Bibimbap Charlotte Street Review
As the seasons turn and the nights draw in, cosy restaurants with warm, filling food become much more of a consideration for an evening chomping choice! However last week my chum and I were searching for not only this, but a quick and tasty meal before we had to dash off to our seminar at Ada Lovelace day! (@findingada)
Asian cuisine is not one that is often associated with this ‘hug from the inside’ food, more so with the ‘speedy dining’ concept. However Bibimbap proved just what the doctor ordered last week when the weather began to turn rather sour, and ticked both these boxes.
Arriving right on the 6pm opening time we were greeted by a couple of lovely ladies who helped us browse the menu.
The word Bibimbap literally means ‘mixed rice’ in Korean. In Bibimbap (the restuarnat) they serve their famous main dishes in a hot bowl, so the contents continues to cook right in front of your eyes!
With this in mind we tried to choose compete opposites and share the wealth. Our first choice was the spicy pork Bimibap where the pork was marinated in soy and spices (£6.95). Our second was the gorgeously healthy sounding Nutritious, with Ginseng, ginko, dates, chesnut with vegetables served on a bed of brown rice (£8.45) Yum!
The waitress asked if we would like eggs on these, and the two options were raw and fried. ‘Ummm raw?’ I enquired tentatively? And she explained how the hot bowl cooks the egg, wou give it a good stir and egg fried rice is formed! Like this……
So we had one of both egg types.
We popped a cheeky kimchee pancake (£4.95) and some vegetable mandoo (£4.45) dumplings on the order just for good measure!
Not long after we ordered our food popped out of the dumb waiter and we were ready to go!
Merlin’s Beard, what a choice! Both Bibimbaps were totally different. The Nutritious was really fresh and clean. It really FELT healthy! Everything was crunchy, and the rice was a lovely texture especially when it crisped up on he side of the bowl.
The pork was actually divine. Really juicy and seasoned awesomely, we mixed in our raw eggs to form egg fried rice bliss. Mmmmm!
Our sides were pretty darn good too! The dumplings were filled with tender pork, which we dipped in our bowl of soy. However the surprise stand out of the evening was the kimchee pancake! It was just so flavoursome and married with the soy so well.
As we chatted chopsticks in hand we took in our surroundings. Bright and airy, but with a warm feel. The staff were helpful and the service swift. You couldn’t wish for any more in a mid-week dining experience.
Speedy dining without feeling rushed, and with tasty, fresh food Bibimbap really ticked all the boxes for us! Try the Kimchee pancake when you visit, as that was our dark horse choice! Check out their menu here.
Website: bibimbapcharlottestreet.
Facebook: /
10 Charlotte St,
W1T 2LT
11 Greek St.
W1D 4DJ
Open: 12pm – 3pm & 6pm – 11pm
Reporter: Aspen Glencross @gollumcrackcorn
