Putting some style into bibimbap
Bibimbap. You just can’t escape it.It’s a dish that any Korea culinary guide will speak lovingly of, and most airlines flying in and out of here slap it down in coach class.
Yet bibimbap is hardly an icon of culinary sophistication. Essentially it is a large bowl of rice mixed with any other stuff you have lying around the kitchen. There is, however, some art to it. Over the generations, Koreans have discovered that said stuff should consist primarily of veggies of varying textures, that a dollop of spicy red pepper paste is a good idea, and that an egg ― raw or fried ― seals the deal.
But is it the kind of dish you would want to dine out on? In downtown Jeonju, North Jeolla, (home of allegedly the finest bibimbap), maybe. In downtown Seoul, probably not. In recent years, I have found most downtown bibimbap a bit tired, a bit the same. But there is one place you might want to consider if mixed rice hash tickles your fancy: Cafe Sobahn, a downtown location that adds a sparkle of style to this tired, old favorite, serving bibimbap in an ambience more redolent of a wine bar than a hash house.
You don’t come here at midday. Like every downtown eatery, the place is heaving by 12:05. The smart money arrives after 1 p.m., when the lunch rush has departed. We arrive at 1:10 to find plenty of vacant seats.
Set at the foot of a steel and glass tower a minute or two from Gwanghwamun intersection, this restaurant is bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows. The hustle and bustle is kept at bay by a couple of pine gardens on the pavement. The interior is predominantly dark wood, cool steel and glass. Dominating the dining room, and adding to that wine-bar ambience, is what looks like a glass wine cellar, but proves to be filled with freshly cultured cress, a key ingredient.
We begin with vegetable rolls and tofu with shiitake mushroom (each 2,000 won). The vegetable rolls are original. They are stuffed with either ground pork (or a very good imitation thereof) and taste more like a sausage than their description. The tofu is an instant classic. A brick of the white stuff, topped with caramelized shiitake and drizzled in sesame oil is excellent.
There are 10 bibimbap on offer. My companion orders the nine traditional delicacies (6,500 won). I go for the beef tartare and various vegetables (9,500 won). Both are colorful explosions of ingredients. They are served on wooden boards and come in brass or celadon bowls, with dark wood chopsticks, so presentation is in line with the Nouvelle Korean ambience.
Hers is a bimimbap take on gujeolpan, a classic platter in nine segments, containing ground meat and vegetables, eaten in an envelope of sliced radish.
Here, instead of being served on the platter it comes in bimbimbap. And guess what? It works. The shredded veggies are fresh and textured, and while the dish perhaps lacks the delicacy of the original, being mixed into the rice base makes it a meal, rather than an appetizer.
Mine is a bit of a surprise. There is a huge splotch of red pepper paste with a raw egg in it, but where is the beef tartare? Mixed into the paste, we are told.
When I mix it all up, it is not bad, but I am disappointed on two counts. One, there is not enough beef, and two, its flavor is obliterated in the heavy, fiery sauce. As an overall bibimbap, however, it is a winner.
We both order a glass of house wine (4,000 won). Both are substantial, I am pleased to say.
But when I peruse the menu more carefully, I wish we had ordered the more exotic drinks offered: vanilla soymilk (3,000 won), sweet pumpkin latte (3,000 won) or even natural dew tea (3,000 won).
Service is friendly but a bit sleepy. Given the overall upscale ambience, I am a bit put off that it is serve yourself, counter style, at lunchtime.
Verdict: Good value, tasty grub, healthy ingredients, pleasant ambience. What more can you ask for? By bringing this to the suited finance classes, Cafe Sobahn gives bibimbap a new lease on life.
Cafe Sobahn
English: None spoken
Tel: (02) 730-7423
Address: Officia Building, 163 Shinmunro 1-ga
Subway: Gwanghwamun Station, line No. 5, exit 6
Parking: One hour free behind building
Hours: 7 a.m to 10 p.m. weekday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends.
Dress: Come as you are
By Andrew Salmon Contributing Writer [andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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