It's spring time in the middle of Auckland's bustling Central Business District! And while this foreign city has never ending charms to match its delectable chocolates ㅋㅋ, it can still get lonely at times. Luckily, there are quite a (huge) number of Asians in this area. I swear if I close my eyes and just listen to folks wandering the streets, I can easily pretend that I'm in Seoul instead of somewhere down under!
Walking up and about Queen Street up to Britomart Station in the afternoon can feel like a walk through Myeongdong... without that irresistible temptation to splurge on cosmetics that is. There are Korean hair salons, noraebangs, Korean banks, Korean travel and tours, and of course, Korean food!
So today, I got myself some dolsot bibimbap from NOL BU NE restaurant at the corner of Wellesly and Lorne Streets. Saw this one from the Cheap Eats list from the Heart of the City page. To reach the restaurant on the 1F, you can go via the old elevator or the fire exit stairs. I chose the stairs. The walls were all adorned with Korean advertisements ~ alcohol mostly. And then I arrived at this cozy place~
I came in on a Saturday, just after noon but the place wasn't too crowded and I was seated quickly. I already knew what I wanted so I didn't take long to order. I've read review comments about the staff being stern and rude sometimes but that was not the impression I got. They were polite and welcoming and were working hard to attend to all the tables.
How I've missed BIBIMBAP! I suppose my eyes lit up when my food arrived. The banchan were delightful though perhaps I would have preferred the potato jeorim to be a little sweeter ^^. Anyway, the star of the meal, my dolsot bibimbap was easily a pretty sight. Ahhh, the warm rice was perfect for the chilly day.
I was just so happy to have a Korean rice meal! It was also very affordable which is always a good thing. Taste-wise, the bibimbap was probably just ok. But it was still a comforting spread for me.
I finished my meal with my favorite sikhye ^^. Yum!
