18 Side Dishes With One Bowl of Rice — A Korean Feast

My Wife Works Hard — I Wanted to Shout Her a Proper Feed

My wife's been flat out lately, and I'd been wanting to take her somewhere decent for a proper meal. I stumbled across this barley rice joint on a YouTube Short — the video showed a table absolutely heaving with side dishes, and that was it, I was sold. She's not really into fancy restaurants or pricey dinners, so I kept putting it off, but this time I just went ahead and covered the whole bill myself. In April 2026, I took my wife — who's not from Korea — to 1972 Song Eunjeong Boribap, the original location in Jochiwon, Sejong City (a regional city about an hour and a half south of Seoul).

We rocked up in the evening and the building was way bigger than I expected. I'd pictured a little neighbourhood spot, but the place was properly sizeable — large barley rice photos on the outside walls and decent lighting gave it a surprisingly modern feel for what's essentially a traditional Korean grain-rice restaurant. That said, the car park is a bit tight for the size of the place, so if you turn up during the dinner rush, you might have to circle the block a few times.

Those Big Tables? There's a Reason for That

We headed inside and sat down at our table — and the thing was massive. It was a four-seater, but with just the two of us there was heaps of room to spare. I didn't understand why they needed tables this big until the food started arriving. There was a tablet for ordering on one side, plus sesame oil and perilla oil already set out and ready to go.

Tablet Ordering — Easy Enough, But No English Translation

You order from a tablet at your seat. Dead simple — just a few taps and you're done. The catch is that while there's technically an English option on the menu, the actual translations haven't been filled in. If you can't read Korean, you're going to struggle. So here's a translated menu to help you out.

Korean Barley Rice Set Meals — This Is What Comes With One Bowl of Rice

In Korea, sitting down for a meal isn't just about the rice. Around that single bowl, you get an entire spread — seasoned vegetables (namul), stews, grilled dishes, braised sides, pickles — all fanning out across the table. That's the essence of banchan culture, and it's the backbone of a proper Korean set meal. Barley rice, or boribap, is rice cooked with barley mixed through it. It's got a rougher, chewier texture compared to plain white rice — a bit of a pop when you bite down. Koreans have been eating it as a health food for donkey's years. At dedicated barley rice restaurants, the standard move is to pile namul on top of your rice and mix it all together, which is exactly why so many side dishes come out. I've been living in Korea and have reviewed a few budget set meals on my blog — the A$9–11 range — and this barley rice spread was like the full-blown upgrade of those everyday feeds.

We tapped our order in on the tablet and barely 30 seconds later the banchan rocked up. Two brass trays, absolutely packed, plonked down on the table all at once — my wife hadn't even put her phone down yet. The speed genuinely caught us off guard.

Once we unpacked the trays onto the table, it was chockers. That's why the tables are so big — now it made sense. My wife looked at the whole spread and went "Is all of this for us?" — absolutely chuffed. It was her first time seeing a Korean restaurant lay out banchan this extravagantly, and her eyes went wide.

Two Brass Trays — Banchan and Namul Served Separately

This tray was the banchan side — braised quail eggs in soy sauce, lotus root salad, spicy julienned radish, seasoned dried pollack, candied nuts, and macaroni salad, each in their own little brass dish. These were the salty-sweet starters designed to get your appetite going. Young radish kimchi was on this tray too.

The other tray was all namul — seasoned vegetables. Bean sprouts, bracken fern, dried eggplant, gondre (Korean thistle), zucchini, and oyster mushroom, all neatly arranged. These are the ones you pile onto your barley rice and mix through. Having the banchan and namul split across separate trays made it dead easy to get organised, and there was a nice bit of fun in choosing what to go for first.

The Standout Side Dishes, One by One

This place is known for its banchan game, and fair dinkum, the variety was impressive and each dish had proper flavour to it. I won't go through every single one or we'd be here all day, but here are the ones that really stood out.

Gosari namul (bracken fern). In Korea, dried bracken fern gets rehydrated and stir-fried with soy sauce seasoning — it's practically a non-negotiable at any barley rice joint. The first chew feels a bit tough, but after two or three more bites it softens right up, and that's when the salty, nutty flavour from the soy and sesame oil comes through. I liked it so much I went back to the self-serve bar for a second plate.

Dried eggplant namul. This isn't fresh eggplant — it's been dried, rehydrated, then stir-fried with seasoning. The texture is completely different from fresh: chewy, almost meaty, with soy sauce soaked deep into every fibre. Mix it through your rice and it absolutely holds its own.

Oyster mushroom stir-fry. Torn into thin strips and sautéed in sesame oil — not slimy at all, just pleasantly springy. The seasoning was light, which meant it balanced out the stronger flavours of the other banchan really well.

The Rest of the Namul in Brief

Siraegi namul (dried radish greens). Stir-fried stems with a strong earthy, grassy flavour and a good hit of sesame oil.

Taro stem. There are tiny air pockets inside the stems that give them an almost sponge-like softness — really unique texture. The seasoning seeps right into those little gaps, so every bite is moist and flavourful.

Bean sprout namul. Very lightly seasoned — not much chop on its own, but it really comes into its own once you mix it through the barley rice.

Stir-fried zucchini. Just barely cooked to keep the crunch, with no greasy residue. Clean and simple.

Gondre namul (Korean thistle), or possibly chwi namul. I wasn't 100% sure which one it was, but the gentle bitterness paired with perilla oil was an absolute winner with the barley rice.

Beyond the Namul — Other Banchan Worth Noting

Japchae. Sweet potato glass noodles stir-fried in soy sauce, tossed with vegetables and sprinkled with sesame seeds. My wife was obsessed with this one — she went back to the self-serve bar twice for more. The chewy, slightly sweet flavour had her completely hooked.

Candied nuts. Almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds simmered in rice syrup — a sweet, snacky little side dish. Pop one of these in your mouth between bites of namul and it completely changes the vibe.

Hobakjeon (zucchini fritter). Thin slices of zucchini dipped in egg batter and pan-fried — crispy on the outside, soft and moist inside.

Seasoned dried pollack. Dressed in a gochujang (red chilli paste) sauce that was sweet, salty, and moreish — I kept reaching for this one with my rice.

Macaroni salad. Might seem like an odd one tucked in among all the namul, but it actually works — it's a nice change of pace and a bit of fun. If you had kids with you, this'd be the first thing they'd go for.

Yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi). Young radish stalks pickled in chilli seasoning — it's got a refreshing, slightly watery quality to it, and when you mix it into the barley rice, the spicy kick really comes alive.

Braised quail eggs in soy sauce. Little bite-sized eggs simmered in soy — salty with a touch of sweetness. Surrounded by all that namul, having a hit of protein was a welcome change, and I kept going back for more.

Lotus root salad. Sliced lotus root dressed in a sesame sauce — the crunch plus the creamy dressing gives it a totally different feel to the namul. The little holes in each cross-section look pretty cool too.

Musaengchae (spicy julienned radish). Finely shredded radish tossed in chilli flake seasoning — crunchy, spicy, and refreshing all at once. It cleans your palate right up. Throw it into the barley rice mix and the whole bowl comes to life.

Overall, the banchan wasn't aggressively seasoned. Not too salty, not too bland — right in the sweet spot. Honestly, if you're after big, punchy flavours, the whole spread might come across as a bit mild. But from a health perspective, that's probably a good thing. Salty doesn't automatically mean tasty, does it?

The Mains Arrive — Barley Rice and Cheonggukjang Stew

We'd been grazing on the banchan for about 10 minutes when the mains finally turned up. Barley rice in a brass bowl, and right next to it, a stone pot of cheonggukjang bubbling away. Once these landed on the table, the spread finally felt complete. We'd ordered the cheonggukjang barley rice set — let me quickly explain what that actually is.

This is the cheonggukjang. When it's bubbling away in the stone pot, you get that fermented soybean smell wafting up — and personally, I'm a fan.

Inside the broth, you could see the soybean chunks breaking apart, along with pieces of tofu, zucchini, and chilli. This place's cheonggukjang was on the gentler side — not the kind that hits you like a wall. My wife drank the broth down to the last drop, and I ended up tipping more than half my rice straight into the stew.

The Self-Serve Bar — Refills Without the Awkwardness

This is the self-serve corner. If you run low on any of the banchan, you just grab a plate and help yourself — no need to flag down a staff member. No awkward "excuse me, could I get more?" — just up and at it. Heaps convenient.

Down the end of the self-serve bar, there was a big warmer full of japchae and a rice cooker. If you need more rice, this is where you get it — and I absolutely grabbed another bowl. Honestly though, the rice from the cooker was a bit stodgier than the freshly served stuff that came with the original order. Still fine to eat, but there was a noticeable difference. Also worth noting: there's a sign saying "A$3.30 environmental surcharge for food waste", so only take what you'll actually eat.

Add-On Grilled Mackerel — A$11 for a Whole Fish

The banchan alone was already plenty of food, but something felt like it was missing, so we added a grilled mackerel. Mackerel is a dead common fish in Korean home cooking, but getting one grilled whole like this is more of a restaurant thing. The skin was beautifully crisp and the flesh inside was moist and flaky — a gentle press with the chopsticks and it came right off the bone. No heavy salt, just the natural savoury richness of the mackerel shining through.

The Complete Spread — A$44 for Two

This is the finished table from our visit. Barley rice, cheonggukjang stew, grilled mackerel, a dozen-odd banchan, plus japchae and zucchini fritters. Compared to the budget A$9–11 set meals I've reviewed before on this blog, this was like looking at a different league of the same sport. Two serves of the cheonggukjang barley rice set at A$16 each, plus the mackerel at A$11, came to A$44 all up. Look, it's not exactly cheap. But when you see this spread laid out in front of you, it makes sense. The sheer number of banchan, unlimited self-serve refills, and a whole grilled fish on top — it was a cracking meal for the price.

Barley Rice Bibimbap — Here's How You Eat It

This is the barley rice up close. You can see the barley grains mixed in among the white rice — they're rougher and have a bit of pop when you chew. My wife said she found the slightly chewy, al dente texture unusual but really enjoyable. She normally prefers sticky rice, but reckoned this had its own charm. She kept saying the barley rice was genuinely delicious and that she'd never had anything quite like it.

You pile your namul, spicy radish, dried eggplant, and whatever else takes your fancy on top of the barley rice, add a dollop of gochujang and a good glug of sesame oil, then give it a proper mix. That's the classic way to eat it at a barley rice restaurant. You can eat the sides separately if you want, but once you mix them in, every spoonful delivers a different combination of textures — crunchy, chewy, spicy — all at once. Each bite tastes different from the last. The trick is to be generous with the perilla oil — it brings everything together with this gorgeous nutty richness and helps it all glide down.

A Bite of Mackerel, a Chopstick of Namul

I picked up a piece of the mackerel with my chopsticks. You can see the crispy, charred skin on one side and the moist, flaky flesh on the other. Alternate between a spoonful of the barley rice bibimbap and a bite of this fish, and the savoury umami from the mackerel oil layers beautifully behind the nuttiness of the namul. Absolutely fills your mouth.

When you lift the namul with chopsticks, you can see the perilla oil catching the light with a lovely sheen. The flavour is noticeably different eating it straight off the plate versus piled on top of the rice. My wife reckoned bracken fern and gondre were the best toppings; I was more into the spicy radish with the barley rice. That's the beauty of bibimbap though, isn't it — there's no wrong answer, just whatever your taste buds fancy.

Korean Barley Rice Set Meals — My Honest Take

A barley rice spread in Korea isn't just a meal — it's an event. Every single banchan has its own role, and depending on how you combine and mix them, the flavour changes every time. Eating this with my wife really drove home just how impressive Korea's table-setting culture looks from an outsider's perspective. You order one bowl of rice and suddenly there are a dozen-plus side dishes covering the table, you can go back for more whenever you want, and you mix it all together your own way to build your perfect bowl. My wife kept saying the barley rice was seriously tasty and the texture was unlike anything she'd had before — and it's fair to say this style of eating is pretty hard to find outside Korea.

At roughly A$22 per person, it's not what you'd call a bargain. But for what you get, the value stacks up. If I had to nitpick: anyone chasing bold, punchy flavours might find the overall seasoning a touch mild; the car park is a bit undersized for a restaurant this big; and the self-serve rice isn't quite as good as the freshly served stuff. Still, if you want to shout someone who works hard a proper, generous Korean meal, this one was absolutely worth every cent.