1910 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
703.387.0131
website
Bibimix is built mostly for convenience, an Asian Fusion restaurant with a special taste for Korean staples and street food options. Built literally long one of the streets that zips out from Northern Virginia’s Rosslyn business district and into the surrounding neighborhoods, you’re probably going to try this place when you order food for takeout. It’s a very true-to-form way to experience a lot of these foods, faithful to the kinds of experiences you’d have at any good stall on the streets of Seoul.
The menu relies strongly on stales very common in restaurants in Korea, not watered down for more mild American tastes. Some things I liked:
- Spicy Tteokbokki: Probably one of the best known Korean dishes on the street, these stir-fried rice cakes sit in a very satisfying – and very spicy – red sauce and mixed in with some fish cake for protein, plus cabbage and onion. The sauce has an assertive warmth and, while this is great to be shared, it’ll make a good meal.
- Wings: These remind me very much of yangnyeom chicken, served in a spicy sauce heavy with gochujang, or red bean paste, so it has a bright sweetness and spice. Best fresh – unforgettable for the crunch.
- Traditional Bibimbap: Another common street food dish, this one is a mix of rice with a bevy of veggies, spicy radish, zucchini, sauteed mushroom, carrots, bean sprouts and spinach. Coated with sesame oil, the veggies come together with their own flavor by itself, but then there’s also another sauce on this one, with gochujang once again, that adds a high heat on top. You can add as much as you like, but this is hot, hot stuff!
The restaurant’s speciality is its convenience – you can dine in, which is something neighbors often do, but the business has its takeout game dialed in, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. So don’t fear giving it a try from afar – food is put together fresh, double-bagged and served up quickly, which means it retains its heat for a long time and the wings and things keep their crispness. The prices are on par with local standards for takeout food – which is to say a little elevated compared to the suburbs or other cities. But the convenience can’t be beat.
Recommendations
- Uber Eats often has deals on this restaurant, and if you live in Arlington, odds are your food gets delivered quickly.
- Parking is usually pretty tight in the neighborhood but there is dine-in.
- Food here is all generally pretty spicy, keep that in mind.
Another Food Critic 