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Be Bop
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
2975 College Ave(between Webster St & Ashby Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94705
Neighborhoods: Elmwood, Claremont
(510) 848-8081
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
69 reviews for Be Bop
Review Highlights
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"The pumpkin soup was creamy and delightful." In 9 reviews -
"They have a pretty extensive list of Jeon." In 10 reviews -
"...tried the be bop dol sot bi bim bap (try saying that 10..." In 2 reviews
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69 reviews in English
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Review from Hello K.
Fremont, CA
5/14/2012 2 photos
We had a large family dinner here to celebrate Mother's Day and a birthday and enjoyed our visit here!
The restaurant was accommodating for our party and service was attentive. They also had no problem giving us extra plates/forks for cake.
I had the BBQ chicken and veggie jap chae. The chicken was good, nice and tasty. The jap chae was just okay-not as tasty as some other places I have had.
Prices here was reasonable- not as expensive as some Korean places I've seen. Decent portions and good food....wouldn't mind returning again in the future. -
Review from Christina H.
Berkeley, CA
4/1/2012
Much better the second time!
We went here about a year (?) ago, when they first opened, and although we liked the food, were not excited about the service. We decided to try it again, finally, and were very pleased...the food was very tasty, the service was great (our tea was always full, our food came quickly, and they were really nice), and even my parents, who are not super adventurous eaters, couldn't get enough of the various items we ordered. -
Review from Soo Jung R.
Berkeley, CA
Best bibimbap place I found around Berkeley. The interior can be deceiving - it's not the typical "Asian" look you find in many Korean restaurants around here. It's not huge, like Kimchi garden, but it is bigger than Toust. And you know what's better? They have sort of an 'open kitchen', so it makes me trust their quality more.
They've got a whole variety of bibimbaps here, but they also have Jeons (korean style pancakes) and BBQ plates. I ordered a Kimchi Tuna Dolsot Bibimbap, with brown rice.
Before the Kimchi Tuna Dolsot Bibimbap came out, they gave a Pumpkin porridge ('hobakjook' in Korean) in a cute portion. The porridge is good, and although I'm not a fan of the porridge, the one at Be Bop tasted good. They also give seaweed (known as wakame, which is actually a Japanese word) soup that Koreans call Miyeok-guk. It had carrots in it, which was really unusual, but I guess that was for the color. Tasted good!
Finally, the main - bibimbop. I must say, I was impressed with the amount of veggies they gave (and the variety!) - and the rice was very healthy too. My choice of "Kimchi Tuna" wasn't the best, because the combination of tuna and Bibimbop didn't taste like what I expected. Still, finished the entire plate and was very satisfied.
I'd definitely go back here. I saw people sitting at a table next to ours, and they ordered BBQs - looked SO good.
Oh, and yes, the price is not cheap. But like I say in SO many of my 4+ star reviews, this was worth it. At least for me. -
Review from James C.
4/26/2012
So there is no secret that the Korean Restaurant Market is overly saturated in Berkeley, but this one I would have to say is the best. 5 stars, and no hesitation about that. The food is amazing! Extremely vegetarian friendly. Yes it is a little more expensive, but it is totally worth it. They don't go cheap on anything, from giving away free soups, to all you can eat sides, they are pretty amazing. Moreover, I love the staff, they are soooo nice!!!! Great place to go with friends and family. The place is also very new age looking, and the restaurant is clean, and you come out of it feeling clean and wonderful about yourself. The food is very fresh, and you feel like you just ate a really healthy meal your mother cooked for you. Just get the bibimbap, you can't go wrong.
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Review from Gina K.
El Sobrante, CA
3/6/2012
Finally, my first yelp review! I just had to write one up for this place.
I definitely recommend trying the kimchi & tuna dolsot bibimbap, jeon combination, and the spicy soft tofu stew. With the signature dish of Be Bop being bibimbap, I wasn't too sure if I should order the spicy soft tofu stew, but it was something I had been craving for a while so I decided to take the risk. It was delish! I ordered the mixed seafood version which had very generous portions of clams, mussels and sliced calamari. It also usually comes with shrimp as well, but we had that left out due to my friend's shrimp allergies. The stew was full of flavor and matched up perfectly with the rest of our meal.
One of the other comments on here mentions that the jeon combination was really oily. Be Bop must have lightened up on the oil after that comment because I didn't find it oily at all when I tried it yesterday, and that's surprising considering it's a fried dish.
All in all, it was a great experience.
Be Bop has it all: excellent service, very pleasant modern decor, reasonable prices, great presentation; and of course, yummy (MSG-less) Korean food.
Will go again soon. -
Review from Grace C.
2/26/2012
My better looking half - J - (newly crowned Elite!) - and I have eaten here twice.
This is the only Korean restaurant I know that has vegan and vegetarian options and prides itself on making all of their own sauces. No MSG. 3 types of grains.
I've eaten the bibimbap - vegan and the potato and tofu jeon - both vegan as well.
Would not order the potato jeon again - tasted like it was mixed with sweet rice - totally sticky and the bibimbap was a little tiresome after a while. The tofu jeon was fine.
So why would I return? Two words. Pan Jung (little appetizer dishes). Each time, there is one OUTSTANDING dish among the pan jung.
Note: I am not talking about the pumpkin soup - not a fan of it - tastes like there is rice in the soup.
The first time - it was the tofu - oh my goddess - BEST tofu ever - lightly braised, in a sweet sauce. I asked for more and got 3 more dishes.
The 2nd time - it was the eggplant - again, I had a "Wow" moment and asked for more - the server gave me 3 more dishes.
Both times, our bill was around $25. Plentiful portions. Terrific service. Neighborhood parking (no meters) is relatively easy. Clean bathroom. -
Review from Markito M.
Oakland, CA
3/13/2012
Mixed bag. Some new and delightful things.
I got mushroom dolsot bap. Nice to have that option. One of the few other places that has this is Jong Ga House but their version isn't consistently well-done. We shared an appetizer of different juns. It was good - some were stuffed with meat.
The tea was nice. The waitstaff were pleasant and efficient.
The kochujang for the bim bim bap with spicy without much other flavor - garlic or sesame for instance.
The gave a free pumpkin soup which was cold and sweet - wasn't my fave. The also gave a seaweed soup later.
The gave a few pan chan - the kim chee was one of the less great versions I've had. However the non-spicy one was excellent. Would love to have more varieties. -
Review from Andrew C.
Along the same vein as Bowl'd on Solano, Be Bop is a BiBimBop (Korean rice bowl topped with veggies and other things like meats or tofu) focused Korean restaurant with 9 bibimbap (BBB) options (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I've been here twice, once close to opening and just recently.
Be Bop has a smaller overall menu vs. Bowl'd. In addition to the BBB they have 4 BBQ items, 10 jeon (fried battered or pancake type items), and have added a handful of things since opening like kimchi mandu, soon dubu, and galbi (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
They start you off with a small cup of pumpkin / squash soup (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which I enjoyed.
Just 3 banchan delivered with very light or no spiciness (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It was augmented with a plate of spicy kimchi that came with my makkoli (unfiltered rice wine http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The waitress said I got this because of the booze, but it couldn't hurt to ask, if you're going sober and are craving kimchi.
The meal also comes with another vegetarian soup (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
I've gotten the Bulgogi Dolsot BBB both times I've been. This last time, they now give an option for an egg where it wasn't offered when they first opened! It comes runny sunny-side up (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) You can also choose white, brown, or mixed grain rice for your BBB.
Toppings include sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, julienned carrots & radish, shredded lettuce & cabbage, and quinoa along with your protein of choice. They've given a good amount of lean and tender bulgogi both times. I chose mixed grain rice this time (first was white) and that was a mistake for two reasons: 1) the mixed grain rice mixture was very moist so didn't crisp up against the hot stone bowl, 2) the pat (azuki beans) in the rice were plentiful and very sweet, which I didn't like with the rest of the BBB.
Kimchi Bin dae duk (kimchi mung bean pancake) from first visit was slightly over-fried, but still tasty with the kimchi inside (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
Food so far has been maybe 3.5 stars overall, but rounding up for the friendly and efficient service.Listed in: Korean Restaurants
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Review from Kenneth R.
Berkeley, CA
2/15/2012
I came for lunch today after reading a review of Be Bop in one of the local newspapers (The San Jose Mercury News, I believe). I was prepared to be wowed but left the premises thinking that Bowl'd is a much more interesting restaurant. On the other hand, there is no denying that Be Bop is convenient to the UC campus for bicyclists and even for energetic pedestrians!
I had Bibimbap #3 (tuna), which came with a small pumpkin porridge, a clear soup and a tray of condiments -- this is all as other yelpers have described. The bibimbap was quite large, and it was definitely A-OK. However, I didn't have a sense that my lunch was great and I really had to come back soon; I did have this sense last year at Bowl'd!
Our server seemed to be the only one working the room. The restaurant was far from full, but enough tables were occupied that our server was busy, busy, busy. He was pleasant and never lost his cool, but he did have to move fast. -
Review from Albert W.
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here back in September when it opened and once more last weekend. Both times the restaurant was packed and filled with people.
This is probably one of the best Korean restaurants in the Berkeley area. Waitresses are really friendly, the place was clean, and food was delicious!
Pumpkin appetizer was weird, but it was still edible. Girlfriend is not a fan of it and I end up having to eat two portions of it. I'd rather they serve more side dishes than this.
For the main course, I got the tofu soup and my girlfriend got the bibimbap, and last time we went we both got bibimbaps served in a stone bowl. The tofu soup is lackluster, it's watery and lacks the flavor and kick the bibimbap has. I ended up putting kimchi into my soup for the extra flavor and to give it some type of spice.
Bibimbap however was loaded with veggies, meat, and an egg, all of which were tasty and flavorful. This is definitely what others are ordering, and it really is delicious. There are vegan options if that's your thing.
Brown/mixed grain rice costs an additional $.50, but the place overall isn't pricy at all. I would definitely come back for the bibimbaps and nothing else. -
Review from Esther H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2012
If you are craving bibimbap, make sure you come here! Be Bop is probably one of the best Korean restaurants in the bay area!
-The place is really clean.
-The food has NO MSG. You can tell they are honest with their food.
-I personally liked the pumpkin soup. unique, but really good.
-Kimchi and tuna dolsot bibimbap was amazing! It came with a variety of vegetables and egg. You can choose brown rice with it if you want the healthier alternative.
-Service was great. Food came out fast. Waitress was friendly.
-The jeon (korean pancake) combination was delicious. Try it with their many different dipping sauces.
-Great experience. I would definitely come back. I recommend this place to everyone! -
Review from Grace C.
2/21/2012
- Bulgogi dol-sot bibimbap (BBQ beef + bibimbap in a sizzling stone bowl): 4 stars.
Came with a lot of vegetables, which was nice, and it comes with a side of tangy plum sauce.
- Jeon combination (various things stuffed with egg batter): 3 stars - I wanted to like it, but it was really oily, to the point that I felt like it left an oil slick coating in my mouth
- Bulgogi japchae (BBQ beef + stir-fried clear noodles): 4 stars, pretty good
Overall, not too bad but I'm not exactly itching to come back again ASAP. -
Review from Mikki M.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/9/2012
It was my first time at Be Bop. This restaurant is great place for people who want to try Korean food. Something I always look for is if the restaurant uses MSG and I was estactic when I read in the menu that they use ZERO MSG when they prepare their food. I'm definitely going here again but I'd bring a big group because the portions are huge!
It was a great experience, the place was very clean, we hardly had to wait for our food and it was in a great location. And our waitress Ji was very helpful in helping us decide what to order. I recommend the spicy pork and the chicken bibimbap. And their kimchi is to die for! -
Review from A P.
Oakland, CA
3/11/2012
AMAZING! If you're a vegan (I am) and you love Korean food (I do), then get here! It's fantastic. Traditional Korean food = a lot of vegetables. This is because Korea has a long history of farming, so diets in Korea have been heavily vegetable-based.
I state all of this because the food is fresh; you feel healthy after you get done eating here.
The decor and ambience is fantastic--nice colors. The waiters (two of them were there when I was there) were very attentive and very nice.
When I mentioned that they should add some vegan options to the menu, the waiter said that he would talk to the owner.
If they added more vegan options, I would tell all of my vegan friends to come here. It's a great place for vegan / vegetarian / and meat eaters.
Give it a try and then walk around; it's a great neighborhood and will make for a great night!
Alex -
Review from T t.
Oakland, CA
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
1 star for the SERVICE
2nd star for the Be bimbop OPTIONS
Tried their be bimbop and it wasn't that great. I liked how they gave free pumpkin porridge as an appetizer but I didn't like it. Like yelp says Meh. I've experienced better. Just go to a Korean restaurant like Sam Won, Ohgane, and etc for more of an authentic be bimbop experience. -
Review from Suzanne H.
4/14/2012
I just had a beautiful, fresh, delicious meal here with friends; the place is cheery, the service terrific, and what a treat to get healthy brown rice and delicious Kimchee. They were busy tonight but really accommodated our party, which included a fairly rambunctious two year old - the place is great for families. Our teacups were always full, and we loved the little bowls of bright orange pumpkin porridge they brought when we ordered, as well as a nice, light vegetable soup.
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Review from Erica A.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
Did not like this place at all.
First off, the waiter kept MUMBLING everything so we barely understood him!! I was beyond annoyed when he was taking my order. He didn't understand the concept of smiling or something, because he came off as cold and arrogant.
The food, well, I've had far better bulgogi. I had the bulgogi dol sot bibimbap, and the meat was super chewy! I hated it. I chose the spicy sauce, and it was too spicy for me to even taste anything in the bibimbap after adding the sauce.
My friend got the tofu soup, and he kept complaining that it had absolutely no flavor. it LOOKED really spicy, but obviously was not... he ended up adding kimchi to it to make it spicier.
2 stars because they were persistent in refilling our tea, but I definitely would not come back here. -
Review from Rebecca R.
Oakland, CA
12/20/2011
Wowsa! I love this place! I came here on a crowded Saturday night, still managed a table, albeit next to the door (it was freezing out). Dol sot bibimbop on a cold winter night is always the right thing to do! Clean, hip and stylish, they definitely fit in amongst the other eateries in Elmwood. There is a strong Cali influence on the menu, with clearly labeled vegetarian and vegan options-unusual in most Korean places. The service is attentive without being stalker-like
I didn't break any records for trying new things that night. Simple bibimbap and seafood pancake were on the menu. However, the places they went with the bibimbap were happily new to me. Quinoa, really? how cool is that?!
You have the option of white, brown or mixed grain rice (for a little extra, but I do recommend it). The bowls are fiercely hot and I was distracted by the pancakes--which I decided would be horrible leftovers so we had to finish all the jeon -and made my rice more fire roasted on the bottom than crisp, so keep that spoon astirring!.
The seafood jeon was so tasty, very light on the egg batter, but the seafood flavors popped out at you.
There is a pumpkin puree soup/porridge that I didn't care for, but I understand is pretty popular with people--I found it a bit starchy from something other than pumpkin (i think). YMMV, while I like pumpkin, I'm not a big fan of the pureed stuff, aside from the pie (but seriously, when you add a can of sweetened condensed milk to anything, how can you NOT like it!?). However, the brothy soup that comes with bibimbap orders is clear, seaweedy and delicious, with savory enoki in it.
There are only 3 banchan given out, but they are also nicely done. They are not at all spicy, but you can add the red pepper sauce to any of it, which is served in little gravy boats.
$38 for two bibimbaps and one jeon, is about average for korean, but quality wise, everything was done with care & tasted like it! I will most definitely be back! -
Review from Pseudonymous B.
Berkeley, CA
2/15/2012
As the name suggests, Bebop specializes in bibimbap, the Korean mixed vegetable rice bowl. They also have some other dishes, such as jeon, but the focus is on the bibimbap. The bibimbap comes with with a huge variety of vegetables, and includes tofu and mushrooms, as well an (optional) fried egg on top. The vegetables were all prepared well, and I liked how many there were and how they worked well together. Bibimbap can be ordered in a dolsot, a hot stone bowl that causes the rice at the bottom to get crispy. They also have choices of meat that can be added, if you're into that, though I appreciate that they charge less for the vegetarian version. Somewhat uniquely, they have a selection of sauces in addition to the traditional gochujang chili paste. I like the doenjang, a soybean paste similar to Japanese miso.
Portions at Bebop are very big. The bibambap themselves are generously sized to begin with, but each meal comes with a variety of other dishes. They started me off, almost immediately after ordering, with an excellent bowl of pumpkin porridge, followed by a bowl of seaweed soup. They also brought out a wide variety of appetizers and side dishes. All together, it was more food than I could eat. The meal was a bit expensive for a lunch, but it came with a ton of food.
The waiters were very friendly and attentive. Service was also fast, although this may have been because I was there after the lunch rush had ended. I'm not sure how fast they are when crowded.
Bebop left me full, but with a desire to try more Korean food. -
Review from Amiee H.
12/18/2011
It's ALMOST 5 FULL STARS...but I guess 4.5 stars for now....
I'm so happy that a decent Korean place opened up near campus!!
Food:
1) Seafood jeon or "seafood pancake": I LOVE the SEAFOOD PANCAKE here! Served on a hot stone plate, it came piping hot, soft in the middle and just barely burnt crispy on the outside! They did not skimp on the seafood, it was generously sprinkled with seafood and green onions which gave it exploding flavor! YUMMY!!
2) Kimchi Bibimbap on stone bowl: DELICIOUS! I loved the flavor and it was so packed with ingredients! It was truly a treat!
3) BBQ Beef Bibimbap on stone plate: The beef tasted just a tab bit from a more low quality cut but it was really well seasoned and tender so that was a pretty nice save!
4) Appetizer dishes: egg plant was my favorite, the kimchi and green beans were decent and there was this pickled veggie that was pretty good too.
5) Pumpkin soup: kinda cold and not as flavorful as the other dishes but it wasn't bad
6) Hot miso soup: Full of ingredients and very tasty!
Service:
Unlike most other Korean place, they were very tentative and most certainly did not ignore you when you were looking for service.
Price:
Really reasonable for such good quality and taste of Korean food!
Ambiance:
This place was just recently opened so needless to say everything is really new and clean! It's very modernly decorated with happy Easter colors.
Overall:
I LOVE GOOD KOREAN food and this place is definitely on my top list of good Korean places now! And it's close to campus so I don't have to trek out to ghetto Oakland and risk my life to get a good Korean meal! Sounds good to me! -
Review from Susie C.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2011
Being originally from LA I can honestly say that I've had my fair share of traditional Korean food, I mean, c'mon LA's Koreatown is the best and cannot be beat. There's Korean restaurants on every block with so many options and with prices that range for dirt cheap for the broke fools like me and very high for those who are trying to splurge. But Be Bop? I never heard of this place before, but I was pretty excited to try it out.
First and foremost, I must say this is a great place if you're really into being healthy. NO MSG! Secondly, everyone should be forewarned that this is not a traditional korean place. It's a much more Americanized version (but still very delicious). Everytime that I've gone in they are always updating their menus with new stuff to try to appease the public and also improve their variety.
Servers are always great and quick to refill and order. Always circle around ensuring satisfaction. Thumbs up to that.
Okay, down to what really matters.. the food. Here are the things I've gotten (and enjoyed)
1. Kim Chi Fried Rice Really good and nicely portioned (rather larger actually, but the more the merrier). Comes with egg over it (yah! for eggs) and a nice salad with a unique dressing to it. Complimented with some handmade tomato sauce (on the side)
2. Spicy Pork: good, nicely portioned, what more can I say?
3. Chicken noodle soup: I would have to say this is my least favorite, but doesnt mean that it wasn't good.
On top of all these, yoou will also get some side dishes, hot tea, and a sweet type of dessert/soup? Good enough for me!
Okay, yeup there it is..!~ -
Review from Edward W.
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Located right next to manpuku, I decided to try it after manpuku was super packed on a Saturday night. The store is really clean albeit it's also quiet small. I had the chicken sot bi bim bop and it came with plenty of vegetables, lots of tasty chicken, and a good helping of side dishes. The kimchi here is pickled cabbage with no spicy flavoring, which I found kind of odd, but it still tasted good.
TL;DR; Had the chicken stone pot. Not too pricy, would definitely try it again. -
Review from Jessica S.
Emeryville, CA
10/27/2011
I've been here twice now, and both times I've really enjoyed my meals. Unlike the other reviewers who preferred the Korean restaurants on Telegraph, I haven't been impressed by any of those "traditional" places. None of those come close to the traditional Korean food I've had in Seoul, or cooked for me by my Korean friends.
Be Bop is not traditional Korean, it's more hip, focused, and clean. So far I've tried their seafood Jeon, mushroom, seafood, salmon and bugolgi bibimbops, and I can't find fault with any of them! The veggies are fresh and tasty, and although there aren't as many side dishes as in the traditional Korean places, I find their meals satisfying and delicious.
The pumpkin soup is great, and I like their selection of veggie and seafood choices. The food looks and tastes very healthy, and the four choices in sauces also make it more interesting.
Prices are fair and the service is great. I will definitely come back and bring my friends here. -
Review from gaby g.
Oakland, CA
2/27/2012
Fabulous lunch spot. Complimentary soup(s) (pumpkin porridge and miso soups) come along with your lunch entree. I always get the veggie bebimbop, which is AWESOME. The ingredients are super fresh. Love the brown rice option as well. Friendly service. Highly recommended for a California fresh take on Korean classics.
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Review from Lizi F.
San Leandro, CA
1/28/2012
Can i just say that this is one of the place that's under-appreciated in Berkeley? This is like one of the best Korean restaurant around campus instead of having to go all the way down to telegraph.
The place is really big, great for groups, and the voice level is pretty low i think it's because it's in Elmwood area. Really attentative staff, served us the pre-course pumpkin soup 5 mins after we ordered. Our meal too, came with a soup, and i think they change it periodically (: They are famous for their large portions, and indeed, my hotpot tuna bibimbop was like 30% bigger than what i normally get, hence i did not finish. TBH i was a little disappointed at mine, the hotpot was soooo hot that some of the stuff tasted dry, but it was tasty regardless! I also tried their none-hotpot bibimbop, i would actually suggest that because the egg is half raw, and drips over the plate really nicely and the veggies are soo fresh and crisp :D Their sides are unlimited! However, there's only the potato and kimchi. I have yet to try their jeon, i heard the portion is really generous and the seafood is stuffed, definitely my next try! -
Review from Eva Leona Lerriqs S.
Berkeley, CA
2/24/2012
I've now eaten here twice and think it's an amazing addition to restaurants in Berkeley, Korean restaurants, and the eating experience. Their food is colorful, fresh, refreshing, and plentiful. I loved the tofu and mixed veggies jeon (my first time eating jeon, by the way). It came with huge squares of tofu that tasted far better than tofu at home. I also loved the accompanying vegetables. The pumpkin soup is super as is the Korean-style chicken noodle soup. What an enormous portion! My first visit I had seafood bibimbap, and I was impressed by how generous the portion was and the variety of vegetables. Eating here is a great way to get all the colors nutritionists are always recommending. The staff is extremely warm and friendly. I hope Be Bop succeeds for many years to come!
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Review from Annie S.
Berkeley, CA
10/6/2011
Wanted to try this place after passing by on a stroll down college...but have to say that I like the traditional Korean places better. First off, who serves bibimbap on a plate? How do you expect me to properly bibim (mix) the bap (rice) when it's not in a bowl? Although the presentation was nice, it fails in functionality.
The food itself was all right, but I'm sure that I could get better down Telegraph and the side dishes were quite also quite sparse. It's similar to Bowl'd on Solano, but not as good. -
Review from Erich V.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
The lesson I learned from Be Bop is that bibimbap is not a to-go meal, but it is a tasty one.
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Review from matt j.
El Sobrante, CA
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food here and the service is prompt must come back and you must try the kimchi dol sat Bibimbap. Yummy
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Review from Josh W.
Berkeley, CA
2/25/2012
Very good authentic Korean
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Review from Laurence W.
Oakland, CA
7/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
A welcome, welcome addition to a neighborhood that has been overrun with cafes and Chinese restaurants for decades. Finally, something a bit more interesting.
I hesitated a bit on ordering -- standard BBQ plate or the Bim Bim Bop. I'm so glad I chose the latter in the end... it's good and feels healthy. I couldn't recommend it more.
As for the service, it clearly suffers as they try to figure things out, but they more than made up for it by checking in regularly and generally being nice.
I hope they succeed! -
Review from Timothy K.
Berkeley, CA
7/25/2011
After grabbing some burritos at Gordo's last week, I noticed that a Korean restaurant had recently opened. Being Korean, I made a mental note to come back and check it out later. This week I got a chance to experience Be Bop after reading the reviews on here. I must say it was quite disappointing.
Ambience: You can tell they tried hard to fit into the neighborhood. Restaurants on College and Ashby are relatively upscale and the decor tend to have an air of authenticity, which Be Bop attempted to emulate. It's clean and nice to look at, but beyond that there's nothing too exciting.
Service: The waiters/waitresses are nice. They try to do their best, but the problem is that there are only two of them. There are at least ten tables in the restaurant and when we were there, these two waiter/waitress had to take orders, deliver orders, clean tables, deliver checks, attend to customers waiting outside, etc. We had to wait 30 minutes after ordering to get our food. If Be Bop hired one more waiter and maybe a busboy, it'd be much better, for the waiters and the customers.
Food: Everything is bland. The appetizer, the side dishes, the main entree, and even the little pudding thing they give you after the meal, they're all bland. It's as if they didn't want to offend the Western taste buds and had to dumb it down. Also, for the price, there was too little food. This is Korean food after all, it's not that expensive to make this stuff. At least give me enough to make me full.
Overall, I probably wouldn't be coming back here. Skip this place and look up some other Korean places. -
Review from Robo P.
UC Campus Area, Berkeley, CA
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to try more dishes!
My bestie and I came in at noon on a Sunday and the place was empty. We got quickly seated and served - window seat was nice. Especially enjoyed the free samles of jeon (one veggie the other not) and a complementary pumpkin porridge with rice clumps.
My bestie got the bulgogi dish and I got the be bop dol sot Bi bim bop! I actually would have preferred the bulgogi dish because the plating and the simplicity of it, I was just overwhelmed and inept with the hot pot dish. It was interestingly to say the least but I would have liked to have bulgogi in it but all is well! (It's just that my mouth is sore from the heat and my tongue a bit burned). While I do feel that I blew more than I chewed, this was really too high end for my liking.
More came in because we were inside (HA!) the samples lured a lot of families in and that was awesome. I think the kim chi was made there because it was really fresh and amazingly awesome, I could of eaten that and would have been content just the same. Overall I wish I knew how to eat with the hot pot! The crunchy white rice at the bottom was bomb but the experience really hurt but I had fun!!! I'm a simple guy so I'll stick with Steve's BBQ but once in awhile maybe if I want to impress the parentals or the fixed marriages, I'll bring them here.
Next time I would like to try the seafood and the pancakes. -
Review from Erin G.
Berkeley, CA
7/7/2011 1 photo
What I ate: Mushroom dol-sot bibimbap
Visit date: July 7, 2011
First time? Yes. Pleased to meet you.
Personally, my favorite Korean dish is sundubu jjigae so I'm slightly sad that the Korean restaurant that decided to open down the street from me doesn't serve it. But hey -- bimbimbap is yummy too! Be Bop's ingredients are fresh and they cater to a carnivore who also loves her vegetables (ahem, me)! The meal also came with a seaweed/zucchini soup and a 'complimentary' pumpkin soup appetizer. Their banchans were just so-so (They only served three. I wasn't a big fan of any of them.)
If you're hungry, you will be satisfied with taste and portion size. -
Review from Emily H.
Berkeley, CA
8/1/2011
I'd probably give this place 3.5 stars, but I'm pretty happy to have another dining option in the neighborhood.
Went for lunch yesterday and liked everything we ordered. There wasn't a lot of tuna in the hot stone bowl, and I would have liked the egg on top, but they compensated with an adequate portion of vegetables. I'm not a big fan of cold soup unless it's gazpacho or borscht, so the pumpkin soup wasn't really my thing. We also ordered the combination jeon, which we both enjoyed.
The service was good and everything seemed appropriately priced. Hopefully they'll get a beer and wine license soon. -
Review from Shannon A.
Oakland, CA
11/1/2011
So I am a bit of a foodie. I went to Be Bop for lunch when they first open ed and I was a bit disappointed by the service which was slow to order then so hurried when you could get their attention. But in their defense, they had just opened and I'm sure were trying to work out the kinks. I went again later and had a much better experience. I think some dishes are far better than others, namely the BBQ chicken and vegetable jap chae. Don't forget to ask for the sauces! While I love beef Bibimbap, this one is a bit too fatty in my opinion, I prefer a leaner cut, though I know others like it that way. They don't have kalbi but I hope it's coming in the future.
It is definitely worth checking out as it's a good affordable place in the neighborhood. It's not gourmet but it's a good value and a nice addition for casual dining in the area. Be Bop adds a cuisine that we've been needing for a while now and it's very important to support the local businesses so we are not forced into the big box stores and chains! -
Review from Thao T.
7/25/2011
We ordered the sizzling stone pot bulgogi bibimbap and it was pretty tasty, although missing the egg on top. Good assortment of vegetables and tender beef, but seems about $4 or $5 more than you would pay at other places, it was $14. It came with soup and side dishes (3). Wasn't a fan of the soup, it was mediocre at best. The sides were ok, other places will probably bring out 8-10 different sides if you are paying this much. We also got the small combination jeon (pancake things). It came with an assortment which were all decent. Slightly oily, dipping sauce was good.
The service was ok, they seemed a little preoccupied and forgetful. They forgot the tea, and our water was only half full when it came out. They also only refilled it to the halfway mark later on. Other people had full glasses with ice, maybe they didn't like us. Don't know what that mushy yellow stuff was that they brought out before our meal. We didn't know what to do with it until we saw others eating it. Tasted funny to me. The jelly dessert at the end of our meal was ok, the consistency was interesting.
Not sure if we'd come back unless someone wanted to try it. -
Review from Robert C.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2011 3 photos
At last, Korean food in the Elmwood!
Although I'm a white dude, I've had a lot of Korean food (in my college town, in LA, New York and here in Oakland).
This is very good Korean food. Particularly so given that they just opened and haven't begun to tune things.
Bear in mind that this is not the typical BBQ and spice oriented Korean restaurant (which I do enjoy as well). The ingredients here are very high quality and the flavoring is subtle and refined. Fancy, but not expensive.
We had the "Be Bop" Bi Bim Bop, which is a vegan variation on the standard Korean dish, presented in a large rectangular plate where you are encouraged to try the ingredients individually before blending them together.
We also had the vegetarian Japchae, which was one of the best I've had, despite its meatlessness.
They have a pretty extensive list of Jeon. We had the combination, which allowed us to taste most of them. Again, they were well executed.
My wife, who lived in Korea for a year and is vegetarian, is particularly ecstatic since most vegetarian Korean food is a grudging afterthought. Here, their signature dish is vegan.
Since they just opened, their menu is still pretty short by Korean restaurant standards, although they promise it will expand over time. -
Review from Carolyn Y.
Berkeley, CA
9/6/2011
I never thought any Korean restaurant in the vicinity of Berkeley would have a clean ambiance but Be Bop makes it work.
The Korean owners here also own Manpuku next door, but the vibe is totally different - while Manpuku is crowded and bustling, Be Bop had a much quieter, softer mood. I liked the subtle decorations such as the children's book about bibimbap they had by their window (random, I know).
I enjoyed the pumpkin porridge before the meal (although I found it a tad bit sweet), and I wished they gave more banchan other than fried tofu and kimchi. The squash soup on the side was also mediocre.
Bibimbap: Ranges from 10 to 15 dollars. Huge portions - the first time I ordered with a friend and we couldn't even finish one (granted we're both girls with small stomachs, blah blah). I wish they gave smaller portions and made the dish cheaper. I had the hot stone pot dolsot bap both times (kimchi & tuna as well as bulgogi) and both were satisfactory, though not necessarily better than other Korean restaurants. Note: I had to remind them to give us an egg on top so don't be afraid to ask for it!
I also ordered the vegetarian japchae and wouldn't really recommend it (too much sauce?)
Overall I like this place just because I appreciate any new Korean joint in the Berkeley vicinity, but if you plan to go here, go to escape the busy, loud, somewhat dirty typical Korean restaurant joint and enjoy the College Ave. ambiance. Otherwise, if just for good food, I recommend Oakland. -
Review from gemma l.
Oakland, CA
8/7/2011
Had to try this new K joint on College and I wasn't too impressed.
Good things first: The kimchi & mung bean jeon was quite good. The complimentary pumpkin soup wasn't too bad, either. The mutigrain rice had a nice, chewy consistency. The service was attentive and speedy (granted, it wasn't crazy busy on this particular Sat. afternoon).
Now the not so great things....
The complimentary seaweed soup was on the cold side. Ew.
My vegetarian bibimbop came on a plate with blue berries and walnuts. My initial thought was "WTF...." To me, a bibimbop (hot or cold) has to come in a bowl so you can mix up the goodies real good! And I don't get the idea behind the blueberries and walnuts. It was like they were trying so hard to be different from other K restaurants, but it just wasn't working for me.
I'd come back only if I'm in the area and really really jonesing for Korean food.
