BigTime Bites - Bigtime Bites

한정식 (Hanjeongsik)

Rotation RT

Starter ST

All-Star AS

Franchise FR

HOF HOF

rating

starter

산들해 반포점 (Sandulhae Banpojeom)

where

Seoul, South Korea

cuisine

Korean

I want to write my own report on this dish

scouting report shemomedjamo

08/14/17 서울 에서 인사 올립니다! I always end up at this place on my first day in Seoul because it's right beneath the JW Marriott and there's nothing better than unpacking, taking a walk, and starting my Korean food marathon off properly. 한정식 is a full traditional Korean dining setting: a stone rice bowl and a myriad of side dishes (반찬 or banchan). The number of sides can vary, but in this case there were 23, some of which are pictured above. I know that some of the dishes may seem intimidating but there are options available to all levels of culinary adventurousness from spinach and pork tenderloin all the way to lotus root and kimchi*. You can always ask for more of a certain 반찬 if you finish it. I would recommend just trying a bit of everything. Tip: Do not eat your rice from your stone bowl. You will be given a standard dish and kettle of boiling water with it. The proper way is to scoop most of the rice out of the stone bowl, but leave some in the stone, pour water in, and put the top back on it. Towards the 3/4 mark of your meal, take the top off, and you should have a rice porridge that serves as a palate cleanser of sorts. This type of cuisine is what I'd like to call upscale home cooking. I've brought several non-Korean friends here and they've described the vibe of the restaurant to be "somehow simultaneously professional and familial". Much of Korean food is so heavily dependent on the freshness and quality of the ingredients, which is why it is close to impossible to find this quality of Korean food anywhere other than in Korea. This place is a great way to kick off your Korean cuisine experience. *A little rant on 김치(kimchi). It is the cornerstone of Korean food and can be found in almost every Korean household. It is napa cabbage that is seasoned and allowed to ferment. Traditionally it is placed in jars that are buried underground to give it the proper environment and adequate time to age. I just wanted to speak a little to how more and more restaurants are trying to add a "fusion" aspect to some of their dishes and kimchi seems to be a popular vehicle. I've seen its uses range from a burger topping to a random garnish. No offense to any chefs who try it, but frequently, real kimchi isn't being used. Some seem to have the idea that you can kind of pickle something and throw chili powder on it and voila, you have kimchi. This is just wrong. So if you've ever had one of those dishes and said "ew, I don't like kimchi", trust me, the real stuff is different and it's delicious.

price

open

breakfast

lunch

dinner