Gwacheon Korean restaurant: Bibisam’s octopus stone-pot rice

I do not usually seek out bibimbap, but I liked that it came with tteokgalbi, so I visited Bibisam Gwacheon Main Branch (비비삼 과천본점). The bulgogi bibimbap was good, but the stone-pot octopus fish roe rice stayed with me most.

How do you get there from Government Complex Gwacheon Station?

It is about a one-minute walk from Exit 11 of Government Complex Gwacheon Station. It was directly behind the fire station near Gwacheon Hillstate. The address is 10-13 Saesulmak-gil, 1F, Unit 101, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The original post lists hours as 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, with no break time.

Is there a wait at weekend lunch?

The restaurant was not especially large, but it was a comfortable size. There were a mix of two- and four-person tables, and it was full when I visited for weekend lunch. A line continued to form afterward, though tables seemed to turn over relatively quickly.

How much are the bibimbap and tteokgalbi?

These are the menu prices I noted during my visit. Tteokgalbi could also be ordered on its own, and it was less expensive as part of a set.

• Vegetable bibimbap ₩9,000
• Octopus bibimbap ₩11,000
• Bulgogi bibimbap ₩10,000
• Stone-pot fish roe rice set ₩13,500
• Stone-pot octopus fish roe rice set ₩15,500
• Korean beef yukhoe ₩7,000
• Korean beef tteokgalbi ₩6,500
• Korean pork tteokgalbi ₩5,500

How do ordering and food collection work?

I ordered and paid through the table-order system. Collecting food, returning dishes, and preparing side dishes were all self-service.

What does Hwangdeung torim bulgogi bibimbap taste like?

I had the Hwangdeung torim bulgogi bibimbap set. The bibimbap had generous portions of bulgogi along with shredded radish salad, mushrooms, spinach, egg, bracken fern, and other ingredients.

The torim rice, meaning rice rinsed in broth, was already evenly seasoned. I did not need to add extra sauce; I simply mixed the ingredients well with chopsticks. The fluffy rice and vegetables went well with the sweet bulgogi, and I also liked the flavor of the rice itself.

How were the Korean pork and Korean beef tteokgalbi different?

The Korean pork tteokgalbi came with an egg. I liked its pleasantly chewy texture.

I also tried the Korean beef tteokgalbi. The sauces tasted the same to me; the difference between the pork and beef was more in the meat’s texture and juiciness than in the flavor itself. Both were good, so it was hard to choose one as better.

Why was the stone-pot octopus fish roe rice my favorite?

Of everything I ate that day, the stone-pot octopus fish roe rice was my favorite. It had plenty of plump octopus, along with flying-fish roe, minced bulgogi, pickled radish, imitation crab, sesame seeds, mushrooms, and vegetables.

This dish also used torim rice that was already seasoned, so the ingredients and seasoning worked well together. It was mildly sweet, salty, and nutty, and I liked the chewy texture of the octopus. What I especially liked was being able to eat the scorched rice that formed in the stone pot.

How was it for a solo meal or lunch with others?

Overall, the food was less strongly seasoned than I expected, and I was satisfied with both the meal composition and the prices. I thought it would be fine for eating alone, and worth considering for a family meal or a work dinner as well. There was, however, a real wait at weekend lunch. If I returned, I would want to have the stone-pot octopus fish roe rice again.