Banchan Bounty at 808 Yong’s BBQ

You know the old saying about books and their covers. It also can pertain to restaurants. When an eatery has the word “barbecue” in its name, a non-meat-eater may not even bother to enter its doors. But don’t be too quick to judge, because when it comes to Korean cuisine, for those who choose not to eat meat or fish, it’s all about those fabulous little side dishes called banchan. And lucky for veggie lovers, at 808 Yong’s BBQ, owners Yong and Bennett Tom had a brilliant idea.

“We have the Veggie Plate as a daily special right now,” says Bennett. And at only $6, it’s a real bargain, with a choice of four banchan and one scoop of either white or special Korean brown rice.

“We normally have 12 dishes to pick from,” he says. Bennett adds that the special rice is a mixture of brown and wild rice, barley and other grains. And with all that whole-grain goodness combined with your choice of four of those savory sides, this is a flavor-packed, vegetable-rich dish that’s good for you. Can’t beat that.

“We have a good selection,” he says of Chef Yong’s sides, which vary daily according to what fresh produce she finds at the market. The taste-tempting cold banchan can include bean sprouts, cucumber kim chee, japchae, spinach, battered and fried zucchini, goba, choi sum, broccoli, stir-fried button mushrooms and many more, all freshly made.

Just book on over to Waipahu to enjoy the bounty of banchan at 808 Yong’s BBQ.

Veggie Plate ($6)

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808 Yong’s BBQ