Bibibop Asian Grill

This is a great concept it will do well in Chicago

GRAND OPENING at BIBIBOP Asian Grill - Chicago Loop Review & Photos by Antonio Quintana, Freelance F&B Service Reviews Ignite Hospitality Group Chicago ----- MON. AUG. 07, 2017 I had the privilege of receiving a complimentary invitation to the "Grand Opening of BIBIBOP Asian Grill" located at 24 East Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's Loop neighborhood to review the food, photograph the new space and have an exclusive interview with Vince Gassi, Marketing Manager of BIBIBOP Asian Grill and David Moreno, District Manager of Charley's Grilled Subs (sister company to BIBIBOP). These two men are contagious in their excitement of the growth of their company. After further research, I believed I may have learned what had fueled that enthusiasm. BIBIBOP is a recipient of the 2017 Hot Concept Awards by Nation's Restaurant News. Together with their organization’s flagship brand, Charley’s Grilled Subs, this restaurant group shows exciting promise for growth. Schaumburg, Illinois will be home to the second site of BIBIBOP Asian Grill at 1022 North Meacham Road. The grand opening of this suburban location will be this upcoming Friday, August 10, 2017. Vince and David are planning a lively reveal and will treat the town to lunch in celebration of officially opening for business. All walk-in guests, during the hours of 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM can enjoy a complimentary, regular-size BIBIBOP bowl of your own creation. BIBIBOP, in Korean means, "a mix of a bowl." So here is how it works: Every guest builds their own BIBIBOP with Rice, Noodles or Salad as the base of the bowl. Next you add additional accompaniments across four stations—Hot Toppings, Protein, Cold Toppings and Sauce. I would say maybe 60 seconds transpired from the point I picked my Purple Rice base to the final step of garnishing my bowl with Yum Yum. Average build times are actually closer to 20 seconds for the seasoned BIBIBOP guest who knows exactly what he or she wants. I created the BIBIBOP pictured using Fluffy Purple Rice as my base. I then selected Bean Sprouts from the Hot Toppings station, followed by the Spicy Chicken from the Protein Station, Corn & Daikon from the Cold Toppings and their signature Yum Yum from the Sauce Station. My rice bowl was amazing, if I don't say so myself! All the ingredients were fresh. The purple rice was a first for me. I tasted it independently and it tasted as if freshly steamed white rice was flash-fried on a wok for a few second to infuse a smoky-like flavor. The bean sprouts added that crunchy texture that I always enjoy in an Asian-style dish. The Spicy Chicken was prepared perfectly. It had an approachable spice level with no recklessly lingering finish. The corn and daikon was my strategy to add a balanced sweet & pickled spiciness to the rice bowl. In the end, the rich, creamy and tangy Yum Yum sauce seemed the way to go to bring my personally hand-picked collection of sweet, spicy and aromatic ingredients together. I love that BIBIBOP has fresh, seasonal ingredients available on hand. It made me feel good to have a familiarity of the Korean-Asian cuisine and an experienced palate to create a delicious rice bowl that I’d proudly build, serve and hopefully impress a date some evening after a DePaul alumni event. This part was a blast and I cannot wait to bring my friend who originally was supposed to join me for dinner. She is also a foodie with an Asian background so our next night out may turn into a playful session of Iron Chef BIBIBOPTheLoop. I overlooked just how much fun the BIBIBOP bowl creation is going to be for food-savvy, urban professionals, well-traveled students, and fellow food-service workers whom are spoiled with having access to the world’s best flavors in Chicago. Locally employed guests with a slight, entry-level familiarity with Asian ingredients will enjoy themselves just the same over time. Especially after tweaking their personal recipes after multiple visits since anyone employed in the nearby Loop area are will be certain to frequent this Asian Grill for its speed, convenience and affordability alone. Bowls cost $5.50 or $7.95 for a regular or large size, respectively. Service was hyper-sonic as it only took a minute. The cashier, Abi, and the greeter, Kaitlyn, were very friendly. I was very happy and pleasantly surprised that the quality of service wasn’t sacrificed for the speed of service. I truly appreciated the unprompted interaction & zeal of the BIBIBOP staff in charge of assembling each bowl. It seemed that all I had to do was squint in a general direction and the gentlemen would whisper the identity of the topping I was trying to figure out. In the end, BIBIBOP Chicago Loop is a fun & interactive, fast-casual dining concept with a proven track record and the awards to verify just how rare and special it is. I intend to come back alone, with family, friends and even clients. I cannot think of anyone in my circle whom I do not believe would be appropriate for this type of interactive dining experience with a brilliant menu, an urban bistro décor, a convenient location above the Red Line’s Jackson station and an exciting new challenge with each visit for the foodie in me who wants to tweak my recipe and 1up my previous BIBIBOP bowl’s flavor score! -- "Hospitality is greater than an industry. Service is so much more than a series of steps. Both are lifestyles I subscribe to on all of life's platforms." -Antonio Quintana | Ignite Hospitality Group Chicago #LocalGuides #OnGoogleMaps BIBIBOPTheLoop BIBIBOPSchaumburg IgniteHospitalityChicago AntonioQ312 QuintanaVentures

This is such a great idea for a restaurant! This is essentially a Korean inspired Chipotle. The portion size was great and the prices were reasonable (roughly $10). What I really enjoyed was all the different types of food except the proteins were free so, you can try new things! Don't worry if you think you will be overwhelmed! They have preset bowls that have great combinations! Another added bonus was they had nutrition info next to the food item! Would recommend and wished they had one of these in my state!

Super good food, for great prices! 100% dedicated gluten free and celiac safe, which I really appreciate. It’s a great location, too! You won’t regret stopping by here for lunch!

Absolutely delicious! Basically this is Asian Chipotle, and it is SOOOO good. I've had the tofu and the spicy chicken and they're both solid, but the other toppings are amazing. I can't decide which I love best--great Kimchi, sesame greens, charred broccoli, even the cabbage all have great kicks of flavor for whatever bowl you make.

This is Japan’s version of chipotle and it is the best thing i’ve have ever had. We ordered the spicy chicken with teriyaki sauce. The sweet potato noodles are so good. The lemonade is also excellent. I just wish they had a location in Bolingbrook.. 💔