A new Korean restaurant chain is about to take the US by storm. CJ Group has opened its healthy and fresh Korean dining chain, Bibigo, in the renowned area of Westwood Village (1091 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA). This location is the U.S. debut following the successful opening of Bibigo’s first location in Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, Korea. bibigo was derived from the word for “to mix” in Korean (“bibi”), fused with the idea of taking food to-go. The restaurant chain is taking one particular Korean dish and making it not only their main concept, but changing the face of Korean food. Bibimbap, a traditional Korean dish, is served with rice, vegetables and meat in a bowl. The idea is to mix these ingredients all together to make the perfect combination. This is what bibigo is all about.

Bibimbap caught the wave of fame through Asia because of its use as a ‘well-being’ food and now is being brought to the U.S. through by bibigo. The restaurant was created to bring the Korean culture to other cultures worldwide. In this way it became a way to connect different cultures worldwide. At bibigo, consumers can enjoy the traditional bibimbap dish as well as the fusion-style of the dish known as bibigo rice. Just as China’s dim sum, Japan’s sushi and Thailand’s rice noodles rode the wave of fame for Asian food, Korea is now turning heads with their famed bibimbap. Korea’s bibimbap is a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate food that is light and healthy but also provides a good balance of nutrition.

One of the key elements of Bibigo’s approach to the dining experience is customization. After guests choose a main entrée, which is based on a specific mix of vegetables, they will get to pick and choose from a variety of rice grains (white, black pearl, sprouted, brown and barley & white), toppings (beef, chicken and tofu) and also choose sauces from Kohot (gochujang, made from red pepper paste), Green sesame (made from ground sesame seeds), Ssam (made from soy bean paste) and citron soy. By making Korean cuisine accessible through tailored flavor combinations, Bibigo envisions itself to be a global friendly and recognized brand that sits in the ranks of McDonald’s and Starbucks. These industry-leading companies have established a specific brand identity and customer affinity much like Bibigo plans to create with its customizable menu and dining.

The trendy restaurant has a variety of menu items including bibimbap, Hot Stone (Dolsot) bibimbap and bibigo rice and other side entrees including bulgogi and japchae that are favored Korean dishes. bibigo will open a branch in New York in 2011 and then open more around the globe to total 1,000 in the next 5 years.

Bibigo Restaurant in Korea