About Korean & Japanese Cuisine

Some people enjoy exploring new cuisine and will try anything without much thought at all. Others like to know a bit about the tradition and ingredients. SAGAN wants to help you explore and discover the wonderful tastes of Korean and Japanese food...

Korean Food:

Korean cuisine has a set of traditional foods and preparation techniques that set it apart from other types of Asian cuisine. Korean food is known for its rich flavors and distinctive spiciness, as well as its nutritional benefits. Traditional seasonings are red pepper, green onion, garlic, ginger, sesame, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, mustard, vinegar, dwenjang (fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (red pepper paste).

Traditional Korean meals are distinguished by a large number of side dishes - called banchan. These side dishes vary each meal depending on the availability of fresh ingredients. Some popular banchan include the well-known Kimchi (spicy cabbage), steamed vegetables, tofu (called dubu in Korean) and salads.

A full-course Korean meal is called Hanjungshik (SAGAN Korean Special) and usually includes grilled fish, bulgogi (tender beef, thin slice, marinated in a sweet soy sauce), platter of Korean pancakes, vermicelli noodles, doenjang chigae (bean paste stew) and vegetable dishes accompanied by steamed rice, soup and banchan (side dishes).

Korean BBQ, usually cooked on a grill in the middle of the table, features a variety of meats, usually marinated in a sauce made of soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sesame oil and other seasonings.

Favorite dishes of SAGAN's guests include:

  • Galbi - Beef short rib marinated in Sagan's special Korean BBQ sauce
  • Bulgogi - Tender beef, thin sliced, marinated in a flavored soy sauce
  • SAGAN Korean Special - Full course Korean meal
  • Bindae Duk - Pancake, made of mung bean flour with pork and vegetables
  • Broiled Fish – Yellow Covina, Mackerel, Scabbard Fish or Atka Mackerel

Japanese Food:

Japanese cuisine offers a wide variety of tastes and textures. A typical Japanese meal consists of a bowl of steamed rice (gohan), a bowl of miso soup (miso shiru), pickled vegetables (tsukemono), and fish or meat. In addition to rice, several kinds of noodles such as udon, soba and ramen are very popular as well. As an island nation, it’s no surprise that seafood is a staple in Japanese cuisine. An assortment of fish, squid, octopus, eel, and shellfish appear in all kinds of dishes from sushi to tempura.

Sushi, one of the most popular Japanese offerings in the United States, began as a method of preserving fish centuries ago. Today, the term “sushi” is often used to describe a complete dish with rice and toppings.

The common ingredient across all the different kinds of sushi is sushi rice or shari. The variety in sushi comes from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these ingredients are put together. The same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, creating a very different final result. Sushi is a work of art as much as a food, and great care is taken in its preparation.

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood sliced into thin pieces and served with soy sauce for dipping, thin-sliced ginger root, and a simple garnish such as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Like sushi, great care is taken in the preparation of sashimi. The selection of ingredients and way the seafood is sliced has a tremendous impact on the flavor and texture of each serving.
Some of the most popular kinds of sashimi are maguro (tuna), toro (fatty tuna), ebi (prawn), saba (mackerel), ika (squid) and tako (octopus).

Favorite Japanese dishes of SAGAN’s guests include:

  • Sashimi Course - appetizers, sashimi, soup, broiled fish and a choice of either albap, roll, soba, udon or boiled sizzling rice with spicy fish stew.
  • Sushi Course - appetizers, assorted sushi, soup, broiled fish and a choice of either albap, roll, soba, udon or boiled sizzling rice with spicy fish stew.
  • Assorted Sushi and Rolls
  • Lunch and Dinner Box – sashimi, sushi, roll and tempura with a choice of either beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, pork cutlet, broiled mackerel or udon
  • Shrimp Tempura lightly-battered deep-fried shrimp serviced with…
  • Udon – hot noodle soup

Let SAGAN help you discover more about Korean and Japanese cuisine. As our guest, you're always invited to ask your server for menu suggestions or ask about the ingredients, textures and flavors of the dishes you'd like to try.