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.
Rattling good info can be found on website. “Every artist was first an amateur.” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1I really like your writing style, superb information, thanks for posting :D. “He wrapped himself in quotations- as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors.” by Rudyard Kipling.
2Excellent read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “Procrastination is the thief of time.” by Edward Young.
3I am incessantly thought about this, regards for putting up.
4I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I am quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
5Sweet blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thanks
6Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
7Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your site is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched everywhere and just could not come across. What a great web-site.
8Aw, this was a very nice post. In idea I want to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and in no way appear to get one thing done.
9I 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.
10I think other website proprietors should take this web site as an model, very clean and magnificent user genial style and design, let alone the content. You’re an expert in this topic!
11I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again!
12Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
13You are a very bright individual!
14Its fantastic as your other blog posts : D, regards for putting up.
15I like the valuable info you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and take a look at once more here regularly. I’m moderately certain I’ll be told plenty of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following!
16Excellent post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Thank you!
17Someone essentially assist to make seriously articles I would state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this particular submit incredible. Fantastic job!
18Hey there! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Appreciate it
19Just wanna say that this is very useful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
20Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
21Enjoyed examining this, very good stuff, thanks. “It requires more courage to suffer than to die.” by Napoleon Bonaparte.
22This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
23Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I wish to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and precise effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and in no way seem to get something done.
24There are actually a lot of particulars like that to take into consideration. That is a great level to carry up. I offer the thoughts above as basic inspiration but clearly there are questions just like the one you deliver up the place the most important factor might be working in trustworthy good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged around issues like that, however I’m positive that your job is clearly identified as a good game. Each girls and boys really feel the affect of only a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
25The very core of your writing whilst sounding reasonable originally, did not really work well with me after some time. Someplace within the sentences you managed to make me a believer but only for a while. I still have a problem with your leaps in assumptions and you would do nicely to fill in those gaps. In the event that you can accomplish that, I could undoubtedly end up being impressed.
26Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time as you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a weblog website? The account helped me a appropriate deal. I had been a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided vibrant clear idea
27I discovered your blog web site on google and verify a number of of your early posts. Proceed to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Searching for ahead to reading more from you later on!…
28There is visibly a lot to realize about this. I suppose you made various nice points in features also.
29I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again
30fantastic post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m sure, you’ve a great readers’ base already!
31Very interesting info!Perfect just what I was searching for!
32My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
33you may have an amazing blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
34I regard something genuinely special in this website.
35I truly enjoy reading on this site, it contains superb posts.
36I love meeting utile information , this post has got me even more info! .
37Great website! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am taking your feeds also.
38Valuable information. Fortunate me I discovered your web site accidentally, and I’m stunned why this coincidence didn’t happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
39Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too wonderful. I really like what you have acquired here, really like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is really a terrific website.
40There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
41I like this website so much, saved to fav.
42Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any tips for beginner blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
43Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your web site in internet explorer, would test thisK IE still is the market leader and a good component to other people will pass over your magnificent writing due to this problem.
44Hi there, I found your blog via Google while looking for a related topic, your site came up, it looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
45I believe this is among the such a lot significant info for me. And i am happy reading your article. However want to observation on some common things, The website taste is perfect, the articles is actually great :D. Good job, cheers
46I dugg some of you post as I thought they were very beneficial very useful
47so much excellent info on here, :D.
48I cling on to listening to the rumor talk about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the most excellent site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i acquire some?
49hey there and thank you for your info – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise some technical points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..
50