May I offer an alternative opinion? I always felt bad (there’s a specific term in Korean that is untranslate-able but “bad” is the closest I can come up with in English) about all the free all-you-can-eat banchan, especially at places where you knew the banchan was house-made. It’s a lot of work to make all of those dishes and my family appreciated the effort (and we never left any uneaten). For a time, I lived in Chicago which has a sizeable Korean population. I’d go to Korean restaurants where I would see customers (non-Koreans and Koreans alike) leave unconscionable amounts of banchan behind. Some restaurateurs rebelled and started charging for their banchan and, of course, the Korean patrons complained. I don’t know what happened in the aftermath, but I can see why places would charge for banchan. (1) Effort, and (2) cut down on food waste.
ETA: I wonder if $5 gets you, say, a set of 2 or 3 different banchan? That’s probably not likely, but they have just opened. There may be adjustments made after the inevitable backlash.
Yeah, I know I can be a Debbie Downer sometimes.
Also edited a little for clarity/yucky grammar/syntax.
But it is the same with the “free” bread in restaurants which obviously is never actually free as these breads (and their subsequent waste) are calculated into the prices of all dishes on the menu. I think it would be strategically better if restaurants serve their banchan for “free” but reflect it in their other prices - no customer would know but they still feel they get something for free and the restaurant doesn’t get a bad reputation (and I don’t think the current price is high enough to reduce any food waste)
I hate food waste too. If it was tacking on $5 to minimize the waste, I wouldn’t quibble. But as noted by @uni, they are charging roughly $5 for 1 side of banchan. Of course, you don’t need to order 6 or 7 side dishes, but that’s a pretty hefty upcharge. I hope they are turning them into more substantial true sides rather than little sauce plate sized servings.
I too hate food waste and I promise we never leave much, if anything, uneaten. Looking more closely at the menu, I’m also curious what ssam wraps are for $9.
Oh dear…I didn’t mean to imply that you @kobuta or @uni are the type of people who waste food. I thought I was adding some personal experience with the whole charging of banchan (and I neglected to write about the AYCE Korean BBQ joints in Chicago who charged people for leaving meat behind after ordering platter after platter…oh boy…lots of funny stories there to tell).
I probably didn’t write clearly…or I need to take a break. Or both. That might be a good idea.
When Atoboy in nyc started, the idea behind it was that banchan are so wonderful that they can and should take center stage.
The original menu was choose-3 (from a menu in 3 sections) for $28, and then one or two large plate add-ons for anyone who wasn’t sated yet.
They took off like a rocket, of course, validating the concept. (Now the base menu is $75, but the concept has changed slightly).
Maybe they laid the groundwork for places like Somaek to venture down the path of giving banchan importance by charging for them. (There’s now Little Banchan Shop in nyc by a well-known chef, which I am dying to get to.)
Tbh, I would happily redirect myself to restaurants that disclosed / advertised their banchan — as a non-Korean, I have been introduced to many flavors and ingredients I would never have been otherwise. (I love wanjajeon and make them myself now, but I didn’t know they existed until they were served as banchan somewhere once.)
Sorry for confusing you. I absolutely did not assume you meant any of us either, but wanted to chime in to support that I too generally support initiatives to minimize waste. I always assumed that’s partly why the banchan dishes come in smaller portions - because not everyone may like some of the items.
I think the charge is ok if it truly is more of a side, and I do trust that Jamie Bisonette is capable of providing a pretty awesome version of the many banchan classics. But most of the banchan items I’m used to are small pickled or marinated items that are great for eating in small quantities or for picking at throughout the meal. I guess this will depend on ultimately how those dishes are presented. I certainly hope it’s not the 7-8 cubes of kimchi radish, as an example. No matter how good his brine or his pickling skills, that would be a hard sell at $5.
Just saw that Evoo and Pizzeria Za in Cambridge are closing - not destination restaurants but had some good business dinners at Evoo as it is close to Kendall Square. The pizza style at Za isn’t really our favorite one (bar style) but the Beef bomb one from time to time wasn’t bad
I thought EVOO was a pretty good option for food when I worked in that neighborhood (granted, over a decade ago). There are so many businesses and offices there, so having a good spot for a nice lunch or dinner that wasn’t your hotel was convenient. Sad to see hear they are closing up.
Sad to see EVOO close after so many years. Twenty-six years according to Boston Restaurant Talk!
I used to meet my husband for dinner there sometimes when he worked in Kendall Square, then we’d cross the river for whatever concert we were going to in Boston. I still use one trick I learned from EVOO: soaking dried cherries in port makes a luxurious topping for an arugula salad—or at our house— ice cream.
We started enjoying EVOO when they were on the Somerville/Cambridge line decades ago, near Dalí and the Wine and Cheese cask, and also enjoyed Za in Arlington and Cambridge many times. We especially enjoyed the Za salads until we got a bit tired of them, as the menu didn’t change for a couple of decades. Za still has on the menu today the same Chinese box of shrimp, beef, vegetables, and rice they’ve had since before they moved to Kendall Square.
Bella’s Pizza in North Billerica was closed for about a year. I thought it was a pandemic victim but recently learned that it was being remodeled and is back under the same ownership. The online menu looks to be about the same as before but I have no idea if the same cooks are in the kitchen.
Due to mobility issues, I have only ever had orders delivered. If you are partial to a sweetish sauce and creamy, sweetish house dressing, you may like Bella’s.
The inability to get hospital workers their quality food in a reasonable amount of time has unfortunately doomed Noodles King in the Longwood Galleria. The space is now for rent. I loved the food, but I couldn’t wait for it and still have time to eat it in my limited lunch time, and I suspect that it was caused it’s demise. Most of the folks eating in that space are hospital workers.
Sorry to hear that, but it’s not surprising. Ironically, I was in the area Friday, considered them, but then dismissed the thought on those very grounds – their lack of speed.
Sad news that the proprietor of Hubba’s Real Pit BBQ truck, seasonally open in Westford, passed away this February. A kind presence and a master of his craft. His son plans to keep Hubba’s going in honor of his dad, according to a post on Facebook.
I saw signs of activity at the truck’s (permanent) location yesterday, so I am hopeful the Hubba’s legacy will continue.
Patrick’s North Shore Eatery in North Andover had their Grand Opening on Thursday, May 9th (formerly the icky and sticky-floored Harrison’s Roast Beef).
No online website, but their FB page is showing a BIG change in food options:
So sad. Best of luck to them, and I hope they can keep that restaurant going. I’m not in the area, but so sad to me when I hear of these great little family owned foodie places that disappear once the proprietor has passed or has to move on. I’m bummed I never got to try a real Speed’s hot dog from the original truck and owner.
Ninebark Kitchen & Drinks, newly open in West Newton in the former Local/Berks Alehouse location. Menu looks decent, will report back once we have been.
