For those that aren’t familiar with Korean food, bibimbap is a signature dish which literally means “mixed rice”. The dish is served with warm white rice, sauteed and seasoned vegetables and Korean chilli pepper paste (gochuzhang), soy sauce or a bean paste (doenjang). A raw or fried egg and sliced beef are added and then mixed thoroughly before eaten.

Jin’s Bibimbar is like a Korean version of Subway. Each customer is given a menu that is divided into 4 sections. The first step gives you the option of selecting from white, brown or no rice (lettuce substitute). The second step is to select your vegetables, which is a maximum of five choices from a selection of cooked or fresh vegetables. The third step is your proteins and the fourth are the sauces which are available at the self serve counter.

The decor is neat and well presented with the prominent use of lime green among it’s timber furnishings. The place is small with about a dozen seats for customers. There’s a nice open kitchen where you can see all the cooking performed, and there’s a good amount of natural light that flows into the place.

For lunch, I had the Bulgogi Beef Bibimbap with mushroom, onion, bean sprout, carrot and seaweed salad. The dish was ready after a 10 minute wait and was nicely presented. The beef bulgogi was well marinated, however, the meat was slightly over cooked. The steamed rice came out of a rice cooker and was a bit soft and mushy. The mushroom, bean sprouts and onion were cooked with olive oil, garlic and seasoning, but to me, they were quite bland. The raw carrot added a nice crunchy texture which worked well with the tangy seaweed salad. The addition of gochuzhang and sesame oil were much needed to give this dish depth.

The dish came with a side of Kim Chi. It had a nice punch of sourness, however, it lacked the necessary heat.

The staff were friendly and the owner even took the time to explain how the ordering system worked. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was reasonable. Lunch set me back $9.50 which is a fair price, although I can get exactly the exact same dish in the city for $10. Considering rents are higher in the city, one might say they are over priced.

Not the best bibimbap I’ve ever had, but pretty good for the price.

WHERE: 480 Goodwood Rd, Cumberland Park