BANSANG

If there’s one word I’d use to describe Bansang, it’d be texture. Bansang’s creative take on Korean-style tapas are playful and full of inventive textures that are as fun to eat as the flavors themselves, whether it be the pop-rock candy in the pear sorbet or the crispy strings atop the potato pancake. The dishes that were good, were phenomenal. The galbi was the obvious standout, and I absolutely recommend the +$5 for the ssamjang and lettuce wraps. The flavors took me right back to Korea, and the meat was prepared delicately so that every slice was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The uni scallop toast is their Instagram-worthy specialty, and I’m glad we tried it; the texture of the crispy toast was unlike any bread I’ve ever had. So dry yet soft yet crisp yet cloudy… I’m drooling thinking about it. The waitress recommended one per person, but honestly splitting one between two people was more than enough. The other dish I’d strongly recommend is the mulwhe noodle (think of it like a Korean ceviche with cold noodles), which had such a sweet, spicy, light broth that we literally spooned out every last bit. I’ll be thinking about that dish for a looong time. I’d recommend against the kimchi fried rice; the spam overpowered the rest of the dish, and it could’ve used more flavor from the other ingredients. The beet salad was also just okay, very earthy but otherwise too light on flavor. I loved the romantic, dimly-lit vibe of the restaurant, with traditional Korean earthenware thoughtfully placed throughout. Admittedly, the service felt a bit rough around the edges. I enjoyed the personal touch of having my menu stamped “happy birthday”, but the service otherwise felt disjointed and, at times, absent. After finishing my first cocktail early in the meal, the glass was quickly swept away by another server and the waitress did not return for me to ask for a second drink until the meal was over. It was disappointing as I would’ve liked to have another one (the peach cocktail I had was excellent!). Once our desserts were ordered, we did not see our waitress again for the rest of the night — she just disappeared. We tried several times to flag a server to get our check, but eventually had to get the host to notice to wrap up our meal (it was near the end of the service day, so not particularly busy). It wasn’t overly negative, but enough to color our experience. I hope that Bansang can fine-tune their service, as this would really make it a home-run. The idea of Korean tapas is fun, novel, and creative, and best shared with a group (we made do between two people, but with four we could have tried even more little dishes!!).

Great food. An amazing way to end an evening out in Japantown. The Soy Garlic wings were very crispy, crunchy on the outside. The meat itself was flavorful and juicy. My girlfriend said it was the best she ever had. The Galbi Steak was also great. I recommend paying the extra $5 for the lettuce wraps and samjang. Overall, I had a great time & great date with my girlfriend. I felt the food was worth the price.

Overrated. As someone who dines at fine-dining restaurants often and has high expectations, this experience was just okay at best. We ordered the japchae, but the fried mushrooms on top were cold and tasted like they’d been sitting out for a while. The galbi was overly salty, though the black cod was genuinely very good. The kimchi fried rice was nothing special- just a very standard version of the dish. The matcha lava cake was a pleasant surprise and it was an interesting and well-executed dessert. Overall, I wouldn’t return, but I’m glad I was able to check Bansang off my list.

Food (5/5) Each plate was amazing. I especially liked the potato pancakes, uni toast, rice cakes with beef, and the Galbi steak. The meat was tender and juicy and well-seasoned. The rice crispy/syrup ice cream and matcha lava cake were great as well. Service (4.2/5) The wait time between plates were somewhat variable. First dish (quail eggs) came quickly, but there was some wait between other dishes. They also could’ve come quicker after giving us the bill. Also, since some dishes were a bit messy (eg, the potato pancakes with all its crispy toppings) it would’ve been nice if they could help wipe the tables between some dishes. Atmosphere (4.5) Pretty nice and elegant environment, overall. Spacious bathrooms. The section we were in were a bit echoey and loud, however (but it was better after the large parties had left).

Came for Valentines dinner, and they were very accommodating when we arrived early. We ordered the mulhwe noodles, Uni scallop toast, galbi, and ribs and rice cakes. The galbi was so tender and was my favorite dish of the night. The uni scallop toast and mulhwe noodles were both good but not mindblowing imo. The rice cake and ribs were a bit bland and some of the rib pieces were dry. Ended the meal with the nurungji ice cream which had a stickier texture compared to normal ice cream. Overall, a good meal but overpriced.