University District – December 27, 2019

While I (Alice) was very excited to go back to my alma mater and the University District for my current position, there were a few things on the top of the list that I was most excited about returning to. On the list – the beautiful sprawling campus, the gorgeous architecture, the plethora of purple and gold swag at the University bookstore, but number one (which comes as no surprise) was the FOOD.

The “Ave” (University Way NE to be exact) is covered with all kinds of food options (Vietnamese, American, Thai, you name it) for students and staff alike at the University of Washington. Of course I had my favorites while I was studying at UW, and upon returning as an employee, I was happy to see that some of those favorites were still there. I was also excited to see some new kids on the block, one of which was The BoB.

During a cold and blustery December day, Ray, my cousin (who also studied and works at UW) and I decided to meet up for lunch at this new Korean spot.

Let’s talk about the…

SPACE

Exterior. Photo Courtesy of Yelp.

The BoB is hole-in-the-wall-esque with no obvious signage on the outside of the restaurant. There’s no awning or large hanging sign with the restaurant name on it like many of the other restaurants on the Ave. The only indication are some smaller light-up block letters placed in the window and a display of its menu.

It’s a fairly-medium sized restaurant with space for about 20-30 parties, much like other establishments on the Ave. When we visited, we were probably only one of three tables that day with plenty of room to spare. As time went on, more patrons came in but the restaurant was never completely full. The BoB still seems undiscovered to a majority of the campus community.

SERVICE

The BoB service was fair, nothing exceptional, and nothing good or bad to mention. Our server came for our order, to deliver our food and to deliver the check and take payment when we were all finished. Again, nothing out of the ordinary or outside of what we expected.

FOOD

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We ordered:

• Gun Mandu (Deep Fried Korean Dumplings): These perfectly crisped dumplings were delicious and were filled with glass noodles, scallions and what looked like shrimp and pork meaty goodness. The sauce that accompanied the dish, a simple vinegar soy sauce, complimented the dumplings well.

• Bibimbap with Bulgogi Beef topped with Fried Egg (Alice’s order): Important note – Bibimbap is hands down one of my favorite Korean and rice dishes so obviously I had to order it. I ordered a hot stove pot bibimbap (cold/non-stove pot option was available) with bulgogi beef. The dish came with banchan (Korean side dishes) which consisted of kimchi, bean sprouts, and a glass noodle dish made up of glass noodles, meat, and mushrooms. The bibimbap also came with a small bowl of egg drop scallion soup. Overall, the dish was well seasoned and is one of the better bibimbaps I’ve had on the Ave. Was it the best? No. My heart still belongs to the bibimbap I’ve had at Korean Tofu House (another Ave establishment) as well as the bowl at Tasty & Alder in Portland. While this dish at The BoB was good, there were a couple of misses for me. 
  • The beef was more ground-style as opposed to the long slivers of meat I’m used to in this dish. This is definitely a personal preference, but I think it still would have made the dish better and distributed the seasoning more evenly with my bites.
  • I love the crispy layer of rice that forms at the bottom of stone pot bibimbaps. While the pot and this dish was hot, I didn’t get the satisfying crunch rice I was expecting at the end.
• Bulgogi (Ray’s order): Ray ordered the Bulgogi meat dish which came with a large portion of meat as well as the same banchan I got with my order. He also got two healthy scoops of rice to go and some salad to go with his meat. Overall, he mentioned that the meat was good and well seasoned. I can agree and attest to that as he let me try a piece. 🙂

IN SUMMARY

The BoB is a worthy contender as a Korean and general restaurant on the Ave. While the flavors did not stand up to the deliciousness of Korean Tofu House, we still thought the food was tasty. It definitely ranks higher than some of the other Korean restaurants on the Ave. The portions were large and it seemed worth the price that we paid.

Space and ambiance – Medium sized restaurant with fair amount of space and will probably not fill up during lunch.

Food – Good, large portions of food that will keep you full. Well seasoned and tasty, but not the best we’ve ever had.

Service – Appropriate, nothing extraordinary.

Price – Well priced and worth it for the amount of food you get.

Next visit – When I’m craving Korean food and the line is too long at Korean Tofu House or I don’t want to walk far from my office.