Korean table setting and banchan

Banchan are the small side dishes served alongside rice in a Korean meal. They include kimchi, seasoned vegetables called namul, braised dishes, stir-fries and salted seafood. In restaurants they arrive in little plates with your main order, and people eat them a bite at a time between spoonfuls of rice and soup.

Basic banchan usually come included with your meal at no extra charge, and refills are typically free too. Some restaurants, however, charge for certain side dishes or limit refills, and some have a self-service banchan station. Check the menu or any signs on the wall if you are unsure.

Yes, refills of the basic side dishes are usually welcome. Ask the staff politely or, if there is a self-service corner, help yourself. Take only what you will finish, since leaving piles of food is considered wasteful. Pricier items such as meat or seafood sides may not be refilled for free.

A standard Korean meal is built around rice, a soup or stew, and several side dishes. Traditionally the rice bowl sits on the left, the soup on the right, and the spoon and chopsticks to the right of the soup. Kimchi appears at almost every meal, while the number of other sides varies.

Cheop counts the side dishes in a traditional Korean table setting, excluding staples such as rice, soup, kimchi and sauces. A 3-cheop, 5-cheop or 7-cheop meal simply has more dishes as the number rises, and royal meals are traditionally described as 12-cheop. You may still see these terms on set-menu restaurants today.

Namul is a family of side dishes made from vegetables or wild greens that are blanched or stir-fried, then seasoned with soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and garlic. Spinach, soybean sprouts and fern brake are common examples, and most are mild rather than spicy. Vegetarians often enjoy them, but ask, since some recipes use fish sauce or anchovy stock.

Yes, side dishes are usually placed in the middle of the table and shared. Many people pick them up directly with their own chopsticks, though more restaurants now offer personal plates or serving tongs for hygiene. Whatever the setup, avoid digging through a dish to pick out the best pieces.

No, banchan change with the restaurant, region, season and main dish. A barbecue place may bring lettuce wraps and pickles, while a soup restaurant often serves cubed radish kimchi. The Jeolla region in the southwest is widely known for generous spreads with many side dishes.

Jangajji are Korean pickles made by soaking vegetables in soy sauce, soybean paste, chili paste or vinegar. Radish, cucumber, garlic, perilla leaves and onion are typical choices. Their salty and tangy flavor cuts through rich meat dishes, and they were traditionally made to preserve vegetables for long periods.

Jeotgal is salted and fermented seafood such as tiny shrimp, pollock roe, squid or clams. It is intensely salty, so people eat just a little on top of rice, and it is also a common seasoning in kimchi. If you have a shellfish or fish allergy, remember that kimchi and other sides may contain it.

Home meals usually have fewer banchan than restaurants, often kimchi plus a few other dishes. Many households cook side dishes in batches, keep them in the fridge and serve them over several days, and some buy them from neighborhood side dish shops. It varies a lot by family size and lifestyle.

A banchan shop sells ready-made side dishes such as kimchi, namul, braised and stir-fried dishes, packed in containers or sold by weight. You will find them in local markets, apartment shopping strips and supermarket food sections. They are handy if you are staying somewhere with a kitchen and want a simple Korean meal.

Traditional Korean etiquette is to leave the rice and soup bowls on the table and eat from them with a spoon, rather than lifting them. Drinking directly from the bowl is also avoided at formal meals. In casual restaurants nobody is likely to make a fuss, but keeping bowls down is the polite default.

Jorim dishes are ingredients simmered down in a soy-based sauce until sweet and savory. Common ones include soy-braised beef, potatoes, lotus root and tofu. Most are not spicy, which makes them a good choice for children and for anyone who struggles with chili heat.

Many banchan are vegetable-based, but stir-fried anchovies, fish cake and soy-braised beef are also very common. Even dishes that look like plain vegetables may be seasoned with anchovy stock, fermented seafood or meat broth. If you avoid animal products, ask the restaurant directly about ingredients.

Leaving a little is not a serious breach of manners, but taking large amounts and wasting them can look careless. At self-service stations take small portions, and ask for refills only after finishing what you have. Some restaurants post signs asking customers to help reduce food waste.

Yes, rolled omelet (gyeranmari) and fluffy steamed egg (gyeranjjim) are popular side dishes for all ages. Some restaurants include them in the free spread, while at barbecue restaurants they are often a separate item you order. Both are mild, so they make a nice break between spicy dishes.

Korean cuisine is built around rice accompanied by a variety of side dishes, which balances flavors and nutrition across the meal. Serving a generous spread is also a way restaurants show hospitality to guests. You are not expected to finish everything, so just sample what you like.

There is no fixed order. Eat your rice and soup as the base and alternate with small bites of whichever side dishes you like. At more formal meals, especially with older people, it is polite to wait until the eldest person picks up their spoon before you begin.

Yes. Mul-kimchi, or water kimchi, is a mild kimchi served in plenty of cool brine that you eat with a spoon. Dongchimi and nabak-kimchi are well-known types. It refreshes the palate between spicy or oily dishes, and dongchimi broth is sometimes used in cold noodle soup.