The Korea Garden is on 20 Pearl Street somewhere behind the Middle East in Cambridge, Mass. It’s the sort of place that attracts local Asians and very few white boys (like me). So it’s hard to say what they must have thought when Cliff and I walked in one night this winter.
An argument broke out in the kitchen as the waitress presented our order. We joked and smiled among ourselves about it, but my smile fell as my dinner was delivered. A quivering mound of raw red beef topped by a glossy raw yellow egg yolk graced a pile of rice and sprouts. All this was delivered in a hot stone pot with a side of chili paste.
It may be difficult to understand how I ordered such a thing. It’s number 41 on their menu (not available for take out), but, like number 42, the description is rather limited. If I was more awake to things, I might have figured it out before ordering. But such is not the case, and I ordered it, so bit by bit I ate it.
And the more I ate, the more I liked.
Here’s the rest of their (takeout) menu:
UPDATE: More about Bi Bam Bab here.