Review: Ban Chan in Mesa— food with Seoul

• Critic%27s rating%3A 3 %28out of 5%29 stars %2C based on food%2C service and ambience.
• Ban Chan is a small Korean hot spot that opened in August near jumping Cornish Pasty Co. in Mesa.
• The name of the restaurant refers to the "little appetizers" brought to the table with your meal.

I readily admit I don't know much about Korean food, aside from the requisite kimchi (spicy, pickled cabbage) and kal bi (marinaded, flame-grilled beef short ribs). Trader Joe's exposed those to us.

No, I need to get up to speed more quickly before visiting Ban Chan, a small Korean hot spot that opened in August near jumping Cornish Pasty Co. on the east side of South Dobson Road in Mesa.

I call on friend and fellow foodie Myung Suk, a Korean-American from Northridge, Calif. Our girls hang out and play tennis together when in town.

A few traditional dishes are "a good barometer" of a good Korean restaurant, she tells me. They include bimbi bap, a mix of Korean veggies topped with a fried egg and beef over rice; yuk gae jang, a spicy beef soup with egg and assorted veggies; and chap chae, stir-fried Korean rice noodles with beef and veggies.

And, of course, we had to try kal bi. "The key is the marinade," Suk explains. "If it's too sweet, it's no good. Korean sauce should never be like teriyaki sauce. Never sweet or sticky."

Ban Chan, she notes, refers to the "little appetizers" brought to the table with your meal; it's an important part of the Korean dining experience. Armed with the fundamentals, I look like a Seoul transplant placing my orders.

Scene: It's always a good sign when placards are hand-written in another language, and the staff speak in native tongue. The somewhat dull space only houses 10 tired white-washed tables, surrounded by green-leather, high-back, white-washed chairs. But the din is positive. Lots of chatter and guests checking out each other's steaming plates and bowls of aromatic goodness. The friendly staff pushes carts of dishes and the aforementioned ban chan out to eager diners.

Food: My wife and daughter have been spoiled by Suk's home cooking, so the bar was set pretty high. But we're happy to report that there is authentic Korean cuisine outside of Los Angeles.

The deep and nutty fragrance of toasted sesame oil wafts off bimbi pap ($9.95), a deconstructed version of a salad. It's made with piles of bean sprouts, daikon (white) radish, eggplants, spinach, mushroom and seaweed with a fried egg on top and and soy sauce drizzle. We popped the vibrant egg yolk and mix all the ingredients within the stainless-steel serving bowl. Some of the veggies were cooked, others raw, which presents pleasant texture contrasts. My wife loves sesame oil and calls this dish her "favorite." While delicious, I would have liked a bit less sesame and perhaps one more shake of soy sauce.

Luckily, yuk gae jang ($9.95), a spicy soup, washed away my sesame overload. I could swim in its red chile-infused broth that caused my eyelids to sweat. Loads of bean sprouts, whole green onions, long mushrooms, scrambled eggs and stringy beef seem content doing backstrokes in the hell-red liquid. A flash of envy surfaced before I swallowed it with a chunk of chuck. Suk says that is one of her favorite Korean dishes, and I see why.

Meanwhile, the iconic marinaded and grilled beef short rib kal bi ($20.95) had been "Americanized," and was too sweet, a big no-no. The sauce should be gentle, with soy, ginger and garlic, with a mere touch of sweetness, so the meat and charcoal grilling do the talking. Served on a sizzling fajita-style iron platter on a bed of onions, the disappointingly tough beef just fizzled.

So far, we've sampled what can be best described as a "salad," a wondrous soup and a popular beef dish. What came next opened all of our eyes. Chap chae ($14.95) is Korea's counterpart to Chinese chow mein, only lighter, brighter and more visually appealing with its translucent glass noodles. Generous amounts of fresh oyster mushrooms, green and yellow onions, bok choy and julienned carrot formed a color palate that showed right through those slippery, fun noodles. There was beef in there, too, but not much. The soy, ginger and garlic-based sauce was a touch sweet, which made it kid-friendly.

Each of us received a small pot of sticky (not sweet) Korean-style white rice to mix with each dish, along with seven — yes, seven — of those little ban chan appetizers. Each were a creation onto their own: Lovely sauteed spinach; stewed eggplant; daikon radish cubes coated in spicy chile sauce; spicy sliced cucumbers; soft and salty seaweed; warm and slightly sweet potatoes; chewy, pungent fish cake; and freshly prepared kimchi, made with crunchy Napa cabbage.

We also admired dishes across the aisle at neighboring tables. The family next to us ordered kimchi jun ($9.95), a plate-size, pan-fried cake of Korean pork and kimchi; neng myun and kal bi combo ($13.95), cold buckwheat noodles served with chile sauce and a side of short ribs; and spicy chicken ($15.95).

Drinks: No beer or wine, which is oddly un-Korean since the Southeast Asian country is known for its drinking culture. Hopefully, as business grows, they can add a license and serve Hite, the top seller in South Korea. Pepsi soda products, Lipton tea or water only.

Desserts: None.

Lowdown: Stray from the beaten path and taste something exotic and communal. Teenagers stop brooding for an hour as dishes are shared and passed about. Sights and smells pique their curiosity.

Cuisine: Korean. Lots of beef, soups and stews, noodles, seafood, grilled meats and red chile flake.

Kid-friendly: Yes. Bring the kids out to experience new foods and culture. You're given a spoon and chop sticks only, but will bring forks upon request.

Stars: 3 (out of 5) stars, based on food, service and ambience.

Price: $8.95 to $34.95 per person, excluding tax and tip.

Details: 2909 S. Dobson Road, Suite 7, Mesa. 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. 480-414-2525.

Reach Nothaft at mknothaft@cox.net. He dines anonymously and The Republic pays all expenses.