What: Bibimbap
Where: Kpop Foodz, 35400 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City
How much: $14.99
Contact: 760-424-8600; www.kpopfoodz.com
Why: The mixture of beef and fresh veggies.
The Coachella Valley could certainly use some more Korean restaurants—and hooray, we have a new one, Kpop Foodz, in the space that was most recently home to Weenee Roadhouse. I really, really hope Kpop succeeds in a space where a lot of restaurants have had short lives.
The hubby and I went there for a recent weekend lunch. The menu includes appetizers, “kimbap” rolls (like sushi rolls), ramen, various meats over rice, Korean barbecue dishes and about 10 “house specials,” ranging from spicy beef soup, to bean paste stew, to pan-grilled mackerel. I was delighted to order one of my favorite Korean dishes—bibimbap.
Not only is properly prepared bibimbap one of my favorite Korean dishes; it’s one of my favorite dishes, period. (I especially the hot-stone version, in which the rice is put into a sizzling-hot stone bowl, making the rice on the edges crispy—but Kpop doesn’t offer this version.) The mix of rice, beef, crisp veggies and a fresh egg, along with the tasty bibimbap sauce, can be addictive—and Kpop’s version is quite good. The next time I order it, I’ll probably request to pay extra for additional beef, but I can’t complain about the amount I received for the downright-reasonable price of $14.99.
Also: An endorsement within an endorsement goes to the complimentary kimchi that’s served along with all meals. Damn, it was delicious.
Again, I really hope Kpop succeeds in this space; within the last six years, I’ve liked three other restaurants in this location enough to give them Indy Endorsements, and they all closed after relatively short stints. Does Kpop Foodz have what it takes to break this streak? My fingers are crossed—because the more Korean food we have in the Coachella Valley, the better.
