful when it
first arrives!
Would I try again?
Yes - every once in a while. Can't wait to try it plain, though.
Where I
found it: Do Sirak, but I hear
from good authority that it's especially
good at Natural
Tofu (although I've yet to go!)
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Tteokbokki
- Korean
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!! The goldmine of Korean food! Tteokbokki
is fat rice cylinders/noodles (about an index finger thick), stir fried
in a wonderful spicy, sharp sauce. It's a major street food in
Korea, and is often stirfried with veggies, squid, etc. I LOVE
this stuff! So yummy, chewy and satifying! Best Korean dish
I've had yet! Four stars.
Would I try again?
Yes!
Where I
found it: Han Ah
Reum
For more information: Read
about this, and other Korean street foods at the terrific site, VisitSeoul.net.
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Yakiimo (Sweet
Potato) - Korean
Baked sweet potatos, with syrup, peanut butter or other dressings on
top. The version I had was chopped up - stale, and chewy, and
barely a hint of sweetness to the syrup. Needless to say, I was
unimpressed. But I imagine that other places, and other
permutations might be way better to my liking, so the verdict is still
somewhat out.
Cute picture, huh?
Would I try again?
No, although if an more appetizing version were offered, I'd give it
another try.
Where
I
found it: Woorijip |
