Restaurant review | Bibim: beautiful, good, inexpensive Korea

Through the good shots and, sometimes, the not so good, our restaurant critics tell you about their experience, introduce the team in the dining room and in the kitchen, while explaining what motivated the choice of the restaurant. This week: the freshness of Bibim.

Why talk about it?

I’m pretty sure that after a few weeks of excess (and yesterday’s pancake!), you’re ready to eat lighter. Your bank account will also thank me for making this affordable suggestion. If you didn’t know the Bibim, it’s time to find out. It’s a safe bet that, like me, you will adopt it for your desires for beautiful, good, inexpensive all-in-one dishes.

Who are they ?

Bibim is Gino Choi. He grew up in Korea and Vancouver and found himself in Montreal in 2019 to work in special effects for the cinema, a return to his first profession after several years of real estate brokerage. But it was very short-lived and he had to find another way to earn a living. “I had always wanted to be a chef. My parents had a little cafe out west and I liked helping them out. Naturally, the reality of the job caught up with him very quickly. Catering is not a profession in which one improvises easily. Gino Choi is nevertheless convinced to make the classics of Korean cuisine better known east of Laurier Park.

Our experience

I discovered Bibim shortly after it opened in April 2021. As the name of the establishment suggests, the specialty here is bibimbap, a bowl of rice topped with a protein (typically beef , but there’s also tofu at Gino), sautéed, fermented or blanched vegetables and a fried egg. This easily addictive dish is served with a savory chili paste and that’s what you’re recommended to choose from the sauce options, unless you’re really intolerant of hotness.

Initially, in the summer of 2021, the cute counter offered Korean picnics, which included a drink and a nice cloth bag. It’s always possible to pair your to-go bowl with a bottle of cider, although the season lends itself a little less to long meals in the park. Fortunately, you can now eat on site, in the pretty premises decorated with numerous paintings and voluminous paper lamps. The range of dishes has grown a little too, with a revisited bulgogi (the “fire meat” – literally! – is not served sizzling) and a sautéed spicy pork.

As he is alone in the kitchen, the chef does all his preparation in advance and assembles as he goes. Everything is impeccably fresh and is good for both belly and soul. On our last visit, the boss was busy. It was lunchtime and he had to fill take-out orders, Uber orders and those from customers who were eating in. Strongly even more volume so that Gino can hire a kitchen employee and breathe a little! “That would be the dream! “, he confirms.

In our glass

For the moment, the Bibim has a grocery permit, which makes it possible to sell bottles to take away, but not to consume them on the spot. The offer of non-alcoholic drinks is however interesting and original, with a green plum lemonade, an iced tea with yuja (yuzu) and hibiscus, an iced matcha and an aloe and pomegranate juice, among others.

Price

Bibimbap is $17.99 regular or $19.99 large, while bulgogi and spicy pork are $18.99.

Good to know

If you choose the tofu option, for the bibimbap, it is good to know that it will not be vegetarian or vegan (even if you remove the egg), since kimchi and other seasonings contain fish or seafood.

1556 Laurier Avenue East, Montreal