Iona C.
Yelp
I attempted a very, VERY short keto run out of solidarity with a coworker I regularly dragged out on boba runs two to three times a week. As we eased out of that and back into a more varied, but still healthy diet, we realized how few choices there seemed to be for fresh, tasty and reasonably priced food that would leave you satisfied and not hungry a couple of hours after lunch. There are only so many times you can eat Chipotle and, after an almost $20 salad at the Mixt, we decided to expand our range to include Berkeley. I'm a huge fan of Korean food, but was a little wary of this fusion-y, Chipotle-like take on it.
Turns out there was nothing to be worried about because Mad Seoul makes some mean bowls. My coworkers picked up two of the classic bibimbap bowls and when she handed me mine, the first thing I thought about was how heavy it seemed. I don't care how creative you get with your Chipotle combos, you never end up with a container with considerable heft.
Yes, the base layer of the classic bowl is perfectly cooked short-grain rice, but the majority of the bowl was filled with vegetables (cooked and raw) and thoroughly marinated bulgogi. Truly classic bibimbap, or at least the versions I've tried at Korean restaurants, always taste pretty plain since you have the option of adding gochujang sauce for flavor. What I really appreciated about Mad Seoul was that since many of the ingredients were prepared separately, each one seemed to have a unique flavor and texture. While too many flavors can lead to poor results, the ingredients in the classic bowl blended together so well and created a really memorable meal.
I haven't had a chance to stop in for a proper sit down meal here, but I do hope to check-in again soon.