Little Banchan Shop

A great little Korean food spot - the food is excellent and the online ordering is smooth and fast. This restaurant is shared with Meju, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and thus you can expect the food to be extremely high quality - even the meats seem to be sourced the same (Niman ranch). Overall, we loved our meals - the bibimbap was particularly excellent. The ingredients are really fresh, we’ll definitely come back

I've always walked by this shop and wanted to check it out one day. While they have a selection of Korean household dishes/banchan, you can also order food to eat here (although there isn't much seating except for a bar at the window). Their selection of banchan (Korean side dishes) are thoughtfully curated and made in-house. They seem to use premium ingredients and their prices reflect that. I didn't get any of their banchan as I already had a lot at home, but I did try their beef kimbap. Maybe my expectations were really high, but I didn't see anything special with it. It was good, but you could easily find kimbap that tastes just as good at a more affordable price.

My first time here and the girl working there was good with helping me choose a kimchi, although I was disappointed that sampling wasn’t an option, especially for the price that they’re charging. Very happy with my choice of radish kimchi, but it’s pretty expensive and not a place I could go to regularly.

The best gimbap (beef). It runs out fast. I love to try ginseng tea but it ran out two times i visited. Banchans are tasty. I recommend bean sprouts, anchovies and fish cakes(not the spicy ones). Kitchen closes at 8 pm although store opens til 9 pm so u cannot take out after 8.

As a Korean, I was a bit disappointed coming here to be honest. The pre-packaged food here looks delicious & of high quality, which it kinda is. The radish kimchi was very delicious, albeit a bit expensive at $7.50. The gimbap was alright. I couldn’t really taste the vegetables, and no yellow pickled daikon? Dang. The bibimbap in my opinion was not good. Look at the bulgogi in the photo. It looks like wet ground beef, which it tasted like it too. The flavor was not good. We came like almost 2 hours before closing too. I couldn’t finish it. They do however have a lot of imported korean ingredients, snacks, and beverages. I would stay stick to that, or the banchan they have.

Clean, organized, and well-stocked shop with friendly employees. The high ceilings and view of the open kitchen make the shop feel spacious. There is limited barstool seating available near the entrance of the business for those who would like to dine-in. Coffee beverage options are solid. The Einspänner in particular is a delight to drink hot or cold. I enjoy picking up the Watercress Namul and Green Pepper Muchim sides to have along with home cooked dishes. The vegetables are always fresh, have a pleasing crunch, and balanced flavor. Also, the Eomuk Bokkeum (stir-fried fish cake) side with onions, bell pepper, and seasonings is one of my favorites because of its soft slightly bouncy mouthfeel. I appreciate that it is not too sweet either. When I am in a rush or want something for on-the-go, I usually grab a pack of the Beef Bulgogi Kimbap. It is pricier given I can buy two for the price of one at Korean mom and pop shops but Little Banchan Shop stuff their gimbap well with lots of quality and locally sourced ingredients and a fair amount of whichever main proteins are available. I like that the vegetables are well cooked and the pickled radish adds a nice bite in regard to texture. By the way, I recommend picking up a pack of your choice of gimbap before heading out for a roadtrip or going over to a concert venue. As for the shelf stable grocery items, they make for great gifts. I am currently away from home and missing the experience of being able to walk down a few blocks to pick up the items mentioned for a simple healthy meal to share or munch on alone.

The setup and display of this store are nice. The staff are also great. However, the price point of some items is absurdly high. $18 for 2 pieces of battered pork cutlet. $10 for just lettuce and a small container of sauce. I get that it’s a boutique, and it’s great that Asian food in particular is beginning to command a far more proper price point than it has been able to historically. But in my opinion this places that lesson too far, and makes it not worth it to me.