Sweet, spicy, crunchy, and smooth all comes together.

Whenever I think about Korean food, I can’t help but be transported back to my college years of standing in line in front of a white Korean lunch truck outside Temple University’s SAC building and just waiting, waiting, and more waiting. If you wanted to grab something fast to eat between your classes, this was not the place to order. What it was though, was a good change of pace from the usual college fares of pizza, greasy Chinese food, and whatever expensive crap they were trying to sell kids who got stuck buying a meal plan for the semester. It was not the most amazing Korean food I ever had, but it did jump start my interest in the cuisine. That same year I was also introduce to Tampopo. A casual self seating, but mostly take out Korean and Japanese restaurant on 21st street between Chestnut and Samson. It’s a tiny little place. You order at the counter, wait for your food, and you would either eat it there or take it home. It was simple, quick, good Asian food, and the type of eatery I believe we need more of in Philadelphia.

One of my favorite things I like to order at Tampopo was the Gyutan-don (thinly sliced grilled beef tongue rice bowl) and the Fresh Tuna Bibimbap. They no longer serve Gyutan-don on the menu. Hmmm…I wonder why? I can’t imagine it not being popular?! Seriously though, I do miss it. If you ever get the chance to see it on any menu, give it a try. Thank goodness the Fresh Tuna Bibimbap stayed steady on the menu. There’s something so texturely and flavory great about this dish. You have the crispy and cold elements from the cucumber and lettuce. The sweetness from the pear. The creamy avocado. The kick from the gochujang dressing. The texture of raw tuna. The nutty and warm brown rice. When you put all of that together, it just works.

If you’re not familiar with the popular Korean dish bibimbap, it’s rice served in a bowl that’s topped with vegetables, sometimes meat, and gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste). Mix it all up and enjoy. It’s a satisfying meal and made even better when it’s served on a hot stone bowl. This version of the bibimbap is slightly different. Instead of mixing the rice and vegetables with the gochujang paste, you drizzle it with a gochujang dressing. The recipe for the sauce serves one, but double or triple it if needed for servings.

Fresh Tuna Bibimbap

This take on the Korean classic bibimbap, brings both sweet and spicy flavors and crispy and smooth textures all together. There are no measurements for the amount of vegetables, tuna, and rice needed for this recipe. Add as much or little as you please. Top it off with some ikura, salmon roe, to make this dish extra delectable.

Ingredients:

Sushi/sashimi grade tuna

Red cabbage

Lettuce

Cucumber (seedless)

Asian Pear

Hass Avocado

Cooked brow rice

Sesame seed

Scallions

Ingredients for the sauce (serves one):

1 tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste)

3 tsp pear vinegar (if you don’t have pear vinegar, you can substitute it with cider vinegar but the amount might be different so please start out with 2 tsp and taste and add along the way)

3 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp sugar

Make the dressing first. In a bowl, combine gochujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Mix well and taste. If you like it more spicy, add more gochujang.

Julienne the red cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, and Asian pear. Cut the avocado in half and thinly slice it. Set aside.

Cut the raw tuna into bite size chunks. Set aside.

In a serving bowl, assemble cooked brown rice in the bottom. Arrange the vegetables and fruit on top in a circle. Add the chunks of tuna in the middle. Sprinkle it with sesame seeds and thinly chopped scallions.

Serve the dressing on the side. Pour the dressing in the bowl when you are ready to eat.

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