So Gong Dong Tofu & Korean BBQ

The owner shared that SGD Quincy remained economically steady, even during the pandemic. Quincy didn't suffer too much from AAPI discrimination given the city's high Asian population. She said that the restaurant receives a steady flow of customers, visible to us from how busy she was during the interview. When asked whether she thinks Asian businesses get enough attention, she said that at least in her experience, she thinks they do. Thanks to a rise in the popularity of KPop and KDramas even, customers would come in and request their favorite Korean music to be played. In the middle of their meals, some customers would stop eating and begin to dance, she shared while laughing. Due to the sudden influx of customers in the restaurant, the interview was cut short. Still, we had the chance to briefly enter the kitchen and take some photos of the 반찬 (banchan). (as pictured on the left)

In all Korean restaurants, the server starts by plating banchan, a collection of small dishes. These small dishes include kimchi, pickled radish, soybean sprouts, cucumber, and fish cakes. They are vital in Korean cuisine as a complement o the main dishes. Often, Korean people will just eat rice and banchan for breakfast.