Korean banchan (반찬) are the small shared plates that arrive with a meal: kimchi, seasoned vegetables, pickles, maybe a little fish. They are not appetizers you “finish so the real food can start.” They sit there and get refilled. The rice and the main dish are the center; 반찬 is the chorus.
At BBQ and home-style restaurants, asking 반찬 더 주세요 is normal. At tiny cafés it may not apply. Read the room.
How to eat them
- A little with rice, not a solo 반찬 feast before anyone else starts.
- Use the serving spoon if there is one.
- Kimchi can be strong. You are allowed to take a tiny bit.
- Do not stack six 반찬 on your rice like a burger. It will collapse, morally and physically.
Useful words
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 반찬 | banchan | side dishes |
| 김치 | gimchi | kimchi |
| 더 주세요 | deo juseyo | More, please |
Easy mistakes visitors make
These are the mix-ups English-speaking visitors hit first. Fix the habit, not just the souvenir list.
Watch-out
❌ I’ll eat all the 반찬 because they look like starters I paid for by the piece.
✅ They are part of the table. Refill instead of panic-eating.
The kitchen planned for sharing, not for a solo raid.
Watch-out
❌ I’ll ask a café for 반찬 더 주세요 with my slice of cake.
✅ Wrong genre.
Banchan lives at meal restaurants.
Five-minute Korea check
- Say 반찬 더 주세요.
- Name three 반찬 you already like.
- Watch how locals take one piece at a time.
Starter lines / tasks for today:
- 반찬 더 주세요.
- 김치 덜 맵게요.
Key takeaways
- Search topic: Korean banchan
- 반찬 is shared and refillable at the right restaurants.
- Kimchi is one plate among several.
- Serving utensils if provided.
Homework
- Next Korean meal, count how many 반찬 arrive. That number is the culture.
Korean banchan: quick answers
Is 반찬 free?
Included with the meal at many Korean restaurants. Fancy places may price some extras. The everyday style is included.
I cannot eat spicy kimchi.
Take the mild plates. Ask 덜 매운 김치 있어요?
Takeout 반찬?
Some shops sell tubs. That is grocery 반찬, a whole second hobby.
Keep going
- Korean BBQ Etiquette: Grill, Banchan, and Who Flips the Meat
- Korean Street Food Guide: Pojangmacha, Markets, and What to Try First
- Korean Birthday Soup: Why Miyeokguk Shows Up in the Morning
More Korea explainers live in News & Issues. Want phrases you can say out loud? Open Practice or Learn.