hapa bento

I haven’t posted a restaurant review in a while and it’s not because we haven’t eaten out, and it’s not because I’m too lazy to write… okay I’m a little bit lazy, but the truth is that if I eat someplace  that’ not worthy of a review, then I just skip the effort.  For Babsarang though, I’ll get off the couch and type a few words.

Up  near the Canadian border… just kidding, it’s not that far  unless you consider anything north of Shoreline, WA as “The Great White North”.    Anyway, Saba Man and I ventured to  Edmonds  for our  favorite banh mi  from Seattle Deli.  Not the Seattle Deli in “The I. D.”,  but  the shop next door to Boo Han Korean grocery store.  Unfortunately, neither of us had any cash  and Seattle Deli is strictly cash and carry. We  even went back to the car,  in the pouring rain to check all the “car cubbys”, you know… the glove box, the arm rest, and the CD console including the  secret compartment.  We found a whoping  63 cents! 

No cash… no sandwich, so with debit card in hand we dropped in at Babsarang, the new restaurant,  inside the Korean grocer.  Babsarang is new to the neighborhood and specializes in blood sausage!  Korean style blood sausage and it  looks delicious; dark colored and marbled with white… even to my vegetarian eyes it was beautiful.   But that’s not why I’m talking about this new place.

What I really appreciated about this cute little restaurant (about 8 tables) is that they offer a tofu version of bibimbap!  (photo at the top)  Be still my heart.   And in case you are not aware.  I. Love. Bibimbap.  It’s my most favorite food in the “whole wide world” and the second  thing I liked about their bibimbap is that they serve the rice separate from the main ingredients!  The best!   I like it when it’s presented this way as the restaurant can’t “fake you out” with a big-azz bowl of rice topped with a few bits of carrots and cucumbers.  This big bowl was filled with ALL the good stuff, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, beansprouts, radish, seaweed, the requested tofu and fried egg over- easy.  I almost forgot to take these photos and barely got the camera back in my handbag before I grabbed the squeeze bottle of kochujang sauce and went at it, chopping and stirring with my metal chopsticks.  Yes, that’s right, no flimsy wooden chopsticks here.  It’s the real-deal, metal chopsticks.   And it was more than delicious.  Eating bibimbap is an experience that everyone should enjoy at least once in their life.  It’s that good.  I swear it.

But what about the banchan!    I got so excited about the fabulous bibimbap that I forgot to talk about the first thing that’s brought to any Korean table (besides tea)… the banchan.  It’s the  “all important”  inquiry about any new  Korean eatery.   “How many plates did they bring out?   Hmmm… I was neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed about Babsarang’s offerings.  Only 6 plates, which surprised me as most Korean places in the area present at least 10 different items.   Luckily, the banchan was “fresh” and tasty otherwise I would not have bothered to write a word about them.  There was no old kimchi (don’t you hate that) and I like the seasoned black beans the best.  In fact, I bought container of it  for home.  Saba Man ate up all the vinegary seaweed, asked for more and the bowl was promptly refilled. 

Saba Man ordered the manduguk, a clear beef broth with large meat filled dumplings.  I was very surprised that he ordered soup! My husband never orders soup when we eat Korean food…and always has something “meat”.   He said the rain and cold put him in a “soup mood”.  Wow, you think you know somebody,and  then you don’t!   What I doknow for sure, without a doubt,  is that  Saba Man does not like kimchi!  (gasp)  And it’s puzzling… he’s lived in Korea and likes Korean food as long as kimchi is not involved.   A short aside: The first meal I ever cooked for Saba Man when we started dating was… wait for it…Korean food!  With kimchi!  The look on his face when he struggled to not “hurt my feelings” and confess his dislike of kimchi was classic.  How was I to know?  I meet a guy who has  twice lived in Korea …hello?   So there you go, another Saba Man factoid. No kimchi for him!  We still laugh about that first dinner.

Overall, this visit to Babsarang was pleasant and we’ll definitely eat there again.  The prices were reasonable, $6.95 for my bibimbap and $7.95 for the manduguk. (click on the photo below)  There was only one other table with customers that evening, but I’m guessing that’s  because it was near their closing time of 8pm.  They open at 10:30 am everyday except Tuesdays.  I also observed a few walk- ups  for orders of blood sausage, which the server cut fresh  from the display case and nicely packaged it  ”to-go”.  There must be something to their blood sausage.  Sounds good as stir-fry with  kimchi!   But with Saba Man’s aversion to kimchi and my dislike of meat… we will never know.

Babsarang

22618 Hwy 99, Suite 115

Edmonds, WA 98026

(Inside Boo Han Market)

425-776-7290

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