Bibibop, located in D.C. and Maryland, opened in May and serves original Korean food with fast and friendly service. It is a great place to take your family and friends, as it offers many different eating options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets.

Soon after entering Bibibop, I was greeted with welcoming smiles as I walked to the open-bar-style menu, where you can choose what to add to your bowl from a variety of options. The menu consists of a regular or small sized bowl that comes with one protein, a choice of three warm toppings and eight cold toppings. The protein options include chicken, spicy chicken, tofu and steak.  The cost for a bowl varies from $6.49 to $8.49 without tax. In addition, this fast food restaurant offers free miso soup to all guests.

I ordered a bowl with purple rice, noodles, lettuce, spicy chicken, corn, carrots, black beans and yum yum sauce. At first, I was unsure if this combination would taste good, but to my surprise, it was delicious.

The purple rice brought in a salty flavor, unlike the regular white rice, and was a great addition to my Bibibop bowl. Likewise, the yum yum sauce, a Japanese steak sauce made in America, added a sweet taste that mixed well with all the other toppings and proteins. The chicken was cooked well and wasn’t too spicy, which I enjoyed. All the toppings were fresh, a key characteristic for a restaurant that wants to be known for their “bold flavors and healthy ingredients,” which is one of their slogans.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was well organized and had a modern feel due to its seating options and upstairs level. Bibibop provided many different arrangements options including high-bar dining room tables.

I recommend Bibibop to all students looking for healthy, inexpensive and tasty food choices. Their Rockville location is only seven minutes away from the CESJDS Upper School and has free parking. I can’t wait to return and try more of their proteins and toppings.

Bibibop is located at 11580 Old Georgetown Rd. in Rockville. Hours are Monday-Sunday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

This story was featured in the Volume 35, Issue 5 print edition of The Lion’s Tale, published on March 22, 2018.