I’m getting the reputation as a curmudgeon when it comes to Korean efforts to promote Korean food abroad.  But that’s only because the economics guy heading up the Ag Ministry who thinks he knows about food and what non-Koreans like has come up with embarrassingly boneheaded ideas and has poured ungodly amounts of money into them.

Topoki?

Yet one restaurant is showing some promise.  Cafe Sobahn, a high concept bibimbap/coffeeshop, was created to update the Korean classic and internationalize it.  Of course, I was highly skeptical.

The interior looks like actual interior designers were involved with the design.  The lighting is subdued and warm.  The walls give a stony mountain hideaway appearance.

The main gimmick for Cafe Sobahn’s layout is the interior greenhouse.  A hydroponic sprout garden sits in a glass-lined room next to the customer queue.  And these aren’t just for show.  I’ve actually seen employees harvest the sprouts and put them in the bibimbap.

I’ve always said one of the dominant chromosomes of Korean cuisine is its extremes, and this case it’s extreme freshness.  From garden to bowl in front of your eyes–can’t get any fresher than that.

The menu is plentiful but not exhaustive.  It has the classic bibimbap and some fun variations.  For sizzling stone pot fans, though, there is no dolsot bibimbap available.

The set up is cafeteria style, and the system may be it’s one drawback.  It’s a bit intimidating for first timers.  You grab a tray and utensils, and you can pick from an array of hot and cold side dishes that showcase a little bit of East and West.  You then order your bibimbap, and they give you a bill and a number.  You go to your seat, and they deliver your meal to your table.  You can see here that the dishes have that classic Korean rustic pottery finish.  A welcome detail.

Eun Jeong and I have gone down the menu and have tried a good many of the dishes.  Here are the opinions.  Let’s start with the sides.

The Tofu and Salmon Roll is one of the stars.  It comes with capers, sprouts, soft tofu, and a vinaigrette, garnished with sesame seeds.  Surprisingly, smoked salmon and tofu work well together.  I could have just eaten this and have been happy.  Eun Jeong inhaled it.

Little beef nuggets wrapped in eggplant with a light dipping sauce.  I liked them.  If you need some more meat for your sides, it’s a good choice.  Not much to say about them.  They’re meaty and pretty good.

Eun Jeong went ga-ga over the balsamic tomato salad.  They drizzled on a balsamic reduction that has a slightly syrupy consistency.

The sweet potato sticks were my biggest surprise.  Fried sweet potatoes in Korea tend to be to hard or too starchy.  Somehow they perfect it here.  The outside is perfectly crisp, and the interior is like mashed potatoes.  They also included a few steamed sweet potato slices and drizzled it in a sweet glaze with some almond slivers.  It’s also the most architectural of the side dishes.

And now for the bibimbap.

These are the sprouts that are grown in the store, right in the Saessak Bibimbap.  It’s my favorite springtime food, and they young vegetables are bright and full of life.  It’s purely the taste of freshness.

Next.

This one is based on the royal court dish, Gujeolpan, which is nine toppings that are wrapped in little delicate pancakes.  This had the toppings and the pancakes.  It was a fun one to eat and a clever concept.  I wish there were more pancakes.

This coming one is their top seller.

Chicken Teriyaki Bibimbap.  It doesn’t need gochujang.  The sauce is already in the teriyaki.  This is a good one for people who are sensitive to spicy heat but still want full flavor.  As of this writing there are only two locations of Cafe Sobahn, one in Gwanghwamun and one at Seoul National University.  The students love this one.  For the record, EJ loved it too.

For those of us who do like the spicy, the Stir-fried Octopus Bibimbap satisfies.  I’ve had this at other places, and it’s fine.  But Cafe Sobahn doesn’t lean on the octopus as a crutch.  It continues to add hearty and bright vegetables to stand up to the overpowering pepper sauce.  Those meaty mushrooms in the back truly make the dish.

As I said, there are two locations.  The SNU one is deep in the campus on the main road that lines the western edge of the campus, next to the running brook.  The downtown Seoul one is best reached from Gwanghwamun Station.  Head west, and it’s on your left past a Mister Donut.

Cafe Sobahn website

ZenKimchi Dining review with directions

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