Michelin Guide Bibimbab in Seoul

Bibimbap (비빔밥) is essentially a simple, albeit colorful, Korean rice bowl topped with all sorts of seasoned sautéed vegetables and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A lot of times it can come with additional mix-ins like marinated beef, seafood, a fried egg… truly the possibilities are endless. It’s probably one of the most well known Korean dishes and one of the most popular among foreigners and tourists due to it’s versatility. It is a deliciously satisfying meal option for those with dietary restrictions who want to eat authentic Korean cuisine.

As you would imagine, there are tons of places that serve this dish at varying price points, but it is generally going to be one of the more budget friendly meal options in Korea. It’s kind of hard to get bibimbap wrong, but if you want our personal recommendation, we really love going to Mokmyeoksanbang (목멱산방).

Mokmyeoksanbang is actually on the Michelin Guide, and has been for a few years now. They take a lot of pride in balancing the modern and traditional aspects of Korean culture and it really shows in the clean minimalist style of the restaurant the way the food is presented. One of my favorite things about this place is that all the topping are served separately. So, you can add as much or as little of whatever you want to your rice bowl. That includes the gochujang as well.

They offer about six different types of bibimbab to choose from. You can never go wrong with their signature Sanbang Bibimbab (산방 비빔밥), but my personal favorite is the Bulgogi Bibimbab (불고기 비빔밥). You just can’t beat that delicious marinated beef. The Beef Tartare Bibimbab (육회 비빔밥) is also really popular here, but whatever you choose, it’s sure to be packed with flavor!

While the bibimbap is amazing, you absolutely have to try their Cheese Kimchi Pancake (치즈김치전). To be honest, it reminds me a bit more of a comically large hotteok because rather than placing the toppings on the batter and cooking it like a typical pancake the kimchi and mozzarella are stuffed between layers of batter and fried to a golden crisp. So you get this thick pancake that’s flakey and crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. It’s one the BEST pancakes I’ve ever had and you can only get it prepared like this here.