When you go to a restaurant in most parts of the world, you generally expect one or two side dishes to be served with your entree. But in Korea, you might be pleasantly surprised that with every meal, at least three or four side dishes, called “banchan,” are provided. Some traditional restaurants even provide as many as 12 different banchan, along with the main dish! What might shock you even more is that most banchan dishes can be replenished for free. When visiting a Korean restaurant, don't worry if the waiter brings over some small dishes first. It's only the beginning!

By Min Byoung-chul

Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a multicultural educator and for his practical English teaching. -- Ed.