These are small plates, usually of fermented vegetables, that pair with your main course. Banchan are given to you at every restaurant in South Korea, for free, even the restaurants that don't serve Korean-style cuisine. The most well-known banchan is kimchi, or fermented cabbage.
Like many dishes at Korean restaurants, most of the cooking is done at your table. In the middle of our round table is a hole for a yeontan, or coal heating brick. These yeontan are a very traditional way to cook, and they used to be the only source of heat in most people's homes. On top of the yeontan goes a grill. Our server brought over the huge plate of clams and scallops, and we cooked them two or three at a time.
Each one only needs to be cooked for a minute or two. You can, of course, eat the clam or scallop by itself or with a little butter. But, as with many foods, Korean people like to make more interesting bites. Here, you can be very creative! You can take a spoonful of rice, place the clam meat on top with your chopsticks, and then add a piece of garlic, onion or even kimchi on top. You can also wrap the ingredients in lettuce or roasted seaweed. There are also sauces on the table like soy sauce, wasabi and ssamjang, or bean paste. With all of these different combinations, every bite can taste different. This is one of the most fun things about Korean food!
