PICS: MARCO POL0

Among the Korean options in Thamel, Korean Kitchen Picnic is the cheapest but least Korean. No tabletop grills for kalbi cooking action in either one of its oddly separated dining areas; no spicy, pickled napa cabbage (a standard kimchi) so essential to Korean cuisine. Its kimchi is prepared from daikon radish, cucumbers, and bean sprouts, and although filling lacked that fermented kick so gratifying of good ole cab' kimchi.

In lieu, the nine-year-old Picnic, once run by Korean expats, offers an extensive catalog (a fat album of photographs meticulously tagged with a list of ingredients for the conscientious eater) of traditional Korean intermixed with mock bentos or Japanese lunch sets.

Yes, they've got your standard appetizers like the Picnic kimbap, sushi-like rolls of rice, barbecue beef, egg and julienned vegetables, or the bindetok, a traditional flat cake made with sprouts and cucumbers�both equally gratifying.

The bibimbap, the signature Korean mixed meal of rice, pre-cooked vegetables, and choice of meat topped with a sunny-side egg, is available in its summer bowl or winter dolsot (hot stone pot) version. The dish was dry. A dash or two of sesame oil and a soup�on of gochuchang paste would have done the trick.

Picnic's bulgogi, barbecue beef, is served deopbap or over rice (though could be just a tad better with leafs of raw lettuce � la Hankook Sarang) and is by far the establishment's choice dish. The sweet, soy marinade merges through every bite.

For the more ravenous and unsophisticated diners, look into the chicken stew, a steaming bone-in hot pot served, or opt for a bento box of barbecue pork or beef, pork cutlet, fried fish or chicken, or hamburger steak. Each set comes with an assortment of fresh and cooked sides�a packaged feast overwhelming to the eyes and palate.

Picnic stands against a growing number of Korean kitchens. But its affordable prices and heaping portions make it hard to refuse a picnic.

Off a tangent on the northern side of Tridevi Marg opposite the taxi train and closed every 25th of the month