Panchan - Korean BBQ

We're looking for a place that has a large selection of panchan. We're used to San Soo Gap San's variety of panchan. Yesterday we went to Woo Chon and were disappointed. Is there another place that offers a large selection of panchan and what are their prices for kalbi/bbq order? We're probably going to visit more Korean BBQ places every other weekend and in the search for the one that's worth returning.

Thanks

My favorite, mentioned often on this board, is Kang Nam. Follow the link for discussion, including a panchan photo. Their prices vary depending on what you order, but I believe it's all in the $14-$16 range. I'd call for exact prices if it's a big concern.

Best,
Michael

brunswickrules wrote:We're used to San Soo Gap San's variety of panchan. Yesterday we went to Woo Chon and were disappointed.

can you expound?

woo chon:


i think that's about a dozen platters. IIRC, SSGS has a BIT more, but not significantly more... for pure panchan bliss, i don't think the now defunct F.D.L.T. can be beat...

i was at New Seoul - touted by a gent as "best in the burbs"? - in Des Plaines last week and the number/quality didn't rival SSGS nor woo chon...

TonyC wrote:woo chon:
i think that's about a dozen platters. IIRC, SSGS has a BIT more, but not significantly more...

We got a lot more on our last visit to San Soo Gab San -- they're not all in the photo below. And there were only two of us eating.



San Soo Gab San Korean Restaurant
773/334-1589
5247 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625

LAZ wrote:

TonyC wrote:woo chon:
i think that's about a dozen platters. IIRC, SSGS has a BIT more, but not significantly more...

We got a lot more on our last visit to San Soo Gab San -- they're not all in the photo below. And there were only two of us eating.



San Soo Gab San Korean Restaurant
773/334-1589
5247 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625

Goodnight - how many entrees, or orders of meat did you two diners order to get so much pan-chan?

Panchan at SSGS is standard with any orders of BBQ (minimum of 2), so no need to worry about what to order to in order to get the large number of Panchan.

I counted the # of Panchans a few of times I've been there before (when I was still a SSGS/Chicago newbie), they ranged anywhere to 22 to 28.

In my experience, regardless of which restaurant you are in, if you like a lot of Panchan and tell your server that you want more or ask if they have a greater variety and tell them that you would like to have something that they have not brought to your table, they will gladly bring you whatever they have or more of what they have already given you. Others may have different experiences in Chicago Korean Resaurants, but I have been to a quite a few and always found this to be the case.

if you go w/ san soo gab san as the golden standard of panchan quantity, you will be disappointed pretty much everywhere you go in the city. nothing i've seen tops SSGS in number.

however, if you look at the quality of the panchan... boiled broccoli, bland bok choy? c'mon, it's just wrong to even count them 2...

AFAIK, Koreans don't clean up the panchan like I do... nor do they funnel their restaurant choices thru the panchan criteria like this thread is doing. Someone will correct me if i'm wrong of course.