Korean steak tartar bibimbap. If you’re like me, such a deliciously designed dish reads like an “oh yeah” on a menu. So that’s what I had for my main during last week’s inaugural dine at Bibigo, a couple of month’s old Korean “fresh and healthy kitchen” in Soho.
However, I doubt very seriously, I’ll order it on my next visit. Don’t get me wrong. I loved it. I’m a fan of bibimbap and steak tartar individually on their own anyway. And getting to have both together (for £13) was a treat. It’s just that there were so many “oh yeah” moments printed on the menu that I’d be doing my taste buds a disservice to stop investigating the good food on offer. Braised short ribs with daikon, shallots, pine nuts … pork belly with ginger, spring onion and pine nuts …
Other highlights from my dinner included a starter course of baby squid (deep fried baby squid and okra topped with fried crushed garlic, £8). As with the bibimbap, squid + okra = yeah for a gourmand dude like me. Kemey ordered an especially delectable black cod (baked spicy black cod served with steamed asparagus and mange tout, £20) that’s well worth a melt-in-your-mouth mention here. She absolutely loved it. A side of kimchi (three kinds, £3) impressed us both as well.
A bottle of the house soju (Korean rice liquor), Chum-Churum, pleased and cleansed (£12.50 for 350ml). Ho-ddeok (a sweet pancake with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream, £6) was a yummy dessert as was the texturally crave-able Mandarin mousse (with Yuja foam, jujube and white chocolate ice cream, £6). Service was impeccably attentive (they were expecting me though, and I was there on early side of what was shaping up to be a busy night).
Bibigo is located at 58-59 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7YJ. According to bibigouk.com, this “fine dining flagship” restaurant and bar also operates as a shop stocking “a great range of Bibigo Korean food products including our famous sauces, marinades and cooking ingredients.”
