Even the name of the dish itself is indeterminate, sometimes spelled as one word (bibimbap), other times like the title of a Thelonious Monk song (bee beem bop), but the results are typically amazing – bi bim bap (as it will be spelled henceforth) is the premier comfort food of the Asian continent and favorite food of this writer.

The basics are simple: marinated vegetables, sautéed beef, fried egg and hot sauce served over sticky rice. But the varieties are endless. Sometimes it comes in a hot stone bowl that crisps the rice to a fine crunch; often the vegetables are julienned to mix seamlessly with the other ingredients; occasionally it is served with a double-helping of beef or none at all – in any form, it is magic that anyone can make. But very few can make to perfection, and that is what this page seeks to find.

The most perfect example of bi bim bap (bbb) encountered so far has not come from Lawrence Avenue in Chicago or 32nd Street in Manhattan, but from the humble Evanston Grill in Evanston, IL. I repeat the words overhead from what must have been a table of Northwestern undergrads explaining to some newcomers what they were about to get into: “this stuff is like crack.” The owners of Evanston Grill – a husband, wife and son trifecta, with some help in the kitchen – serve a very American menu of eggs, bacon, burgers and chicken, punctuated with a few choice Korean flourishes. The teriyaki omelette originally drew me in while living in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, just south of Evanston, but once I had the courage to dive into the contents of the mysterious bowl that was quietly making the place famous, there was no turning back. I have brought parents, girlfriends, friends and strangers to this place, and have even taken trips from New York to Chicago specifically to enjoy this dish (while under the guise of visiting friends, making business connections, etc… it was really about breakfast, Korean-style). And ever since leaving Illinois for New York, I have sought the equivalent of the Evanston Grill’s masterful take on one of Korea’s gifts to the culinary world, but only limited success. Herein begins my search for the perfect bowl of bi bim bap (sp?), and it starts w/ beloved the Evanston Grill.

1. Evanston Grill, 1047 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL “Bee Beem Bop”

I feel like Amerigo Bonasera looking across the desk at Don Corleone when I see this dish before me – I am humbled. It is probably the simplest bi bim bap I will ever have, and that is its strength: thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots, lettuce and bean sprouts with perfectly cooked beef, egg, rice and a sauce that gives this dish that je ne se quoi that can only be known by experiencing it first-hand. It is also probably not done in the traditional style (my Korean relatives continually promise to take me out for real Korean food, which I eagerly anticipate but weirdly never take them up on when I come to visit), but after the major infusion of American culture into South Korean since the war, who is to say what is and what is not authentic cuisine from this peninsula? I am certainly no authority on the big ideas such as this, only on what I prefer, and this dish is my #1 preference… once all the ingredients are mixed together, with the egg yolk holding all the pieces together, with the crunch of the vegetables and the ease with which one can get a perfectly balanced ratio of each component with every bite, this stuff delivers. The sauce may be a bit spicy for some, but for me – a complete addict to spicy food – the level of heat is perfect – any more would take away from the flavor, which is at a sweet-spot in this dish. Some people search for the Holy Grail, others for rare wines, but my life mission is to find other places that do justice to this mainstay of world cuisine, and since Evanston is now too far to reach by simply driving up Chicago Ave – qua Clark Street in Chicago – I am left to find another who can reach greatness like this. So in no particular ranking, here follows the work of others to deliver the perfect bowl of healthy yet indulgent satisfaction.

2. Rolly Kimbab, 61-23 Springfield Blvd, Queens, NY

There is nothing wrong with this offering. The crunchy seaweed adds an expected brininess to it that isn’t unwelcome but does not make up for the bland ground beef that has no identifiable flavor. The vegetable selection – bell peppers, lettuce, sprouts, carrots, mushrooms – is also fine but fails to completely integrate upon mixing. The rice was also off to one side of the bowl making it impossible to fully combine the ingredients – some bites were all vegetable, some all rice, some none at all since I am not very skilled at using chop-sticks. The delivery of morsel into my mouth is not the fault of the maker of this food, but merely the consumer… nevertheless, even when the spoon issued the perfectly portioned sample into my maw, there was a lack of flavor, despite an abundance of material. Judging by the name of the place, the menu and the dishes being brought to other patrons, it is fair to say that this establishment is known more for its kimbab and not bi bim bop, but that’s like a place known to serve great burgers hocking soggy fries – the two should work together. Good in a pinch when monstrously hungry – which I was – but not for a destination.