Bibimbap and Macaroons

I went home this weekend from college (home for me is about a 2 ½ hour drive away) and decided to drive up to my not-so-local Asian market, a place I frequent whenever I’m back on breaks. I call it the “Asian market,” but it also includes insurance, dental, and law offices for the local Asian community.

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Macaroons

Usually when I visit the Asian market I only go to the bakery and the Super H Mart (a huge grocery store with a very strong, fishy smell). The bakery is probably my favorite place to visit because it sells a variety of drinks, like bubble teas, as well as sweet, fluffy breads, which are often filled with bean paste. The bakery also has a glass display case filled with cakes, macaroons, and loaves of bread, and the bakery itself has a really nice, relaxed atmosphere.

Today, however, I changed things up a little by checking out a Korean BBQ place called Omi Korean Grill and Bar, a restaurant that serves a variety of authentic Korean dishes.

Now, before you decide to go hit up your local Korean BBQ, there are probably a few things you should know. First, pretty much everything you order is going to come with a variety of “banchan” or side dishes, as well as rice and soup. I didn’t realize this before ordering, so it came as a bit of a shock when the waitress came with not only my main order, but also a ton of other mini dishes as well.

These side dishes include things like kimchi, which is a staple in the Korean diet, noodles, and cooked vegetables. I tried each one, and they were all very, very good (and spicy). Evidently, you can also get free refills on any side dish.

Secondly, the utensils used for traditional Korean meals are a bit different from American utensils, and each utensil has a specific use. The utensils we received at Omi included a pair of chopsticks, a large spoon…and that’s it. If you go to a Korean restaurant and only see these two items, don’t panic and wonder how the heck you’re going to eat your food. They have forks for the less-skilled among us, but in general, the spoon is used to eat the rice and soup, and the chopsticks are used for the side dishes and main meal. I used the chopsticks. :) 

The main dish I ordered was “Bibimbap,” a popular Korean meal that includes meat, rice, a variety of vegetables, and a fried egg. The food came with the vegetables and meat already in a bowl, so all I had to do was dump the rice in, mix it up, and add the sauce, which is the traditional way to eat the dish.

Overall, I had a great experience at this restaurant. The food was delicious and very flavorful, and the service was decent. I would definitely go there again.