One of my favourite things about having Korean food for lunch or dinner is the little spread of side dishes (banchan) that arrives before you have even properly started your meal.
I have eaten them many times at different Korean restaurants, happily picking from one little bowl to another, without really paying attention to what they really are.
But now, looking at this photo of banchan I had at the Korean Recipe restaurant at Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort, I realise something quite interesting.
Banchan (Korean Side Dishes)
I know which ones I like. I just don't always know what they are. So I decided to finally identify what was on this particular table.
1. Spicy sliced potatoes
The orange-red slices are potatoes, seasoned or pickled with chilli. Slightly spicy, slightly tangy and very easy to keep digging in.
2. Mashed potato salad
The pale yellow side dish beside it is mashed potato salad. It's buttery and creamy, making it a nice break from the stronger flavours around it.
3. Braised black beans
Those glossy black beans at the top are sweet-savoury and slightly chewy. It's one of those side dishes that looks basic but has a surprisingly strong flavour. This is probably my favourite of the lot!
4. Spicy cucumber
The cucumber chunk in red sauce is crunchy, refreshing and lightly spicy. This dish is probably one of the easiest banchan to recognise.
5. Rolled egg
The little rectangular piece in the middle is a rolled omelette. This dish is most likely one of the most common side dishes.
6. Pickled white radish
The pale pieces on the left are pickled radish. Crisp, slightly sweet and acidic, and very useful for cutting through richer food, especially if you're having grilled pork belly.
7. Stir-fried anchovies with peanuts
The little anchovies and peanuts on the right are crunchy, savoury and slightly sweet. This is the kind of side dish where you either take one bite or somehow finish half the bowl without noticing.
8. Pickled pink cabbage
The bright pink dish is a vinegar-based pickled cabbage. It's tart, crunchy and looks very pretty on the table.
9. Kimchi
And of course, kimchi! Fermented cabbage, chilli, sourness, spice and probably the one banchan almost everyone recognises.
Bibimbap
Oh yeah, the bigger bowl at the bottom of the photo is not a banchan hahaha. It's a bowl of bibimbap. I love the assortment of vegetables, colours and textures, especially when everything gets mixed together with the rice, egg and sauce into one gloriously messy bowl.
Life is Like Banchan
Anyway, back to banchan. What I like about banchan is that none of these dishes needs to be the star.
They don't outshine one another. Each has its own taste profile, its own role, and together they make the meal feel complete.
Life works a little like that too. Not everything needs to be the biggest, loudest, or most important thing on the table. Some things simply add contrast, balance or comfort.
Life is not about having one thing that defines everything. Sometimes, it's the combination of many small, different things that makes the whole experience richer.
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