Set Menu Filled with the Charm of Steamed Rice, The Essence of Korean Flavors : VISITKOREA

Set Menu Filled with the Charm of Steamed Rice,
The Essence of Korean Flavors

Home-style Dining Favorites among Koreans

Baekban, literally translates to “white rice,” refers to a style of set menus in restaurants featuring steamed rice, soup, and several side dishes. This combination of steamed rice, soup, and side dishes forms the backbone of the Korean meal traditions, making the “Set Menu (Baekban)” a familiar and routine dining choice for Koreans. These set menus take on different names according to the main dishes they accompany. For instance, a Pork Bulgogi Set Menu features Pork Bulgogi, while a Grilled Fish Set Menu comes with Grilled Fish. Here are some of the Set Menu, a dish that captures the essence of Korean cuisine and is perhaps the most quintessential representation of a Korean meal.

A Filling Meal for the People
Pork Bulgogi Set Menu

A Table Laid Out with Pork Bulgogi Set Menu

Perfectly Grilled Pork Bulgogi

Photo of eating lettuce and pork bulgogi together

Enhancing Taste by Wrapping Pork Bulgogi in Lettuce

Photo of eating rice and pork bulgogi together

Pork Bulgogi atop Steamed Rice

Dwaejibulgogi, as known as “Dwaejibulbaek,” refers to the Pork Bulgogi Set Menu, which includes steamed rice and side dishes served with Pork Bulgogi as the main dish. Unlike traditional Bulgogi that uses beef, Pork Bulgogi is made with pork forelegs or hind legs. Being more affordable than beef, Pork Bulgogi naturally became a staple among the people. Pork Bulgogi Set Menu in particular is associated with “Gisa Sikdang” in Korean, or “driver’s restaurants” - restaurants catering to public transportation drivers, serving hearty portions quickly at affordable prices. This tradition originated in Seongbuk-dong area of Seoul, where restaurants began offering charcoal-grilled Pork Bulgogi as a filling meal that comes together quickly for drivers who don’t really have the time for a sit-down grilling experience. Thinly sliced pork marinated in a soy sauce blend with onions and garlic, and grilled to perfection over a briquette fire, offers a wonderful combination of the smoky flavor and chewy texture. Placing a slice of Pork Bulgogi on a spoonful of Steamed Rice or by wrapping it in lettuce with perilla leaves, Mixed Paste, garlic, and other ingredients, creates a wrap that is both rich and tender in flavor.

Ssangdari’s Doeji Bulbaek Main Branch
4 Seongbuk-ro 23-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
+82-2-743-0325
09:00-21:00 / Closed Mondays
Pork Bulgogi Set Menu KRW 11,000
Pork Bulgogi Set Menu (Large) KRW 16,000
Pork Bulgogi and Bibimbap KRW 11,000

Anmaeul Dwaejibulbaek
1001 Geumgang-ro, Jinjeop-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-571-7235
09:00-21:00 / Last order at 20:20 / Closed Sundays
Pork Bulgogi Set Menu KRW 10,000 / Steamed Rice KRW 1,000

Ohyeon Bulbaek Jeju Dongmun Market Main Branch
1F, 58-2 Seongji-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Island
+82-64-724-2861
10:00-21:00 / Last Order at 20:30 / Closed Saturdays
Pork Bulgogi Set Menu (Minimum order for 2 servings or more) KRW 14,000
Swordtip Squid and Pork Bulgogi Set Menu (1 Serving) KRW 17,000
Spicy Octopus and Pork Bulgogi Set Menu (1 Serving) KRW 16,000

Get Your Favorite Grilled Fish
Grilled Fish Set Menu

A Table Laid Out with Grilled Fish Set Menu

Perfectly Grilled Fish over Briquette Fire

Elevating Flavor with Soy Sauce on Juicy Fish

Photo of rice and grilled fish eatting together

A Spoonful of Steamed Rice with Grilled Fish

Grilled Cutlassfish Cooking over Briquette Fire

Golden Brown, Perfectly Cooked Grilled Cutlassfish until Crispy

Grilled Fish Set Menu is a meal that features a main dish of Grilled Fish accompanied by several side dishes. The selection of fish ranges from mackerel, cutlassfish, and spotted mackerel, to yellow croaker, saury, and greenling fish. Diners can select their preferred fish at restaurants, which is then expertly grilled and served alongside side dishes like Salad and Kimchi. In Korean-style grilling, the fish is typically cooked whole, with only the intestines and head removed. This method might seem unusual to those accustomed to eating fish filleted and deboned, grilled in a style akin to steaks. However, the flavor that emerge from grilling the fish over briquette fire, beats the unusual appearance and the effort required to debone it using chopsticks. Grilled Fish is often simply seasoned with salt or grilled with a sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and ground pepper. White fish, such as sea bream, croaker, codfish, and grey mullet, are sometimes grilled with a sauce made out of Red Chili Paste. The rich flavor of the perfectly grilled fish can be further enjoyed when dipped in a soy sauce mixed with Wasabi. Due to grilling the fish over charcoal or briquettes fire, the Grilled Fish Set Menu significantly diminishes any fishy odor, making it an ideal introduction for foreigners exploring Korean fish dishes for the first time.

Jeonjujip
5 Jong-ro 40ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2267-6897
06:00-20:30 / Last order at 20:00 / Closed Sunday
Grilled Spotted Mackerel Set Menu KRW 12,000
Grilled Mackerel Set Menu KRW 10,000
Grilled Cutlassfish Set Menu KRW 13,000

Obok Sikdang
6 Jagalchi-ro 23beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan
+82-51-247-5736
03:00-21:00 / Last order at 20:30 / Closed on the fourth Sunday of the month
Grilled Mackerel Set Menu KRW 6,000
Grilled Cutlassfish Set Menu KRW 8,000
Bibimbap KRW 6,000

Eorak
1F, 49 Pyeonghwa-ro 861beon-gil, Jeongok-eup, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do
+82-507-1311-2109
11:00-21:00 / Last order at 19:50 / Open all year round
Grilled Aged Dried Yellow Croaker Set Menu KRW 17,000
Grilled Dark-banded Rockfish Set Menu KRW 13,000
Grilled Mackerel Set Menu KRW 13,000

Freshly Cooked Steamed Rice and Side Dishes
Steamed Rice Set Menu

An Appetizing Spread of Steamed Rice Set Menu

Photo of eat little by little stone pot rice to a bow

Creating Scorched Rice Soup by Adding Water to a Hot Stone Pot after Serving Rice

Photo of Japchae being lifted with chopsticks

Japchae Served as Basic Side Dish

Photo of a Green Onion Pancake being lifted with chopsticks

Beautifully Presented Chive Pancake and Potato Pancake in a Basket

Photo of eating rice and perilla leaves together

The Flavor of Freshly Cooked Steamed Rice with Perilla Leaf Kimchi

Steamed Rice Set Menu features freshly-made steamed rice paired with a variety of side dishes. This rice, made from newly harvested rice, is cooked to perfection and accompanied by side dishes including Seasonal Vegetables, Salad, Soybean Paste Jjigae, Grilled Fish, Spicy Stir-fried Pork, Japchae, Pancakes, and more. Each dish, without a defined main dish, enjoys consistent popularity on Korean dining tables, complementing the Steamed Rice exceptionally well. The popularity of the Steamed Rice Set Meal, which closely resembles a typical Korean home-cooked meal, stems from the fact that in Korean cuisine, Steamed Rice is as important as the side dishes. The significance of Steamed Rice in the Korean psyche is evident in proverbs like “a good steamed rice is even better than herbal medicine” and in the concept of “bapsim,” a strength that Koreans are believed to gain from consuming rice. Freshly-made Steamed Rice appears shiny and emits a rich scent. Many restaurants serving Steamed Rice Set Menu serve Pot Rice instead of a bowl of Steamed Rice, as it better captures the true essence of well-prepared rice by showcasing its steaminess. To enjoy it, first scoop out the Steamed Rice from the pot to a separate bowl, then pour water into the pot and close the lid. While enjoying the Steamed Rice and side dishes, the trapped steam transforms the remaining rice in the pot into Scorched Rice Soup, warming the stomach and complementing the meal with its soft grains and flavorful broth.

Gomijung
28 Yeonhui-ro 26-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
+82-507-1384-0297
11:30-20:40 / Break time 15:20-17:20 /
Last order at 14:45 (Lunch), 19:45 (Dinner) / Closed Mondays
Steamed Icheon Rice Set Menu KRW 17,000
Bracken and Beef Bulgogi Set Menu KRW 20,000
Soy Sauce Marinated Crab Set Menu KRW 37,000

Icheon Ssalbapjip
2-23 Deokpyeong-ro 882beon-gil, Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-633-9358
11:00-21:00 / Break time 15:40-17:00 /
Last order at 19:30 / Closed Thursdays
Steamed Icheon Rice Set Menu KRW 18,000
Beopseongpo Barley-aged Dried Yellow Croaker Set Menu KRW 32,000
Soy Sauce Marinated Female Blue Crab Set Menu KRW 35,000

Mudeung Boribap Jeongsik
177 Yangji-ro, Onam-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-507-1413-5159
11:00-20:00 / Closed Mondays
Steamed Barley Rice Set Menu KRW 12,000
Steamed Rice Set Menu KRW 12,000
Kimchi Cabbage Wraps with Pork (Small) KRW 10,000

* The column was written in December 2023, hence some of the details may have changed. Please check with the restaurants before visiting.

More info