How did I miss this one?

It looks like this has been out since early 2010, and I just found it today. I still don’t know what to think of it.

I like the food and atmosphere. It starts out at a hanok in the rain (get it? Rain?). And then Rain comes out and basks in his genderless glory while talking about how much you crave for a “ball” of bibimbap on “a day like diss.”

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This past week, I’ve been taking full advantage of one of the things I love the most about Korea, and here it is:

Monday: grilled Mackerel, in a long-standing, well-known restaurant in my neighborhood: crisped brown, perfectly salted, purple rice (healthier) on the side.  4000 won.

Tuesday: hot pot bibimbap: the pot is so hot that the rice scorches against the inside of the bowl in which the bibimbap is served; I mix it, and then press the mixed rice against the sides of the bowl, to maximize the scorched flavor and texture.  Best bibimbap I’ve had in the city (as always, the best bibimbap, hands down, is in those little restaurants at the bottoms of mountain trails, right after climbing a mountain, but short of climbing a mountain, this is great).  The old ladies at this place know me, and know that I don’t eat the “Yakult” cup, so they don’t set it out on my tray.

Wednesday: maybe on Wednesday I’ll go to “Halmoni Kalguksu” near Jongno 3-ga, in a tiny back-alley near subway exit six.

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Adding to the growing list of organic restaurants in Seoul, Mananim stands out for its singular devotion to the homemade. Now, lots of places out there feature homemade food – but how many of them make their own cheese, soy sauce, and vinegar? That’s right, everything is handmade by the owner, down to the vinegar and soy sauce used to season the dishes. At this point, Fatman wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the owner hand-raked the salt.

The restaurant is small and you’d hardly guess it was a restaurant at all from the profusion of jars, bottles, jugs, and onggi/옹기 (earthenware pots) sitting around obscuring the scant four tables. But find a seat anyway, and snack on fresh veggies and gochujang (red pepper paste), steamed sweet potatoes, and salty 장아찌 (jangajji – pickled vegetables) while you decide from an unusually diverse menu. Read the full story

Fatman was recently browsing the interwebs, and realized there is some confusion brewing over the vast sea of dishes covered by the term bibimbap 비빔밥.  Now, the idea of bibimbap itself is pretty straightforward:  It’s rice, mixed with . . . well, something else.  But with so many regional and local kinds of bibimbap, it’s sometimes hard to know your Jeonju (전주) from your Jeonju (진주).  So, Fatman humbly offers the following fieldguide for bibimbap identification:

비빔밥/bibimbap: If you see this on a restaurant menu, you are getting the most basic version possible ~ white rice and an assortment of vegetables both cooked and uncooked, usually lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini, bellflower root, cucumber, dried seaweed, radish, spinach, ferns, and/or mushrooms.  There may also be a bit of beef (ground or in small strips) and a fried egg to top it off.  Properly done, there should be at least five colors (blue/green, red, yellow, white,  and black/brown) arranged in a visually pleasing manner.  If there’s no 고추장 (gochujang/ pepper paste) lurking under the egg, it’ll be in a jar on the table.  Typically served in a stainless steel or ceramic bowl, but fancy schmancy places will sometimes use brass bowls.  Of course, if it’s a fancy schmancy sort of place, you’re more likely to get . . .

전주 비빔밥/Jeonju bibimbap: Ah, the grande dame of bibimbap!  Jeonju-style bibimbap is as famous as it is confusing.  Many a hungry soul has wandered down Jeolla-way only to wonder what the hell makes this dish special.  Well, for starts, this bibimbap claims royal antecedants, with local lore holding that it developed from court cuisine.  Other typical differences are the inclusion of 황포묵(hwangpomuk, sometimes called 노랑묵/norangmuk), a yellow jelly made from mung beans and gardenia, 육회 (yukhoi, marinated raw beef), and local bean sprouts.  Some restaurants cook the rice in beef broth for a richer flavor, but its the accompanying bean sprout soup (콩나물국/ kongnamulguk) that helps mark this local food for what it is.  The Jeonju-style has come to dominate, so expect a dish that strongly resembles the standard-issue bibimbap, only more elaborate.  And, because this is Jeolla-food, tasty.

진주 비빔밥/Jinju bibimbap: Moving east into South Gyeongsang Province, Jinju’s specialty bibimbap involves 육회:  Lots and lots of raw beef marinated in sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sugar, accompanied by pine nuts, egg, and pear, gets slathered on top of hot rice, which partially cooks the ingredients.  Mmm, beefy!

산채비빔밥/sanchae bibimbap: This virtually vegetarian version should include fresh mountain vegetables both root and leafy, and can often be found in restaurants near Buddhist temples.  The best ones are made with just picked local vegetables from the hillsides, giving the diner a chance to taste some wilder kinds of vegetal matter, from the  shoots of the hardy kiwi to aster leaves to stringy stonecrop.   It all depends on what’s fresh and local, making it locavore and (minus the common inclusion of an egg) vegetarian and vegan friendly.

돌솥비빔밥/dolsot bibimbap: Basic bibimbap or some variation thereof, but served in a hot stone bowl.  The bowl is usually greased with a little bit of sesame oil to keep the ingredients from sticking right away, and the egg on top is usually served raw and cooked by  the heat of the bowl and ingredients when you stir it all together.  Start stirring this the minute it hits the table, or everything will burn on the bottom, rather than achieving the much sought after crispy crunchy texture.

회덥밥/hoi deopbap: Despite the name, hoi deopbap is closer to bibimbap than deopbap.  Leafy greens and raw fish (often tuna, salmon, or all those lovely chewy whitefish beloved here in Korea) are served on top of rice,  seasoned with a splash of sesame oil and a dash of chogochujang (초구추장: vinegared pepper sauce).  The most famous of these is  probably . . .

포항물회/Pohang mul hoi: This variation uses raw halibut, pear, and a whole heap o’ cucumber.

안동헛재사밥/Andong heotjesabap: Think of this dish not as bibimbap for the weak, but rather the bibimbap of choice for those with a selective palate that doesn’t need the burn of peppers.  That’s right ~ the distinguishing mark of this dish is that its flavored with soy sauce and sesame oil instead of gochujang.  But why, particularly in a region known for the spiciness of its cuisine?

The name holds a clue:  Rice for fake ancestral rites.  There’s a lot of stories as to how this dish came to be, but the most famous is that a young man arrived back in town just a little late for a jesa (a Confucian ritual honoring a deceased family member), but still jonesing for the delicious dietary aftermath.  These rituals involve symbolic offerings of meat, vegetables, fruit, rice, alcohol, and an assortment of fried goodies to the ancestor, and when the bowing is done the non-deceased feast.  However, spicy foods and bright red foods aren’t part of this meal, since the color and flavor are too bold for a solemn occassion.  But what’s a boy to do when the meal is already through?  Ask ‘em to cook it over again,  ancestors be damned!  Hence, “fake” jesa rice.

Often served with another local specialty, salty mackerel, not to mention a wide host of mostly fried and meaty sides (echoing the delicious snacks for the ancestors), this mixed rice doesn’t have egg or spicy sauce, but does have a subtle and savory flavor to cherish almost as much as the dear departed.

Think of a version Fatman’s forgotten?  Let us know, and we’ll add it to our field guide!

Written by Rob McGovern

In order to keep it fair and cover as much of the city as possible, I have tried several restaurants that were previously unknown to me, and I have been back to a few that I know very well. I have included restaurants based on a few factors, but the main factors were quality-slash-taste and value for money. Customer service and authenticity have entered into my thinking, but overall taste and value have taken priority. Finally, there are plenty of places that serve a very palatable bibimbap in Jeonju, as you would expect, but the places I have chosen are where you are guaranteed to get a good bowl of the good stuff.

Starting with Gogung 고궁 is a safe bet. In fact, in terms of bibimbap it is the safest. Gogung is THE place in Jeonju to eat bibimbap. Served in the most traditional manner I have come across, the bibimbap is delicious and is served with all the care and ambiance that you would expect in Jeonju’s most famous mixed rice restaurant. The restaurant is easily the most famous in the city and was founded in 1996 as the successor to Han-Kuk-Kwan, a restaurant which was itself founded in 1966. Gogung has been so successful that in 1999 the company opened another restaurant in Seoul’s Myeong-dong neighbourhood and has since opened other branches. According to the Visit Korea website the main ingredients of the dish are even imported directly from Jeonju. For more bumpf info visit their website www.gogung.co.kr

Gajok Huigwan. Credit: 여우별 on Flickr

In terms of fame and taste follows closely on the heels of Gogung. Endorsed by the city, Gajok Hwegwan 가족 회관 is very conveniently located in the heart of the downtown area near the city’s hanok village, making it a very popular place with tourists. The bibimbap here is very nice and the side dishes are plentiful. Whether the taste is as good as Gogung will come down to the subtitles of your taste buds, but the difference is negligible. However, the difference in service isn’t. While Gajok Hwegwan can probably seat 100 hundred people it is smaller and certainly more cramped (it is a single level restaurant located above a 1,000 won shop) than the 2 floored Gogung (which also includes a small Bibimbap museum.) Having to cram all those hungry tourists and locals into a smaller space means that sometimes service takes a step back in favour of efficiency which sadly does nothing for the ambiance and experience. Yet you can watch the whole assembly process as the kitchen is an open plan, just don’t stand in the same place too long or you might get shoved out of the way by the fearsome ajummas who run the place. http://www.jeonjubibimbap.com

Myeong Seong Ok (from the website)

After 2 very good but slightly grandiose and ever so slightly pricey places we go to Myeong Seong Ok 명성옥, a small restaurant in Ajungli that although part of a chain is located in amongst apartment blocks far from the wandering eyes of tourists. Frequented by taxi drivers (a sure sign of authenticity and quality) and locals Myeong Seong Ok has a simple menu but most appropriately for this place they serve both bibimbap and dolsot bibimbap. 6,000 won is all you pay for a delicious bibimbap but the beauty of this place is in the side dishes. Ever changing but always delicious, their kimchi is particularly good and also forms the basis of their utterly unbeatable kimchi jjim. There is another branch near Lotte department store but I haven’t tried it. It is also a 24 hour establishment so when you start thinking food after a few drinks Myeong Seong Ok provides a cheap, delicious and healthy alternative to fried chicken or pizza on the way home! cityfood.co.kr/h2/myungsung

Bibimbap at Seong Mi Dang. Credit: emailer on Flickr

Seong Mi Dang 성미당 came out quite near the top when I asked several Korean friends where they thought the best bibimbap restaurant in Jeonju was. Located less than a minute from the better known Gajok Hwegwan, Seong Mi Dang is equally as good as its more famous cousin. Less well known doesn’t always mean inferior quality, however, but it usually means smaller crowds, and, indeed on my visit, there were only 4 or 5 other people there, all Korean and, judging from their attire, they were locals on a break from work, which speaks volumes. The dish itself was superb, fresh and healthy tasting but with a moreish quality which makes Seong Mi Dang a great place. www.sungmidang.com

Yang Poon Jip. Credit: Black Bean

There are two restaurants, also in the Ajungli area of the city, that provide good value, which is an important factor if you are going to be a regular consumer. Traditional Jeonju bibimbap takes a lot of work. There is the sagol soup that the rice is cooked in. The ingredients are cooked individually and assembled on top with care and attention, and the whole dish is presented in a traditional brass bowl, which goes someway to explaining the cost, somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 won in Gogung , Seong Mi Dang and Gajok Hwegwan. Yang Poon Jip 양푼 집 and Kim Woo Dong 김우동 are 2 places that provide cheap and cheerful bowls of mixed rice. Yang Poon means “big bowl” in Korean. True to its name, this place serves a hearty bowl of rice with plenty of vegetables and lots of side dishes, which include a generous doenjang jjigae.

Similarly, Kim Woo Dong serves their bibimbap using heukmi bap 흑미밥, which means “black rice” but actually dyes the rice a very pleasing purple colour. Both places have one thing in common with all the other restaurants mentioned here. They use fresh local ingredients and this, it is said, makes all the difference. I regularly walk past both of these restaurants and see trucks outside with bunches of garlic, onions, spring onions and other ingredients, still with that morning’s earth on. These places may not be unique to Jeonju, but these are the places where you can eat great food prepared by expert hands from fresh, local ingredients. If that isn’t special I don’t know what is.

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ADDENDUM

Last and by no means least a special mention.

Jeonju bibim samgak kimbap (전주비빔 삼각 김밥) is not only my favourite samgak kimbap but probably my favourite fast food. It is cheap and delicious and provides a nice diversion from the traditional kimbap where the plain rice is wrapped around a splodge of filling. The rice is pre-mixed and so every bite is veritable party in the mouth, spicy and delicious and beats normal kimbap hands down.

You can read ZenKimchi’s original post here.

Here it is, folks. Meet your new master.

Remember the beloved Cafe Sobahn in downtown Seoul? It closed down to create this:

The name “Bibigo” combines bibimbap, the spicy mixed rice and vegetable dish and “to go.” The restaurant’s emphasis is on quick takeout.

“It’s often the case that foreigners have a difficult time eating Korean food cooked and served the traditional way,” [CJ Foodville CEO Kim Il-chun] said. “Should Koreans emphasize the traditional element of the food, foreigners may take interest in it out of curiosity, but in the long term there will be a limit to that interest.”

[...]

[Get ready for it...]

“We want Bibigo to be the McDonald’s or Starbucks of Korean food,” he said.

I hope you weren’t in the middle of drinking your coffee when reading that.

Here’s the scoop. Some of you may remember Seoul Eats and ZenKimchi organizing secret test marketing last year for a Korean restaurant. It was for Cafe Sobahn’s expansion into overseas markets. Some of you participated in it, and it was a good time. The word spread about Cafe Sobahn, and it became a favorite amongst the foreigner crowd. Towards the end of the market testing, which the exec in charge admitted that CJ had little experience in doing, they asked what we thought of the name “Bibigo.”

There was almost universal laughter and strong opposition to the name.

I guess you can figure out that they threw the market testing out the window, shuttered Cafe Sobahn, and went ahead with shoving this Bibigo down their markets’ throats.

Despite the McDonaldization and that bitter-tasting story, I would still like to try it out. They’re still obsessed with the “Americans will eat it because it’s healthy” meme over the reality that Americans put taste over health most of the time. They’re not Koreans. These guys have a hard time mentally wrapping around that concept. But after reading the description of one dish, black rice, bulgogi and citron soy sauce, I’d be interested in checking it out.

But if they won’t listen to the market they’re trying to sell to, maybe they’d at least learn from the failed efforts of their rivals. It got passed on to me that Korean bakery Paris Baguette, which does have a location in L.A., tried to rebrand itself in another location as Wheatberry Bakery in Pasadena, CA. Yes, they were able to fool some folks into thinking it was an olde worlde European bakery, but others saw through it. Through bad management (likely middle-aged ajosshis refusing to listen to the on-the-frontline notes from their underlings), unsanitary conditions, bait-and-switch overpricing (sound familiar?) and a total arrogant presumption towards their market, Wheatberry crashed down in flames.

‘McDonald’s of bibimbap’ debuts

[HT to a very special reader]