If you are new to Korean food, you may never have experienced traditional banchan. To whet your appetite, New Shilawon Korean Restaurant in Honolulu, HI, is happy to shed light on the popular banchan you may encounter in their restaurant. 

To start, banchan means “side dishes.” You will have the opportunity to experience many of these tasty samplings before your main entrée arrives. In a typical Korean restaurant, a variety of banchan is placed in the middle of the table and meant to be shared. You’ll receive your own bowl of rice and another bowl of soup to enjoy along with your side dishes. Banchan is usually complimentary, and you can enjoy as much of it as you like throughout the meal.

What’s more, there are hundreds of varieties of this traditional Korean dish:

• Kimchi: A popular banchan dish which features pickled vegetables with garlic, ginger, and red pepper.
• Sukjunamul: A salad comprised of bean sprouts, cucumber, bean sprouts, and garlic, sautéed with sesame oil.
• Yeongeun Jorim: This is a sweet and salty dish featuring the lotus root. This dish is sometimes referred to as candied lotus root.
• Japchae: Stir-fried glass noodles made from sweet potatoes are the star of this dish. Usually mixed with meat and vegetables, it can be eaten hot or cold.
• Khadugi: A specific variety of Kimchi prepared with fermented radishes, Khadugi is also flavored with garlic, ginger, and red pepper.

If you are looking to experience authentic Korean food, New Shilawon Korean Restaurant has a variety of dishes to suit any taste. They are a family-owned business that takes pride in delivering the finest flavors with freshly prepared ingredients. They also offer an all-you-can-eat buffet, so you can sample as many of their famous treats as you desire. If you don’t have time to dine in, they’ll make your meal to-go with their speedy takeout menu. To experience the finest Korean food in Honolulu, call (808) 944-8700, or make a reservation on their website. For more fun facts, like the restaurant on Facebook.