Walking down Harvard Ave in the Allston area, there are plenty of unique restaurants that look intriguing. There was something about the big windows and wooden structure of a place called Bibim that whispered, “We know you’re hungry.”
We sat down and the waiter said, “Mademoiselles, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now we invite you to relax let, us pull up a chair as the lobby proudly presents – your dinner.” And the entire restaurant came alive and sang “Be Our Guest.” (Wow I wish that actually happened.)
We started with the vegetarian Kimbap rolls. Pretty much sushi with added deliciousness. This fresh and light appetizer was the perfect thing to have before the headlining act hit the stage.
Photo by Katie Zizmor
Then, the main dish arrived, the big “shabang” if you will. The bibimbap. Even though I burnt my hand on the wicked hot stone pot, it’s all ok because I was so happy to have this simmering bowl in front of me. The sizzle of the stone pot was an escalated snap, crackle, pop of Rice Krispies. And the smell was better than bacon (This is not a drill, better than bacon). Bibim’s bibimbap is composed of rice, meat (or vegetarian option), bean sprouts, radish, carrots, zucchini, mushroom, and spinach. Once the dish is made, they crack an egg on top of it and the egg cooks instantaneously. (Is it more acceptable that I burnt my hand from excitement now?)
I had the spicy pork bibimbap. It’s not spicy in the traditional sense of the word, but more on the lines of adding depth to the flavors and balancing out the other lighter aspects of the dish. Due to my less than stellar chopsticks skills, I had to grab a spoon to get all of the sticky rice on the bottom.
Photo by Katie Zizmor
My kick ass photographer Katie had the vegetarian bibimbap. The vibrancy of fresh veggies looked amazing. I have to be honest though, I wasn’t really paying attention to Katie’s because I was too busy inhaling mine.
Photo by Katie Zizmor
My experience with this new cuisine was a tremendous success. Moral of the story: opened eyes, full stomaches, can’t lose. Next time you’re looking to explore your options in Boston, head on over to Bibim. You’ll leave feeling like Raven when she hears her jam.
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