Breaking Down a Korean Meal

In the past week I have had several conversations with friends and family on the culinary adventure my trip has turned out to be. In the spirit of exploring new foods, this will be my first of many food and drink Blogs here on Lost in a Small World.
Below is a typical meal at a Korean restaurant. the meal costs less then 15$ US. In the perspective of my experience so far this is a pretty standard meal with nothing crazy involved.  I have had some less than savory meals but I will save those experiences for a later date. I have tried to identify all the different components with numbers to give you a better understanding of it all.

1. This is a spinach lookalike Dish. Served pickled and spicy.
2. Pickled and hard boiled quail egg smothered in roasted jalapeno. I cannot explain how good this is.
3. Jerkified minnow fish. These are as salty as they are popular and go well with beer.  The texture is a little sharp and takes some getting used to.
4. A weird  type of grass clipping with bean dip and sesame seeds.
5. Roasted garlic cloves, eaten straight up. Bad breath is of no consequence here in Korea!
6. Unknown sauce didn't like it at all.
7. Pickled onion maybe? I wasn’t a fan on this one either.
8. Fresh sliced garlic.
9. Bean dip. Delicious.
10. Mustard. Boring.
11. Kimchi (fermented cabbage), and there are many different kinds.  It tastes rotten to me, but I still eat it because it is served with every single meal.... everywhere.
12. Peanuts in a vegetable oil that taste like… um… peanuts in vegetable oil.
13. An unknown pickled pancake substance. I have had this many times and although people try and tell me what it is, I still have no clue. It tastes ok.
14. The MAIN COURSE!! Sliced Pork. Most Korean restaurants have a gas or charcoal burner built right into the table, so the meal is actually cooked by you. Hence, the need for all those side dishes to keep you occupied while your meat cooks.
15. Lettuce / Sesame Leaf / Jalapeno peppers. Place the sesame and lettuce leaf on top of one another and pack it with the fresh cooked meat. Slap on some bean dip and roll it all up like a burrito before stuffing the whole wad in your mouth. Don’t be afraid to combine different elements from the side dishes with your main course!