In an unassuming white clapboard building in Ayer, the brothers Tae and Tae Kim, who run Woo Jung Restaurant, have for 20 years been serving authentic versions of Korean (and Korean-style Chinese) food to legions of loyal fans. The Tae brothers run the dining room, while their parents run (and cook in) the very busy kitchen. Woo Jung has earned such a reputation for its authenticity that it is not uncommon on a weekend to see a large table of fashionably dressed young Asian Bostonians dominating the center of the dining room. Mostly though, it's a mix of young families and older couples from the area who, like me, were hooked after the first visit. And if, like me, you are new to Korean food, the first visit is a surprisingly memorable experience.

The first thing to happen when you are seated is that the table is quickly set with "banchan." These are five or six small bowls of "side dishes" typically served with a Korean meal—not so much as an appetizer, but as lovely, cool, and crunchy foils to the rice, noodle, and soup dishes that make up the menu. Woo Jung's banchan varies a bit but the constants are two kinds of kimchi (slightly fermented Chinese cabbage with red chili paste, and "American" cabbage with vinegar), cucumber, bean sprouts in a light sesame oil, and daikon. Banchan is comfort food, best eaten with chopsticks, and a great way to start a meal and a conversation, as well as to balance off the light presence of vegetables in most dishes. More banchan is always available during a meal.

Expect the presence of red pepper flakes almost everywhere in the banchan and in many of the main courses. This does not mean HOT! Somehow they manage to keep the heat to a peripheral background level, and many dishes are available that are not at all spicy. If you want more spice in a dish you like, just ask for it and they will oblige. What I liked about a recent dish I ordered, Chicken Stir Fry ($11.50), which comes with a meatless fried rice, was the option for "spicy." The heat in this dish is from whole, dried chilies, so you could regulate the heat by consuming (or not) the easily identifiable pieces of chili. This is a satisfying dish with a generous portion of tender white meat chicken in a light sauce, available without the heat.

Another surprise if you are new to Korean food is to be served a dish along with a pair of scissors! Always tell the server if you are sharing. Depending on the dish, especially noodles, you will be surprised at how practical a pair of scissors can serve as a utensil. Kal Bi, Korean short ribs ($18.50), also come with scissors for cutting the long strips of meat from the bone and make for easy sharing. Ribs are marinated in a sweet, soy-based barbecue sauce, and are tender and delicious. The Kal Bi and Bulgo Gi (sliced beef marinated in a similar sauce for $14) are all-beef dishes that are better with a side of meatless fried rice. A single bowl of the rice is $2.50, but some dishes on the menu include it for an up-charge of $1.

There are many noodle soup dishes that are more than enough for two people, and transferring the contents to another bowl could be quite tricky (or messy) without those scissors. It's a two-person operation, and kind of fun to figure out how to do it. If you are sharing a soup, I recommend going for one of the "more" options. A few of the soups are offered with extra seafood for just $1.50 more.

My favorite soup is Jam Bong, a generous bowl of house-made rice noodles in a soup with pork, seafood, and vegetables. The presentation is beautiful, with the ingredients rising up out of a background of deep red broth, colored by the ubiquitous red chili. It looks hot, but the heat in this (and other) soups is quite mild. A nonspiced version of this soup is Woo Dong.

I have been slowly working my way through the menu and have not tried everything, but I can say most items are based on either noodles (rice or "starch"), rice, or soup (usually with noodles). Layered on the base is your choice of protein. What I find so interesting is where it goes from there. The reason there are so many choices is the variation in the way the dishes are prepared. For example, you could have Jab Chae Bab ($11.50), a pork dish that combines clear noodles with fried rice. Although separate on the platter, you mix them up when serving and it somehow works. Some dishes are very straightforward, such as Palboa Chae, a platter of shrimp, squid and scallops in a delicate light sauce ($18.99). The menu also says "with mixed vegetables," but I recommend an order of Bokum Bab (meatless fried rice) to round this out. The banchan will take care of the rest. This luscious dish is perfect for two people who like seafood.

My favorite platter-style dish at Woo Jung is Yang Jang Pil, a heaping platter of pork with vegetables over noodles, topped with shredded egg omelet and bean sprouts(which are not in the menu description) and surrounded by seafood (scallop, shrimp, and squid). It comes with a "hot" (not really) mustard sauce, which the server may ask if you want on the side. I recommend having it mixed in for you. This little platter is so piled up, I do wish they would just get a bigger one so there would be more room to play with the food (mixing it up and sharing). Many of the dishes come like this, with ingredients compartmentalized on the platter and meant to be mixed at the table.

If you like tempura, you can have your choice of sweetly glazed chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp, for $14.50 to $16. The batter is on the thick side, and a single platter is enough for three to four people to share. I would not order tempura for one, as you probably would not finish more than half and it's not a good take-home item.

It's easy to order too much food at Woo Jung. For two people I recommend an appetizer such as the scallion pancake, and one entrée or possibly two noodle soups. The pancake is huge compared to the Chinese version, and thicker. Take some home and heat it up the next day in a skillet for a tasty lunch.

I tried only one dish that was in a ja jang sauce, which is a deep soy-based bean paste. A small dish of ja jang was served with the bancha for dipping, and a tiny amount was pleasing. However, the Sam Sun KanJa Jang, house noodles with pork and baby shrimps, was too intense. The noodles are served separately, probably for easy sharing, then the bowl of Ja Jang is mixed in. The sauce overpowered the whole dish, and was too heavy for my taste.

Woo Jung offers consistent quality, authenticity, casual laid-back atmosphere, and a great value. Alcohol is not served, but you are welcome to bring your own wine; your server will bring you an opener and wine glasses, with no "corkage" fee. Woo Jung is a neighborhood gem.