The Dudes of Food

5975 Roswell Rd
Ste B209
Atlanta, GA 30328

Bibim Bowl, newly opened in the heart of Sandy Springs, sits no more than 25 and serves one signature dish, bibimbap. Bibimbap is one of the most traditional Korean household meals. Many Koreans will say that their fondest memories are of their mother or grandmother bringing out the stone bowl that is home to the bibimbap. It is a staple.

Bibimbap literally means “a mixed meal.” A good way to think about it is imagining a family dinner. There is always the younger cousin who cuts up the steak, the potatoes, the broccoli, and the carrots and mixes it with ketchup and the rice to make a giant gluttonous adulteration. Bibimbaps have a rice base with various vegetable toppings, meat or tofu, and often an egg. Finally, this sizzly union of rice and veggies is topped off with a Korean chili paste.

At Bibim Bowl, the owner took a modern approach to a family dish. Instead of receiving a stone bowl, the diner gets a flimsy plastic dish. All of the ingredients are organic and fresh. You have a choice of brown or white rice, a vast selections of proteins for your bibimbap, and all of the chili paste you can handle.

Consumer Hint: The chili paste is not THAT spicy. It is actually sweet: ketchupy with a kick in the back of the throat.

The first time I attempted to dine at Bibim Bowl, there was a large wait and I ended up opting out for Canton Cooks, one of my favorites down the street. I returned a week later and everything was working smoothly; I was promptly offered a seat.

The menu contains alternatives to the bibimbap including teriyaki bowls and sushi. The name of the restaurant, however, is Bibim Bowl, and that should say enough. Get the bibimbap. Seriously, who goes to Burger King and orders the salad!

When I ended up dining at Bibim Bowl, there was a Scoutmob coupon for 50% off. This made dinner cost around $5 a person with tip and tax included. With a coupon, it is definitely an FSFW. Without, at $9, it is pushing the line, but given its location, Bibim Bowl is certainly moderately priced. The food is not life changing; I wouldn’t do unforgivable things to get my Bibim Bowl fix, but it’s a solid meal for $5-$9.

Consumer Hint: Scoutmob will bring immense joy to your otherwise monotonous culinary life. If you are an iphone/itouch/android user, download the app immediately. Every day, scoutmob.com has a new 50% off deal for a restaurant/activity. By putting in your phone number, you can “text” the deal to you phone. At the restaurant, you show them your text message on your cell phone or the app on your portable media device and voila, huge savings. Just know, without the app you are limited to the deals you text yourself. For Bibim Bowl, all you need is an iphone/androind/itouch (or a friend with one), and you can get the 50% off discount. (www.scoutmob.com)

What to get: The Bibimbap. Mix and match with your own choice of ingredients. The table was split between chicken and beef (sadly nobody chose tofu). Both proteins were well cooked and appetizing. The vegetables tasted fresh, and the owner was more kind and gracious than anybody should be to a hungry horde of teenagers.

Note: Bibim Bowl is not the fastest place to get your food, especially given that they are preparing a bibimbap, which my Korean mother (if I had one) could prepare in 4 minutes and 30 seconds flat. Nonetheless, go with patience and you will enjoy the owner’s take on bibimbap in the heart of Sandy Springs.