I woke up Saturday morning thinking about bibimbap. It had been a while since I had this Korean dish of rice topped with various seasoned vegetables, sometimes beef, and always a fried egg. If you were lucky, you’d have it at a place that served it in a dolsot, a stone bowl that would be heated up to crisp the bottom layer of rice. And so, that search was the catalyst for my second trip to New Malden, a month after my first. I went in search of bibimbap!
Online, I’d seen mixed reviews for You-Me; however, I’d previously read some very good print reviews for You-Me and so it was to that restaurant that I went to eat my bibimbap. They’re not located on New Malden high street but further down Burlington Road (take a left at the roundabout at the far end of the high street from the train station). I’d heard a bit about the adjacent bakery, Hyun’s bakery, but they were on holiday! Aw shucks!
Actually, the less said about my experience at You-Me, the better. Service was atrocious – the look on the waitress’ face when I had to flag her down to let her know that I had no utensils with which to eat my meal…well, let’s just say that I suspect she thought that I had pocketed the chopsticks and spoon she believed I already had in my possesion. The dolsot bibimbap (£6.90) I had was quite average but it did come with three kinds of namul (vegetable banchan) and Korean tea came to my table when I sat down; many of the Korean restaurants in central London charge you for tea and banchan.
After lunch, I browsed a number of the local Korean markets and found that a few were selling plastic containers of cooked beef and various vegetables. Toppings for bibimbap! For one or two people, it’s probably more cost and time effective to purchase one or two of these boxes and cook your rice at home. You’ll be missing out on the crusty rice if you don’t have a dolsot, and I don’t, but it’s perfectly fine without it. Oh, and don’t forget to fry an egg too! Of course, I purchased a box for myself at Manna Mart on the high street – bibimbap for me later this week again! If you’re not close to a Korean supermarket, here’s a general recipe for bibimbap though many other vegetables can also be added. Top the lot with gochujang (hot red pepper paste) mixed with a little rice vinegar and sugar. Mix mix mix and eat!
You-Me
96 Burlington Road
New Malden, Surrey
KT3 4NT
Manna Mart Ltd.
71-73 High Street
New Malden, Surrey
KT3 4BT
Tamarind and Thyme 
Wed, 22 Aug, 2007 at 21:25
A dish with a cute and memorable name, I didn’t try it until in the past two years and it’s usually really great! Lucky you, it came in a stone bowl – I’m looking out for that in the future!
Thu, 23 Aug, 2007 at 04:35
Mmmm I love bibimbap. I’ve had one where there was simply a raw egg yolk placed in the middle, rather than a whole fried egg. I guess the idea was that when you mixed everything together, the heat of the stone bowl would cook the egg yolk! So which is the ‘proper’ way to make a bibimbap (I am woefully ignorant of Korean cuisine)? :O
Thu, 23 Aug, 2007 at 16:38
I admire you and your search, but am sorry for your sake it wasn’t wholey fantastic. I guess that means the search can continue, though. Where have you found good bibimbop in London, out of interest? My Japanese friend turned me on to one of the ones behind Tottenham Court Road (though I can never remember the name, just the location and the fact you have to queue)
Thu, 23 Aug, 2007 at 20:11
Gwen: Do look out for the dolsot – the crusty rice is a terrific bonus!
supercharz: ZenKimchi did a post on bibimbap and he uses a raw egg with his dolsot bibimbap. Hmm…I wonder if I’ve always been served a fried egg since I’ve only eaten it at restaurants? Raw eggs tend to not go down so well in London. But the raw egg would get cooked in the dolsot, no?
Annemarie: I had an ok dolsot bibimbap in Paddington and a quite nice bibimbap, minus dolsot, at a place near the British Museum. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the place. I made a bibimbap at home yesterday with the toppings I purchased – it was delicious!
Fri, 24 Aug, 2007 at 15:55
I usually turn to Koba or Ran when I get craving for Korean food. I can’t believe you went all the way to New Malden but missed Hyun’s Bakery. Oh dear!
Fri, 24 Aug, 2007 at 17:42
I had bibimpbap at one of the restaurants on St Giles High St (Tottenham Court Road)… I can’t remember which one it was… it wasn’t Assa, so maybe Woo Jung??
Raw egg! It was REALLY good.
Sat, 25 Aug, 2007 at 19:45
Tommy: Thanks for the restaurant names! They’re on my list of to-tries. I was quite upset about Hyun’s Bakery…they should be back from holiday by now.
supercharz: Raw egg! I’ve gotta try that!