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Recommended Reviews - BannSang
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I had the spicy pork and squid and it was great! I was a little afraid the Korean food in New Zealand was going to be a bit off but was really craving Korean food so decided to give it a shot anyways! I'm so glad I did because this place ended up hitting that craving really well. The spicy pork was well seasoned and had a great taste. The squid was also excellent. The side dishes were a bit passable and not really worth mentioning, but the main dish is what really counts and that was good!
We wandered in here, jet lagged and just wanting something good to eat. We walked in right as they opened and it quickly filled up! It's hidden in a back corner so I feel like unless you know it's there, you'll miss this gem. The menu has tons of items to choose from and it seemed they have kept all of the menu items as true to real Korean. Definitely not like the "Americanized" stuff we find in the states. The portions were also huge and I loved the side items that came with every meal. The only thing I wish was that I could've seen on the menu somewhere what those side items were. I sort of determined what each of the four were, but I couldn't be sure. The waitress was very nice and the man we paid at the counter even gave us a few tips of things to do and see while visiting NZ.
Solid choice for Korean in the CBD. I got the #1 beef bulgogi and it was perfectly warm and comforting after a long day of walking. The beef was flavorful, the rice was moist, and the sides were all delish. My only complaint was that they serve water in these tinyyyy teacups which just won't cut it if you're serving me kimchi.
Finally. Finally. Finalllllly: Me inside BannSang. Being the curious human I am, I looked up what 'BannSang' actually means. Wikipedia tells me it translates to "side dish" to comprise a meal which generally consists of bap (cooked rice), guk (soup), gochujang (chile condiment), jjigae (stew), and kimchi. And the more 'bansang' in the table setting, the more important / wealthy you are (the Korean royal family enjoys a modest 12 bansang). Anyway, my meal (the tofu jelly soup aka Sundubu Jjigae - $13) was served bubbling hot along with rice and four side dishes of broccoli, kimchi, seaweed and some honey glazed kumara-like veggie. Deliciousssss (Thank you Neera J. for the rec!). We also got a Kimchi-jeon (korean-style kimchi pancake - $15) to share. It was GIANT and very tasty. The meal was washed down with an Asahi (yum). They had a few other beers too, including Korean Hite. I was tempted but after learning it was similar to Budweiser, I chose to steer clear. Sorryyyy USA. A couple caveats to those looking to scope out BannSang: 1) If you're a Korean food n00b like myself, either do some research beforehand or ask a friend for a dish recommendation. The menu's pretty overwhelming, so if you don't know about Korean cuisine, it wouldn't be difficult to make a wrong move. 2) Not a 'lounge over a glass of wine' type of spot. The service's quick, efficient and to the point - within a span of 5 minutes of being seated, we were probably approached 4 times? to order. Yeah, they turn tables here. But that also means even with a crowd of people outside, you won't be waiting long. :)
Other than the odd bibimbap from a food truck when I live in San Fran, I'd never tried Korean before. I'd certainly never been to a fully-fledged Korean restaurant so this was a first. Bann Sang is tucked down an alley of High St, right next to Gloria Jeans. It's small and popular so if you're coming with a group book first or prepare to wait. We waited probably just over 30mins. It actually went really fast and the waiter even offered to take our order from outside so that it'd be ready when we sat down. The menu was intimidating at first but thankfully we Korean expert, Rebekah M was in our dining party. On her recommendation I dove right in and ordered a cold broth, served with slices of roast beef, half a boiled egg and paper thin noodles. It also came with scissors to cut your noodles - such fun! The broth was served with ice in it and was really flavoursome, slight sour. The beef was overcooked and dry but I think that is how it's intended to be served. The whole dish was very refreshing, especially on a hot summers night. We also ordered a leek Korean pancake to share. This is an absolute must! Crispy, choccas full of leek and spring onion and served with a punchy dipping sauce. I, like Neera, cannot believe I waited so long to try Korean! No doubt, I'll be back soon....got to make up for lost time.
I am a regular at this Korean restaurant as it is authentic. The restaurant is tucked inside an ally way away from High Street. Take a bit of time to actually find it. Each meal generally come with the main dish, four little side dishes and a bowl of rice. The side dishes include kimchi, sweet potato, broccoli and sprout. You can always ask for top up of the side dishes. My fav there is tofu jelly soup and is very yummy if you love spicy and that kick of chili. A great place for dinner!
Queensday 4pm and we are decided to try one of the asian restaurants on High or Lorne Street. Big mistake. Most of them open at 5 or 5:30 or might be closed because is Monday. Since Bann Sang seems to be the only one opened this day at 4pm, the choice is made for us. We enter the restaurant and decide to give it a try. Only two occupied tables, but again, it is 4pm. We sit down and instantly get a bottle of water with a photo of Psy (from Ganggam Style) on the side. Funny way to start. We ordered two different stews: one pork ribs for me and the chicken for my partner (I am sorry, but I wouldn't remember the Korean names in a million years). I love the flavor of mine. I love the ribs, so tasty and cooked to the point the bone melts away; I love the little thingies you get on the side. No idea what they are, but I like them as well. The green one is the best (seaweed?). I love the bowls, that keep my food warm for a looooooong time...I love the price. I am falling in love with this place while eating. While the time passes and the clock gets nearer to 5pm, suddenly the tables around us get full and I start to watch those plates of food (and then I think to myself, I would like to try them all!) We will be definitely coming back soon for a new round of yummy warm Korean food.
A little hard to find but go all the way through Canterbury arcade until you hit the smaller street opposite of Queen St. then make a hard right and you'll see it! Super authentic Korean food in the middle of Auckland, you know it's a good sign when the old couple next to you only speaks Korean. Ordered the kimchi jjigae as a full set with banchan and it was on par with what you'd want. The bbq plates looked phenomenal too. You definitely can't go wrong here!
This is an excellent place for Korean food. It combines the best of all worlds - modern decor, hip music, ample seating along with fast service, authentic dishes and loads of customers to prove it. Food quality was on point and my bibimbap was delicious. All the right toppings in a piping hot bowl. The only reason they are shy of 5 stars is that there was no kimchee to be found in any of my side dishes. They were all tasty but missing that was kind of a big deal to me. I would assume that was something you didn't have to order. Still this place ranks highly and would be frequented if I only lived closer. Truly worth a stop in and prepare to wait as there was a queue at 5pm.
Get the pork belly with kimchi! Just the right amount of food and the kimchi was spicy but not too much. I wish they included more in the sides. There were 4 side but I wasn't a fan of the seaweed but would have preferred it to be replaced by the pickled cucumber. All in all the food was good, we were seated in under 5 minutes and our food was quick & hot! No major complaints
3 years ago
We can verify that their good reviews are based on solid evidence that Bann Sang is one of the best Korean restaurants in Auckland's downtown area! Located on a trendy area of High Street near Victoria, the restaurant (upstairs and downstairs as well) serves excellent and authentic Korean cuisine. We ordered Dolsot bibimbap (hot pot style) and the rice was crunchy on the bottom as required. Yum! The kalbi short ribs with rice and ban chan (veggie side dishes) was well seasoned and tender! Would go here again. Friendly service too. Despite the excellent food and a trendy location, Bann Sang refuses to over-inflate prices- they are very reasonable! read more
We came here because I wanted soup. I had the galbi tang- short beef ribs soup with glass noodles, radish, egg and spring onion. I ordered it as a full set, which comes with side dishes and rice. I loved the comforting broth. There was a good amount of meat in the soup, so I was pretty full afterwards. The sides were average, and I could've gone without them. read more
3 years ago
I had the spicy pork and squid and it was great! I was a little afraid the Korean food in New Zealand was going to be a bit off but was really craving Korean food so decided to give it a shot anyways! I'm so glad I did because this place ended up hitting that craving really well. The spicy pork was well seasoned and had a great taste. The squid was also excellent. The side dishes were a bit passable and not really worth mentioning, but the main dish is what really counts and that was good! read more
8 years ago
We wandered in here, jet lagged and just wanting something good to eat. We walked in right as they opened and it quickly filled up! It's hidden in a back corner so I feel like unless you know it's there, you'll miss this gem. The menu has tons of items to choose from and it seemed they have kept all of the menu items as true to real Korean. Definitely not like the "Americanized" stuff we find in the states. The portions were also huge and I loved the side items that came with every meal. The only thing I wish was that I could've seen on the menu somewhere what those side items were. I sort of determined what each of the four were, but I couldn't be sure. The waitress was very nice and the man we paid at the counter even gave us a few tips of things to do and see while visiting NZ. read more
6 years ago
10 years ago
Solid choice for Korean in the CBD. I got the #1 beef bulgogi and it was perfectly warm and comforting after a long day of walking. The beef was flavorful, the rice was moist, and the sides were all delish. My only complaint was that they serve water in these tinyyyy teacups which just won't cut it if you're serving me kimchi. read more
Finally. Finally. Finalllllly: Me inside BannSang. Being the curious human I am, I looked up what 'BannSang' actually means. Wikipedia tells me it translates to "side dish" to comprise a meal which generally consists of bap (cooked rice), guk (soup), gochujang (chile condiment), jjigae (stew), and kimchi. And the more 'bansang' in the table setting, the more important / wealthy you are (the Korean royal family enjoys a modest 12 bansang). Anyway, my meal (the tofu jelly soup aka Sundubu Jjigae - $13) was served bubbling hot along with rice and four side dishes of broccoli, kimchi, seaweed and some honey glazed kumara-like veggie. Deliciousssss (Thank you Neera J. for the rec!). We also got a Kimchi-jeon (korean-style kimchi pancake - $15) to share. It was GIANT and very tasty. The meal was washed down with an Asahi (yum). They had a few other beers too, including Korean Hite. I was tempted but after learning it was similar to Budweiser, I chose to steer clear. Sorryyyy USA. A couple caveats to those looking to scope out BannSang: 1) If you're a Korean food n00b like myself, either do some research beforehand or ask a friend for a dish recommendation. The menu's pretty overwhelming, so if you don't know about Korean cuisine, it wouldn't be difficult to make a wrong move. 2) Not a 'lounge over a glass of wine' type of spot. The service's quick, efficient and to the point - within a span of 5 minutes of being seated, we were probably approached 4 times? to order. Yeah, they turn tables here. But that also means even with a crowd of people outside, you won't be waiting long. :) read more
Other than the odd bibimbap from a food truck when I live in San Fran, I'd never tried Korean before. I'd certainly never been to a fully-fledged Korean restaurant so this was a first. Bann Sang is tucked down an alley of High St, right next to Gloria Jeans. It's small and popular so if you're coming with a group book first or prepare to wait. We waited probably just over 30mins. It actually went really fast and the waiter even offered to take our order from outside so that it'd be ready when we sat down. The menu was intimidating at first but thankfully we Korean expert, Rebekah M was in our dining party. On her recommendation I dove right in and ordered a cold broth, served with slices of roast beef, half a boiled egg and paper thin noodles. It also came with scissors to cut your noodles - such fun! The broth was served with ice in it and was really flavoursome, slight sour. The beef was overcooked and dry but I think that is how it's intended to be served. The whole dish was very refreshing, especially on a hot summers night. We also ordered a leek Korean pancake to share. This is an absolute must! Crispy, choccas full of leek and spring onion and served with a punchy dipping sauce. I, like Neera, cannot believe I waited so long to try Korean! No doubt, I'll be back soon....got to make up for lost time. read more
12 years ago
I am a regular at this Korean restaurant as it is authentic. The restaurant is tucked inside an ally way away from High Street. Take a bit of time to actually find it. Each meal generally come with the main dish, four little side dishes and a bowl of rice. The side dishes include kimchi, sweet potato, broccoli and sprout. You can always ask for top up of the side dishes. My fav there is tofu jelly soup and is very yummy if you love spicy and that kick of chili. A great place for dinner! read more
12 years ago
Queensday 4pm and we are decided to try one of the asian restaurants on High or Lorne Street. Big mistake. Most of them open at 5 or 5:30 or might be closed because is Monday. Since Bann Sang seems to be the only one opened this day at 4pm, the choice is made for us. We enter the restaurant and decide to give it a try. Only two occupied tables, but again, it is 4pm. We sit down and instantly get a bottle of water with a photo of Psy (from Ganggam Style) on the side. Funny way to start. We ordered two different stews: one pork ribs for me and the chicken for my partner (I am sorry, but I wouldn't remember the Korean names in a million years). I love the flavor of mine. I love the ribs, so tasty and cooked to the point the bone melts away; I love the little thingies you get on the side. No idea what they are, but I like them as well. The green one is the best (seaweed?). I love the bowls, that keep my food warm for a looooooong time...I love the price. I am falling in love with this place while eating. While the time passes and the clock gets nearer to 5pm, suddenly the tables around us get full and I start to watch those plates of food (and then I think to myself, I would like to try them all!) We will be definitely coming back soon for a new round of yummy warm Korean food. read more
A little hard to find but go all the way through Canterbury arcade until you hit the smaller street opposite of Queen St. then make a hard right and you'll see it! Super authentic Korean food in the middle of Auckland, you know it's a good sign when the old couple next to you only speaks Korean. Ordered the kimchi jjigae as a full set with banchan and it was on par with what you'd want. The bbq plates looked phenomenal too. You definitely can't go wrong here! read more
9 years ago
If you like Korean food, this is the place to be to have your soup, bulgogi and bibimbap. Everything was delicious ! Cannot be in AKL without having a meal there ! read more
8 years ago
Tasty meal for an even tastier price, 10/10. The traditional beef was sweet and tender, the spicy pork was definitely spicy, but not overbearing, and the ambiance was friendly and cozy. A great place for a casual meal. read more
10 years ago
This is an excellent place for Korean food. It combines the best of all worlds - modern decor, hip music, ample seating along with fast service, authentic dishes and loads of customers to prove it. Food quality was on point and my bibimbap was delicious. All the right toppings in a piping hot bowl. The only reason they are shy of 5 stars is that there was no kimchee to be found in any of my side dishes. They were all tasty but missing that was kind of a big deal to me. I would assume that was something you didn't have to order. Still this place ranks highly and would be frequented if I only lived closer. Truly worth a stop in and prepare to wait as there was a queue at 5pm. read more
It's a small place with most being around $15 and they come with 4 sides and white rice. I had the bulgogi beef which was good and also tofu soup that was brought to us boiling hot. I still don't know how they do it. The meal was very good for the price. read more
9 years ago
Get the pork belly with kimchi! Just the right amount of food and the kimchi was spicy but not too much. I wish they included more in the sides. There were 4 side but I wasn't a fan of the seaweed but would have preferred it to be replaced by the pickled cucumber. All in all the food was good, we were seated in under 5 minutes and our food was quick & hot! No major complaints read more
6 years ago
Food quality is really bad. And the portion as well. Oh and They add surcharge for using credit card. read more
10 years ago
11 years ago
Amazing food!!! I can believe it took me this long to come here. Service was fast and friendly. This place is a little hidden. Don't let the Korean restaurant across the street fool you into eating there like it did me. BannSang is next to Gloria Jean cafe in a hidden walkway. I had the spicy chicken and it was marvelous!! I can't wait to go back and eat there again. Great prices too read more
10 years ago
9 years ago
11 years ago
I'm not the most adventurous Korean food eater but I am going to try and order something different every time I go to BannSang as so far everything I have tried has been delicious. So far I have been sticking to the BBQ section which is always a delight. Hot sizzling meat on platter has never looked better. BannSang is always full it seems, no matter what day of the week so I recommend booking a table (although I always forget). read more
13 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
10 years ago
Delicious food! I got the mixed pork and seafood barbecue plate and was delighted. The prices were good for that part of auckland and the portions generous. The food came out quickly (thank god, as i was starving). I went around 2:30 and it seemed like i'd just missed rush hour. Great place for good food and quick service! read more
11 years ago
8 years ago
10 years ago
Great experience! The chicken soup is soooo nice that I have ordered so many times. Friendly staff, really patient. Highly recommended. read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
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More info about BannSang
1C/47 High St
Auckland 1010
New Zealand
Auckland CBD
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09 302 1838
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