Korean Banchan With the Assorted Sashimi Course, What Comes With Modeum-hoe

Order an assorted sashimi platter (modeum-hoe) at a Korean seafood restaurant and small plates start appearing before the fish itself arrives. These are banchan, the accompaniments that come with the sashimi course. Depending on the restaurant, expect anywhere from five to eight small plates. They are not garnish. They are not a separate appetizer order. They are part of the course, designed to be eaten alongside the sashimi throughout the entire sitting. One important thing to understand: the spread pictured here is what accompanies the assorted sashimi course, not what arrives with every single-dish order. The concept has no real Western equivalent. It is closer to the bread basket in spirit, but far more varied and clearly built around the fish. Side dishes rotate daily with the freshest seasonal ingredients.

The banchan that lands with a sashimi course tends to skew toward ocean flavors and palate cleansers. Kimchi is universal, fermented napa cabbage with chili, garlic, and fish sauce. Pickled radish (danmuji or kkakdugi) provides a crunchy, tangy contrast to rich fish. Seasoned seaweed (miyeok or gim) adds a light, salty element. Steamed egg custard (gyeranjjim) appears at many places as a mild, fluffy counterpoint to spicy dishes. Raw garlic and green chili peppers sit on a small plate for wrapping with sashimi. Perilla leaves and lettuce are standard wrapping greens. Some restaurants add dried fish side dishes, seasoned bean sprouts, or japchae (glass noodles). The variety depends on the day, the season, and the kitchen's mood.

Banchan is not random. Each side dish exists to complement specific parts of the course, even if no one at the table explains the logic. Sashimi pairs with raw garlic, green chili, and perilla leaf, wrap a slice of fish with a garlic clove and a leaf for the classic combination. Grilled fish goes with pickled radish and kimchi, the acidity cuts through the oil. Spicy stew calls for steamed egg and plain white radish, mild flavors to cool your mouth between spoonfuls. Rice-based dishes like bibimbap or hoe-deopbap work with any banchan, but seasoned bean sprouts and spinach add the most texture contrast. The general rule: spicy main, mild banchan. Rich main, acidic banchan. Simple main, bold banchan.

At this Jagalchi Coastal Road restaurant, ordering the assorted sashimi platter brings a spread of five to eight accompaniments to the table, depending on the day. Kimchi and pickled radish are constants. Beyond those two anchors, the lineup rotates: seasoned spinach one day, stir-fried anchovies the next, marinated perilla leaves the day after. Side dishes rotate daily with the freshest seasonal ingredients, a Jagalchi ajumae with over a decade of experience selects what goes on each plate based on the morning market run. Wrapping greens (lettuce and perilla leaves) arrive with the platter as well, and steamed egg custard appears on most course tables. The philosophy is straightforward: the accompaniments should complement the fish, not compete with it. Heavy, overpowering side dishes are avoided in favor of clean, bright flavors that keep the palate ready for the next bite of sashimi.

Three common missteps. First: eating all the banchan before the sashimi arrives. The spread is designed to be eaten throughout the course, not consumed as a starter. Second: assuming the same spread arrives with any single dish on the menu. The full lineup pictured here belongs to the assorted sashimi course, so if you came for that experience, order the platter. Third: ignoring the wrapping greens. Those lettuce and perilla leaves are not decoration. They exist specifically to wrap fish, garlic, and ssamjang (dipping paste) into a single bite. A fourth, less common mistake: taking photos of each individual plate and delaying the meal by ten minutes while everything sits. The table is meant to be eaten fresh. Photograph quickly or after.