Bibim

It does seem that there is an increased popularity of establishments serving up Korean Bibimbap as much of a takeaway concept in the Central Business District these days. Telok Ayer Street has recently seen the opening of MUGUNG not too long ago — an establishment which is focused on serving up takeaway Bibimbap bowls with an emphasis on being a clean and healthy lunch option; there is yet another similar concept that had opened along China Street named Bibim. Bibim is the newest tenant to have moved into the same stretch of shophouses along China Street which had seen multiple new concepts opening of the late where Chilli Pan Mee Batu Road is located — recent openings along the stretch includes a new outlet of 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist, as well as #THEBACKYARDBAKERSHQ; the shop unit which Bibim occupies would be the one which Nam Seng Wonton Noodle 南生 used to be located at. Being pretty much a hole-in-the-wall establishment, it is impressive how Bibim actually does have a small dine-in area within the the shop unit itself; the shop unit pretty much decked in a space-era sort of aesthetic with vast use of reflective elements alongside mirrors and furnishings with a metallic finish. Much like Nam Seng Wonton Noodle, there is also a seating area for dine-in customers outside by the “alley”, though these are pretty much unnoticeable to most whom pass by the shop along China Street. Bibim claims on its social media pages to be a “startup focused on serving good food and sharing a good attitude towards life” — the menu pretty much focused on its various Bibimbap and a few other rice offerings (think dishes like Steak Rice etc.). Bibim also serves up a small variety of side dishes like the Rose Toppoki and Korean Mozza Cheese Balls amongst others, whilst offering patrons with non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages such as canned drinks and Soju, just to name a few.

For those looking for something on the lighter side at Bibim, the Rainbow Bibimbap might just be something that is suitable for smaller appetites that fills the stomach quite well. The Rainbow Bibimbap is essentially a non-meat offering — all other items listed on the Signature Bibimbap section of Bibim’s menu does come with some form of meat or egg that accompanies the Bibimbap. The Rainbow Bibimbap is named as such due to its colourful aesthetic — comprising of elements such as blanched leafy greens, carrot strips, corn nibs, kimchi, mushroom and beansprouts, the splashes of red, green and yellow does make the dish look rather appealing on first sight. Bibim thoughtfully serves up the Gochujang (i.e. Korean Red Chili Paste) separately in a saucer rather than serving it directly in the bowl of Bibimbap — this allows the patrons to decide how much Gochujang they wish to have alongside the Bibimbap, making it fairly customisable. Giving everything a good mix after pouring in the Gochujang, the Rainbow Bibimbap was something we could appreciate despite how it lacked of meat — we liked how all the different elements such as the kimchi, beansprouts and corn nibs all help to provide some form of crunch to the dish; all laced with the Gochujang that gels all of them together. The Gochujang comes sweet, earthy and mildly spicy on its own, though when mixed into the entire bowl, carried a mostly sweet note without having been anything spicy. The mushrooms helped to add an earthiness and a bouncy bite, while the greens made it all the more wholesome with a soft bite. The only gripe was that it could have done with a little more Gochujang for more flavour, though the amount of Gochujang it came with would suit those looking for something on the lighter side here.

While Bibim sounds like an establishment that serves up pretty healthy fare that would suit the health-conscious office workers in the Central Business District based on what we have experienced with their Rainbow Bibimbap, there are also quite a number of fun dishes that Bibim does serve up on their menu. Case-in-point would be the Korean Mozza Cheese Ball which we had also tried; an item which is being listed on the Snacks section of their menu, the Korean Mozza Cheese Ball is available in both Small or Large portion sizes. We opted for the former, which sees a serving of three (3) Korean Mozza Cheese Ball in a small bowl. We initially thought these were going to be pretty much like fried mozzarella cheese balls with stringy, melted cheese in the centre; little did we expect that these were deep-fried Mochi balls that came with clumps of mozzarella that seems to also be laced in a bit of sugar for a savoury-sweet note — a little odd when one takes a first bite, though does eventually grow into us and was pretty addictive thereafter. We are pretty satisfied with our meal at Bibim even though we had only given two of their dishes a try; the items are of a good quality for the price point, and Bibim does also allow for customisation of their dishes apart from taking care of the small dishes such as the separately-served Gochujang — patrons can opt for their desired proteins and toppings for their Bibimbap if they go for the Create Your Own Bibimbap option, much like at a salad bar. Prices of the Bibimbap at Bibim starts from $6.80; the cheapest item on the menu being the Rainbow Bibimbap, while the priciest option would be the Unagi Bibimbap at $17.80. Considering the availability of more fun dishes such as the Steak Rice and Salmon Rice Bowl, we would think that Bibim is definitely worth checking out at least once; items like the Rainbow Bibimbap would most appeal to the office workers looking for something competitively-priced and not too difficult on the wallet. Yet another establishment to consider dining at for lunch in the Central Business District!