The Korean Secret Garden in Santa Clara – Bi Won Restaurant
It’s late April and the wind still blows cold. The tiny coffee plant I got last winter is still grudgingly hiding in my room for warmth, while I desperately crave a big hot soup with kimchi. Since coffee leaves wouldn’t make either great broth or pickle, we set out to Sunnyvale.
But driving in Sunnyvale on an empty stomach is no fun. The signs and loops are out to get you, and your tummy makes you rush running around. It was supposed to take less than thirty minutes, yet we’ve been driving for over an hour. After lots of wrong turns and backtracking eastward and westward, we thought we wouldn’t make it before closing time. Then as Hope faints, we see it. Secret Garden timidly stands at the end of a strip mall’s parking lot.
The restaurant may not have a snazzy outlook, but its spacious interior is quite nice. I’m a fan of booth seating and its privacy, but it’s a luxury in Berkeley. Here, the mahogany tables and thick cushion benches fit snuggly in enclosing of wooden planks, so that conversations can be spilled out somewhat comfortably and elbows do not touch. But the loveliness of food on neighboring diners’ plates is still in sight. It’s torturous to look at others eating merrily while you’re hungry, you know. Thank goodness the banchan is served quickly. Within minutes after placing our orders, plates after plates come out that I barely have enough time to snap a picture of them all. As light shines directly onto the crisp white melamine, the color contrast is so brilliant I suddenly don’t want to disturb any plate with my clumsy chopsticks.
From left to right: napa cabbage kimchi, nokdumuk (녹두묵 mungbean jello), kongnamul (콩나물 boiled and seasoned soybean sprout), and very tasty firm red strips (name help, please? is it eomuk strips in chili sauce?) nakji bokkeum (낙지볶음 fried octopus). The soybean sprouts are bigger, fatter, and nuttier than the usual mungbean sprouts, which means they’re more satisfying. The nokdumuk tastes as translucent as it looks, a refreshing heal congealed and coated in soy sauce that playfully wobbles on the tongue.
To the right of the kongnamul are cucumber kimchi, radish kimchi, eomuk (fish cake), and crunchy green strings (again, I love it, but I don’t know its name. My guess is sliced seaweed?) seaweed with gogumajulki (고구마줄기 dried sweet potato stem). Something about rings of jalapeno in banchan bugs me, just like jalapeno in banh-mi. Not that I have anything against Mexican peppers, but the taste doesn’t belong.
Just as I thought the banchan list ended at eight, a generous plate of japchae (잡채) fuming sweetness comes…
… with two stylish inox cups of miyuk gook (미역국). Whether or not it can enhance my brain function, it well enhances the sizzling goodness of the dolsot bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥).
White rice mixed with veggies, beef strips, egg, and gochujang (고추장) until crimson has been Mudpie’s No.1 favorite for a while now. He treasures every spoonful and guards the forming crust at the bottom against any careless scooping. At the end he then scrapes and eats the well seasoned crust with the joy of children eating s’mores. He orders it almost every time we go to a Korean restaurant, I feel like he should have a bibimbap blog much like Adam Kuban with Slice. And he claims this dolsot bibimbap is the best he’s had.
Meanwhile I am busy slurping what I have dreamed of for days: a hearty beef soup. A bowl of wet steamed rice comes with the galbi tang (갈비탕), but I wish they had given me more. The rice goes quickly as I pour the mild yet sensuous broth over it, with a piece of meltingly soft short rib, and maybe a bit of kimchi. I even eat the shiny green chives, since they now taste so sweet.
When I get near the end of the big soup bowl, a pleasant surprise surfaces: a small bundle of dangmyeon (당면 cellophane noodle) has been there all along, soft, clear, quietly soaking up flavors from the darling broth. I have rarely felt more gluttonously satisfied after a meal dined out.
Address: Secret Garden (Bi Won Restaurant)
3430 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 244-5020
Money matters: $26.11 – dinner and happiness for two.
Wow, marvelous weblog layout! How lengthy have you ever been running a blog for? you made running a blog glance easy. The whole glance of your site is magnificent, as neatly as the content!
1I’m impressed, I must say. Really hardly ever do I encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me let you know, you may have hit the nail on the head. Your thought is excellent; the difficulty is one thing that not enough persons are talking intelligently about. I’m very glad that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
2Hello there, You have done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.
3Thanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you can be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will eventually come back down the road. I want to encourage you to continue your great job, have a nice morning!
4Hi! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to take a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Exceptional blog and outstanding style and design.
5I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
6I am always searching online for tips that can aid me. Thank you!
7Very nice post and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is really the best place to ask but do you people have any ideea where to hire some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
8Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
9Awsome site! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am taking your feeds also
10whoah this blog is excellent i love studying your articles. Keep up the great paintings! You already know, lots of persons are hunting round for this information, you can help them greatly.
11Spot on with this write-up, I truly suppose this website needs much more consideration. I’ll probably be again to learn far more, thanks for that info.
12I really like what you guys are usually up too. This type of clever work and exposure! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll.
13What i do not realize is actually how you’re not actually much more well-liked than you may be right now. You’re so intelligent. You realize thus considerably relating to this subject, made me personally consider it from a lot of varied angles. Its like men and women aren’t fascinated unless it is one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs excellent. Always maintain it up!
14I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. appreciate it
15Very wonderful information can be found on site.
16I do agree with all the ideas you’ve presented in your post. They are very convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for newbies. Could you please extend them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.
17It’s really a great and useful piece of info. I am glad that you simply shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
18I saw a lot of website but I think this one has something special in it in it
19I visited a lot of website but I think this one contains something extra in it in it
20I got good info from your blog
21I like this site so much, saved to bookmarks. “I don’t care what is written about me so long as it isn’t true.” by Dorothy Parker.
22The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you werent too busy looking for attention.
23Thanks for helping out, great information. “Job dissatisfaction is the number one factor in whether you survive your first heart attack.” by Anthony Robbins.
24Valuable information. Lucky me I found your website by accident, and I’m shocked why this accident didn’t happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
25Some genuinely wonderful articles on this site, thanks for contribution. “There is one universal gesture that has one universal message–a smile” by Valerie Sokolosky.
26Regards for this fantastic post, I am glad I observed this site on yahoo.
27What i do not realize is in truth how you’re now not actually much more neatly-appreciated than you may be right now. You’re very intelligent. You recognize thus significantly when it comes to this matter, produced me for my part consider it from a lot of varied angles. Its like men and women aren’t fascinated except it’s one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs excellent. All the time take care of it up!
28You are a very clever person!
29Some genuinely fantastic info , Glad I observed this.
30I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, appreciate it for all the great content.
31I gotta favorite this internet site it seems handy invaluable
32Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated.
33I enjoy forgathering utile information , this post has got me even more info! .
34It is appropriate time to make a few plans for the long run and it is time to be happy. I’ve learn this put up and if I may I want to suggest you some interesting issues or advice. Maybe you could write subsequent articles regarding this article. I desire to learn even more issues approximately it!
35I love it when people come together and share opinions, great blog, keep it up.
36It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this excellent blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!
37A lot of whatever you mention happens to be supprisingly appropriate and it makes me wonder the reason why I had not looked at this in this light before. Your article really did switch the light on for me personally as far as this topic goes. Nevertheless at this time there is 1 point I am not really too comfy with so while I attempt to reconcile that with the actual core theme of the point, permit me observe just what all the rest of the visitors have to say.Well done.
38Thankyou for helping out, excellent info .
39I really like your writing style, wonderful information, regards for posting :D. “In university they don’t tell you that the greater part of the law is learning to tolerate fools.” by Doris Lessing.
40I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
41I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…
42Appreciate it for this post, I am a big fan of this website would like to keep updated.
43Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this page to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
44You got a very fantastic website, Sword lily I noticed it through yahoo.
45hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical issues using this site, since I experienced to reload the website lots of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot more of your respective exciting content. Make sure you update this again very soon..
46After study a few of the blog posts on your website now, and I truly like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Pls check out my web site as well and let me know what you think.
47With every thing that appears to be building within this subject matter, many of your perspectives are relatively exciting. However, I appologize, because I do not subscribe to your entire strategy, all be it stimulating none the less. It looks to everyone that your comments are generally not completely justified and in actuality you are generally yourself not thoroughly certain of your argument. In any event I did take pleasure in examining it.
48Hi my family member! I wish to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with approximately all significant infos. I would like to peer more posts like this.
49Hi there, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you reduce it, any plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated.
50