Banchan: Why Korean Meals Come With So Many Side Dishes

Several small dishes of vegetables and kimchi arranged on a table

You sit down at a Korean restaurant, order one dish, and within two minutes the table is covered in small plates you did not ask for. Six of them. Sometimes twelve. Nobody explains what they are. These are banchan, and the first thing worth knowing is that they are free, refillable, and not a starter … Read more