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.
I think this is among the most significant info for me. And i am glad reading your article. But wanna remark on few general things, The site style is wonderful, the articles is really great :D. Good job, cheers
1Sweet website , super design and style, really clean and employ friendly.
2Hello this is somewhat of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
3Great post and right to the point. I don’t know if this is truly the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
4Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any approach you’ll be able to take away me from that service? Thanks!
5You have brought up a very fantastic details, thanks for the post.
6You have remarked very interesting details! ps decent site. “What a grand thing, to be loved What a grander thing still, to love” by Victor Hugo.
7I will immediately clutch your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me recognize in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.
8F*ckin’ remarkable things here. I’m very happy to see your article. Thank you a lot and i am looking ahead to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
9magnificent points altogether, you just received a brand new reader. What could you recommend in regards to your post that you simply made a few days in the past? Any positive?
10Wow! This could be one particular of the most useful blogs We have ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Fantastic. I am also a specialist in this topic so I can understand your hard work.
11Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any tips?
12Magnificent site. Plenty of helpful information here. I’m sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks to your sweat!
13Wonderful beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
14I’m impressed, I need to say. Actually hardly ever do I encounter a blog that’s each educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your concept is outstanding; the difficulty is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very completely happy that I stumbled throughout this in my seek for one thing regarding this.
15Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem with your website in internet explorer, may test this… IE still is the market leader and a good section of other folks will leave out your wonderful writing due to this problem.
16Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, fantastic blog!
17Great post, I believe website owners should larn a lot from this site its rattling user pleasant.
18Woh I love your articles, saved to fav! .
19Throughout this grand pattern of things you’ll secure a B+ just for hard work. Where exactly you actually confused me personally ended up being in your particulars. You know, it is said, details make or break the argument.. And that could not be more correct right here. Having said that, allow me reveal to you exactly what did give good results. Your writing is quite powerful and that is possibly the reason why I am making the effort to opine. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. Secondly, while I can notice a jumps in logic you make, I am not really certain of exactly how you seem to connect your details that help to make your final result. For now I shall subscribe to your issue however wish in the future you actually connect your facts much better.
20Howdy! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My blog addresses a lot of the same topics as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Terrific blog by the way!
21A lot of of whatever you articulate happens to be astonishingly appropriate and it makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this in this light previously. This particular piece really did switch the light on for me personally as far as this particular subject goes. But at this time there is actually one point I am not necessarily too cozy with so whilst I make an effort to reconcile that with the actual central theme of your issue, allow me observe what the rest of your readers have to point out.Nicely done.
22I am also commenting to make you know of the superb encounter my cousin’s child developed browsing your web site. She figured out so many details, including what it is like to possess a great teaching mindset to let the others effortlessly gain knowledge of specific advanced issues. You actually exceeded readers’ expectations. Thank you for churning out such insightful, dependable, informative and also unique guidance on the topic to Gloria.
23You can certainly see your expertise within the work you write. The arena hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to say how they believe. At all times go after your heart.
24Great, I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related information ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, website theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task.
25It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
26I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my difficulty. You’re wonderful! Thanks!
27Thank you for sharing with us, I conceive this website genuinely stands out :D.
28I truly appreciate your work, Great post.
29Thank you for sharing with us, I conceive this website really stands out :D.
30I 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.
31This web site is really a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll definitely discover it.
32I respect your piece of work, thankyou for all the informative articles.
33Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
34Needed to put you that very small observation in order to give many thanks as before just for the gorgeous principles you’ve discussed at this time. This has been certainly surprisingly generous with you to allow easily precisely what a number of people might have supplied for an electronic book to help make some cash on their own, specifically considering the fact that you could possibly have tried it in case you wanted. The secrets in addition worked to provide a fantastic way to realize that some people have a similar desire similar to my personal own to figure out much more when considering this matter. I know there are a lot more enjoyable periods up front for people who see your website.
35I got what you mean ,saved to my bookmarks, very decent web site.
36There is perceptibly a lot to identify about this. I suppose you made some good points in features also.
37Howdy! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading through your articles. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics? Thanks for your time!
38It’s really a great and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you simply shared this useful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
39Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
40Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was seeking this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.
41I went over this web site and I believe you have a lot of wonderful info , saved to fav (:.
42Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.
43I do agree with all of the ideas you’ve presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are very short for starters. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.
44Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.
45Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. It extremely helps make reading your blog significantly easier.
46Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
47Those are yours alright! . We at least need to get these people stealing images to start blogging! They probably just did a image search and grabbed them. They look good though!
48I’m so happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
49Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue together with your website in web explorer, may test this… IE still is the market leader and a huge element of folks will miss your magnificent writing due to this problem.
50