Discussion of Robin Garr's Charim Korean review

[Robin Garr]

A taste of Korea at Charim
LEO's Eats with Robin Garr



Even if you don’t have much experience with Korean food, you’ll find it easy to like, especially if you try it at an eatery as amiable as Charim.

For the most part, Korean dishes won’t seem unfamiliar to anyone who enjoys the varied cuisines of Asia. Some of its dishes seem to bear a resemblance to familiar Chinese fare; other items might remind you of Japan. Overall, there’s a robust, hearty and often spicy character that’s all Korean.

And one small delight makes Korean dining special: Call it banchan or call it panchan, in Korean, if you like; or make it easy on yourself and call it “all those little dishes of veggies, noodles and fiery relishes that they serve at Korean restaurants.”

Banchan, er, all those little dishes, are delivered to your table soon after you arrive and settle in, much like chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Which raises a question: Is there a proper way to enjoy them? Is it appropriate to start right in to nibbling, finishing them up while you wait to give your order? Or should you save them to enjoy with dinner?

Good news: it doesn’t matter. They’re snacks! They’re condiments! You should try adding bits of your favorites to each dish as your taste buds suggest, but if you nosh them all up right away, there’s no need to be shy about asking for more.

Banchan come in bewildering variety, and Koreans may spread a table with a dozen or more. We were given about seven dishes with dinner, a traditional mix of bean sprouts, greens, noodles, cabbage, cucumber, fried peanuts, fish cake and kimchi, the trademark Korean spicy fermented cabbage. Some were salty, some sweet, a few fiery, a couple cool, all good. We ate them right up, and got refills promptly and with a smile.

Charim’s menu is relatively brief, but offers a good choice of Korean cuisine.

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/a-tas ... -at-charim

And in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/authentic-t ... rea-charim

Charim Korean Restaurant
4123 Oechsli Ave.
290-8900
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/charimkorean
84 points

Great review and coincides with our experience exactly. My wife fell in love with the clear noodles and I crave the kimchi. I do agree that I was expecting a bit more heat in the Bibim Bap, but the flavors were great and I will know to doctor it up a bit more next time!

Charim is a definite keeper!

My heart skipped a beat when you mentioned the hot wings. Korean fried chicken is INCREDIBLE!

I wanted to mention it looks like the mad rush since the reviews have died down and it might be a good time for those of you who have not had the chance to try Charim to do so. I made my third visit Tuesday at lunch with my oldest son. He chose the soup that had the shrimp,clams, chicken and egg in it . He normally works nights and has also had gastric banding so he cannot eat much at a time almost made the owner cry thought she had done something wrong when infact he proclaimed it the best soup he had ever eaten. About the spicyness when he mentioned to her as wewere chating while the food was being prepared he liked spicy she ran to the kitchen so they added extra spice for him. My Chicken Bulgogi was fantastic my son said he could have made a meal off the little dishes they bring out ahead of time. Lunch for the 2 of us was slightly over 21 dollars I added a 6 dollar tip for gracious service