If you overhear someone saying “Mixing Bowl,” you would normally envision the former horrendous Springfield Interchange that we all hated with a passion. But lo and behold, they are now most likely raving about the latest fast food addition inside Tysons Corner Center.

But categorizing Mixing Bowl under “fast food” is a crime.

Bibimbap, which literally translates into “mixed rice” in Korean, is an old traditional dish of hearty rice nestled under fresh greens, veggies, and protein of your preference. But bibimbap would not be bibimbap if you leave out the sesame seed oil, which laces the dish with the ever so slight nutty aromatic flavor as it blends the rice with the meat and veggies.

Ok, I lied. You need the egg sunny side up and the red pepper paste (gochujang) as well.

My personalized Mixing Bowl bibimbap: beef (tender and hints of sweetness) with lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, brown rice, fried egg with gochujang.

Bibimbap was (and still is) that one dish Korean mothers and grandmothers made on lazy Sunday afternoons. With the concept of homemade cooking in mind, Mixing Bowl’s get up is similar to that of Chipotle’s: your meal is made to order in plain sight behind a clear counter and an array of greens, vegetables, and proteins are ready for your choosing. First, you select your rice: white or brown. Then, you choose your antibiotic free protein: beef, spicy pork, chicken, tofu (vegan), or keep it vegetarian. Locally grown greens and veggies come next. Chopped lettuce beds overs the rice and the protein, along with 4 greens or vegetables of your choosing: chopped spinach, julienned cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, broccoli, mushrooms, and more. Finally, sesame seed oil trickles over the bowl and you can choose between soy sesame ginger sauce or give your taste buds a spicy kick with red pepper paste sauce (gochujang).

Congratulations! You’re ready to indulge in a hearty meal.

But wait!

*shaking finger in a disappointed manner*

You can’t forget about the egg! The sunny side up egg is what complementarily wraps up the meal! The half cooked yolk later blends with the rice halfway through the bowl, which is the fundamental point of bibimbap. The decadency of the yolk softens the spiciness of the red pepper paste, allowing your taste buds to shift from overdrive to neutral.

And, that was just the bibimbap. Mixing Bowl also serves Korean Tacos and Ssam (meat lettuce wraps) as well.

-Elina (EHY), Guest Writer