Bibimbap at Koreana in Cambridge

Trying new foods is fantastic, but what is really exciting is trying a cuisine for the first time. With my friend’s recommendation that Koreana is one of the most authentic in the area, we walked in to a full dining room around 7:30pm on a Wednesday evening. I couldn’t imagine how busy it must be on weekends!

Everything on the menu looked great. I ordered dolsot bibimbap ($15) with kimchi (“dolsot” is the stone pot the dish is served in, see below for description of bibimbap). Perhaps a safe choice compared to some of the other dishes I saw, but I hear about bibimbap often, so I thought it would be a good first experience with Korean cuisine. I discovered an amazing combination in a cuisine: pickled vegetables, spice, AND seafood?! Everything I enjoy.

My meal started with miso soup, then the bibimbap arrived – an egg, vegetables, and kimchi over rice. My friend mixed it up for me with chopsticks and a spoon (she grew up in South Korea, so I had great expertise at my table!). In addition to our meals, seven side dishes were delivered (pickled daikon, zucchini, bean sprouts, kimchi, mixed vegetables, seaweed, and eomuk-flat pieces of fish). It was delicious.

We had a very relaxed meal and at the end we were given a sweet ginger tea for dessert with two little pine nuts in the cup. Truly a great experience!

Koreana, 158 Prospect Street, Cambridge