Pajeon & Kimchijeon

Jeon is the family name for anything pan-fried in a light batter. Two versions dominate Paris menus: pajeon, where whole stalks of spring onion are set into the batter, often with seafood (haemul-pajeon), and kimchijeon, where chopped kimchi turns the pancake red and gives it its tang. Both come out of the pan the size of a plate, golden and crisp at the edges.

The pancake arrives whole or already cut into squares; you take a piece with chopsticks and dip it in vinegar-soy sauce. It is the sharing dish par excellence, ordered for the table alongside the drinks — in Korea it is the classic partner of makgeolli on rainy days.