The Side Dish Arrangement and Placement Are So Similar... Baek Jong-won's Lunchbox 'Generous You' [Convenience Store Adventure]

Jeyuk Hanpan, Press Ham 'Point'
Basak Bulgogi Hanpan Feels Like Tteokgalbi
Lacks CU's Unique Differentiation, Disappointing

CU fired back at Kim Hyeja’s lunchbox with Baek Jongwon’s lunchbox. The first thing that came to mind after purchasing the three currently available lunchboxes was none other than GS25. While the overall standardization and improvement of convenience store lunchboxes is a welcome development, the side dish composition and arrangement were strikingly similar.

The Jeyuk Hanpan lunchbox consists of two types of spicy pork bulgogi and five side dishes. After microwaving it for 2 minutes, the side dishes glistened. The main side dish, soy sauce bulgogi, was sweet and salty, while the gochujang bulgogi had a moderate spiciness that paired well with the rice. Three slices of pressed ham were placed on top of the white rice, making it perfect for wrapping with the rice. The egg tofu pancake initially looked like fried food just by its appearance. It was bland since it wasn’t seasoned, but it paired perfectly with the stir-fried kimchi. The braised potatoes and stir-fried garlic stalks with fish cake retained their crunchiness.

Jeyuk Hanpan, Basak Bulgogi Hanpan Dosirak.
Photo by Im Chunhan

The Basak Bulgogi Hanpan lunchbox contains a whole piece of Eonyang-style basak bulgogi, which felt more like a grilled short rib patty than bulgogi. Garlic stalks were sprinkled on top, and cabbage was laid underneath, allowing for a variety of ways to enjoy the meat. Like Kim Hyeja’s lunchbox, a fried egg was placed on the rice. However, unlike GS25, it was cooked hard and was dry. Seaweed was included under the lunchbox, and the spicy stir-fried fish cake was tasty. The other side dishes?egg tofu pancake, stir-fried garlic stalks with fish cake, and stir-fried kimchi?were the same.

The Baekban Hanpan lunchbox is generously packed with 12 side dishes. The fried egg on rice, soy sauce bulgogi, gochujang bulgogi, stir-fried kimchi, and seaweed are the same as in the previous lunchboxes. In fact, the highlights are the kimchi pancake, sausage, japchae meatball, and chicken nuggets, but their taste was ordinary.

There are many regrets about the lunchboxes CU released in collaboration with Baek Jongwon, CEO of The Born Korea. The overall taste of the lunchboxes deserves a good evaluation. However, there is no unique CU identity, and the scent of GS25 is felt. The idea of placing a fried egg on the rice was directly borrowed, but the taste is rather inferior. It would be better to improve it to achieve a moist texture or replace it entirely with pressed ham.