Ruwan J.
Google
((4.75 stars))
DupBopBro is serving a small menu of Korean comfort foods for lunch and dinner in the form of customizable rice bowls on the Lower East Side (close to Alphabet City). they also offers dessert-y and side items to pair with your main dish. the small location is a cozy modern clean bright space with a fun cutesy energy. the interior is an economical use of space: a few tables for dine in, a touchscreen for ordering, some signage about the food, and a few pieces of branded merchandise for-sale. the space is extremely clean--and that's an accomplishment in NYC bc the city can be filthy.
ordered a rice bowl for pickup via a food app (i believe there are on all the major ones). the rice bowls are highly customizable as you choose ONE protein (a choice of chicken, beef, or tofu options like buldak, bulgogi, fried tofu, or sliced beef sausage); a choice of three toppings (like Japchae noodles, pickled cucumbers, macaroni salad, roasted potatoes, and more); and two sauces for your bowl or you can get them on the side. rice bowls take about 10ish minutes to make which is awesome for a "fast casual" meal where the food tastes fresh with clean flavors. my order was the Beef Sausage rice bowl: sliced beef sausages (similar to traditional Vienna sausages or frankfurters like a savory hotdog), roasted potatoes, Korean pickled cucumbers, macaroni salad, atop shredded cabbage and white rice + two sauces i chose on the side: 1) gravy (a a savory stock-based sauce) and 2) Gochujang (a sweet and spicy sauce). the bowl is served hot, and it was superwarm after a short walk home. my food was packed really neatly and the food was arranged nicely in the bowl, itself. the rice bowl is a fantastic post-gym meal when you don't feel like cooking. as you get a generous serving of each rice bowl item. the sliced beef sausages are meaty and flavorful; the cabbage had sweet note of crunch to refresh each bite; the rice soaked in flavors nicely and had a firm softness (not mushy, but not crunchy at all); the pickled cucumber slices have a spicy sweet crunch; the roasted potato cubes are starchy goodness; and the macaroni salad adds a creamy tangy touch to the other eats. the rice bowl was filling without leaving you overly-stuffed which is a credit to using fresh quality ingredients to cook with...and it shows when you dig into the rice bowl. the sauces are a nice touch as you can add more layers of flavor as you eat your way through. the service is very kind and friendly. got a "hello" as soon as i walked in and Jean (or maybe Gene) the owner-operator offered me a hot cup of coffee because it was particularly chilly December night and it was nice to chat while there. the folks running DupBopBro are genuine and it shows in the foods they are serving as you get the flavors and intentions of Korean comfort foods in a modern NYC fast (but not too fast) casual way...a great combo imo.
