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Kaju offers dolsot bibimbap with add-in options of beef, egg, or both.
Without the beef you have a lovely ovo-vegetarian meal and just
subtract the egg to make the dish vegan-friendly. The colorful toppings
consist of sauteed vegetables including julienned carrots, fiddlehead
fern (gosari), shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, spinach, Korean radish (mu), and strips of dried seaweed (kim). Season the dish to taste with hot pepper paste (gochujang) and stir everything together to create a mixture of savory bliss.
The
second best part about ordering the dolsot bibimbap is the crunchy rice
you get towards the bottom which is created by the extreme temperatures
of stone pot. The thing literally comes out hissing, so don't go
sticking your fingers anywhere near it until it has cooled down… or
at least stopped making noise.
The absolute best part about
ordering the dolsot bibimbap (or anything, for that matter) is the
array of side dishes that come with it! Every entree comes with the
following eight sides:
Fermented soybean soup (doenjang):
Similar to Japanese miso soup, this dish is a warm and slightly briny
broth flavored with soy bean paste and garnished with green onion.
Seasoned cucumbers: These are crisp slices of cucumber, marinated and seasoned with chili paste.
Beansprout salad
(kang namul muchim): Slightly salty, these beansprouts are
translucent, but remain crisp with subtle hints of sesame seed oil.
Potato salad:
Self explanatory. Lightly seasoned, this dollop of potato salad is just
a tad sweet with the occasional raisin found in the mix.
Spicy pickled cabbage
(kimchi): This kimchi is flavorful, but not as salty or spicy as others
tend to be. It's a good accompaniment to the other dishes and not
overpowering.
Water kimchi (mool kimchi): Served in a cool broth, this dish is more zesty than spicy and is great for refreshing the palate.
Fish cake (tempura) and seasoned anchovies:
Obviously not vegetarian, you can have these dishes replaced with any
of the veg-friendly items listed above. Six out of eight choices isn't
bad, though!
At $9.25 for the entire spread (including hot tea), the dolsot bibimbap is a smorgasbord of deliciousness just waiting to happen!
