I'm giving this place 5 stars not because it's on par with a Michelin star restaurant, but because they over deliver in service and quality well beyond what is required of an eatery located in the basement of an office.
There is a vast selection of chips, candy, and beverages that would make certain convenient marts jealous and they offer original takes on deli sandwiches and breakfast plates. But the unexpected star was their rendition of bibimbap, which is not as random once you realize the owners are Korean. This is not of the restaurant variety served in a sizzling stone bowl and the ingredients have been Westernized a bit with shredded iceberg lettuce, some sliced carrots and sauteed broccoli, but somehow it harmonizes with the marinated beef, pickled cucumbers and julienned kimchee radish, a perfectly fried sunny side up egg, and the wild card inclusion of some jap chae noodles with bell peppers. I would liken it to how I would imagine bibimbap to be served in a diner, or if a skilled home chef of modest means were to make bibimbap with leftover korean takeout and some random humble ingredients in the fridge. It just hits all the right notes in terms of texture, temperature, and interplay of flavors and spice which is the hallmark of a great bibimbap, where the whole exceeds the sum of its parts, yet no individual bite is identical to the one preceding it.
A perfect lunch spot for those who are busy and fortunate enough to work in the area with a limited break, not to mention some lovely folks working behind the counter. read more