Review: Banchan brings the Seoul of Korean barbecue to the heart of Karachi

The first time I went to Banchan I was turned away because they didn’t have space. The entirely empty restaurant was entirely reserved, and they simply did not have space for a party of two. That settled it. I had to go again to find out what all the fuss was about. Two weeks later, I pulled up to the cosy restaurant located next to Karachi’s iconic Barbecue Tonight — this time with a reservation, of course.

The dimly-lit interior was bustling with people while waiters grilled meat atop hot grills. We were taken to our table for two and handed menus as soon as we sat down.

A tray of side dishes — or banchan, in Korean — was set on our table right after we placed our order. It’s customary in South Korea, as the restaurant boasts, that various complimentary banchan be served to the diner. The banchan included the famed Korean kimchi, as well as what appeared to be onion kimchi, cabbage seasoned with garlic, musaengchae or spicy radish salad, sukju namul or seasoned mung bean sprouts and a soy sauce-based dipping sauce.

The banchan were all delicious but it was the kimchi that stole the show for me. Perfectly seasoned and the vegetables still had a refreshing crunch to them, this was some of the best kimchi I have had in Karachi.

For our appetiser, we ordered the Korean fried chicken, which swiftly arrived piled on a metal plate, garnished with sesame seeds and julienned green onion. The sauce on the chicken was great — with a kick from gochujang and hints of sweetness mellowing out the spice. I really appreciated that the sauce actually used gochujang, especially as the Korean fried chicken fad gains traction in Karachi and restaurants use any means to spice up their chicken, instead of actually using the authentic fermented chilli paste. While the flavour profile was delectable and the chicken was cooked well, the coating wasn’t the best. It felt tough and we endured a bit of a jaw workout trying to munch our way through the shell-like crunch. A lighter, crispier batter would’ve been much better.

The second dish that graced our table in a clay pot bowl was jjamppong. This steaming hot, almost sizzling spicy noodle seafood soup was what I was most excited for and it certainly did not disappoint. Our waiter doled out the soup and noodles into individual bowls and topped it off with some shrimp and octopus. With its intense seafood aroma and taste, jjamppong is definitely only for seafood lovers. The umami was offset with a spicy kick, which, in my opinion, should have been more intense. This seemed like the perfect dish to enjoy on a cold winter day. Alas, we were in the midst of a Karachi heatwave but continued to sweat our way through the soup. The best part of the soup was the noodles — perfectly cooked, thick and chewy, these noodles were leagues ahead of the instant stuff restaurants often serve to save a buck.

Soon after, the grill built into the middle of the table was temporarily removed and a bed of hot coals was placed under it. It was time for the Korean barbecue. We ordered Angus galbi (beef short ribs) and beef bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated meat). Our waiter kickstarted the exhaust that hovered above our table — each table had massive copper-coloured top vents that suctioned out the smoke from the barbecue — and placed the galbi on the grill first.

I was not prepared for how devastatingly delicious these short ribs were. The meat, marbled with fat, was grilled to tender perfection within a few minutes and it was simply divine. The marinade turned slightly sticky as it was cooked and glazed the beef with notes of sweet and spicy. We ate it with plain steamed rice and kimchi, and boy oh boy was it a yummy combination. The only problem was the quantity — because Angus is imported, the serving consisted of four small pieces of meat and cost us a whopping Rs3,200 without tax.

Next up was the beef bulgogi, which also took me by surprise. One bite and I knew this was the star of the show. If you decide to go to Banchan, this is the one dish you simply MUST order. The thin strips of beef were marinated in a slightly sweet soy sauce, and cooked in under a minute. Paired with the rice and kimchi, this was the perfect bite. The vibe of our final dish was very comforting and homey, I wanted to sit in my bed with a massive bowl of bulgogi, rice and kimchi and eat it while watching my favourite Korean drama. If I return to Banchan, it will undoubtedly be to eat more of their bulgogi.

The bulgogi made me want to try the bibimbap, a rice bowl with numerous accoutrements mashed up together, but my stomach could only hold so much food. By the end of the meal, my friend and I had to pause our eating endeavours because of how much we consumed.

All in all, it was a scrumptious time. However, the food, much like other Korean restaurants in Karachi, was rather expensive. Our total bill was Rs10,000, which included all this food and two sodas.

Banchan isn’t a restaurant I would visit regularly, simply because of how expensive it is. However, all fans of Korean food and those who want to experience this cuisine for the first time should definitely go to Banchan. It’s a great place to go to for special occasions and is a little fancy — even though the metal utensils and paper menus lend an air of casualness to the place — so be sure to put on a nice outfit.

The overall ambience of the restaurant was great, it was a small eaterie but didn’t feel too cramped and the top vents did a great job of keeping the place smoke-free. Much like other bougie restaurants, this one was also barely lit, so be prepared for your food pictures to turn out a little grainy like mine are.

I would give Banchan an 8/10, with points docked for the quantity of meat and how expensive it is.