BUL, Korean for “fire,” is the most recent in a series of trendy—read: caters to yuppies—Asian restaurants to open in the heart of Adams Morgan. Like other joints along this row, BUL falls into the unfortunate restaurant trap of high prices for too little food. Even the most conscious consumer could end up paying an arm and a leg for what even a fitness junkie wouldn’t consider a satisfying meal.
BUL seems to favor style over substance, keeping with the trends as opposed to trying to be original. Like many other restaurants in the area, there are few things in terms of BUL’s atmosphere that make it stand out. Its furniture is your basic, modern, one-step-up-from-IKEA curvaceous table and chair design. The only items that contained traces of authentic Korean culture were Sake bottles arranged above the main bar and a TV streaming Korean dramas.
Fortunately, BUL offers some traditional Korean dishes, albeit with little new or interesting takes to offer. The seaweed salad was nothing special—it tastes the same wherever you get it. The potato shrimp, meanwhile, was bland and oily. For main courses, referred to as ‘Big Anjus’, you have to choose carefully—price seems to be inversely proportional to the amount of food provided.
I ordered the Pork Belly Ssam, a hot skillet of pork belly served with sticky rice. While the pork belly was undeniably crisp and tender, the $20 price tag for so little was not worth it. The Korean pork fried rice was delicious, especially with the fried egg on top, but BUL’s real winner was the Three Mushroom Bibimbap with Bulgogi. The Bulgogi, Korean marinated beef, was incredibly tender and juicy, soaked in the right amount of marinade, and perfectly complemented by the rice and veggies of the Bibimbap. With the Bulgogi and fried egg, the Bibimbap came out to be about the same price as my Ssam, though it contained about double the portion.
I capped my meal off with a Taiyaki, a duo of fish shaped, Korean soft-waffles filled with chocolate and served with a side of either chocolate or vanilla ice cream. The waffle was a bit too hot when served, but ice cream complimented it well.
BUL also provided an eclectic selection of drinks to pair with their fare. All of BUL’s teas seemed passable. I tried the Genmaicha—it smelled of Nori and tasted like it too. There is also a seasonal array of Kombucha, a fermented tea drink to appeal to more adventurous diners. For our upperclassmen, there is also a large variety of Sake and import beer on the menu. I would recommend a selection within the Japanese culinary family with either the “Laughing Buddha” Sake or the Koshihikari Echigo rice lager for a different light beer experience.
BUL has the potential to present an above-average, charming dining experience, but not a very user-friendly one. At the end of the day, while BUL did not exactly set “fire” to my taste buds, it’s tasty Korean fare managed to give me a pleasant, warm feeling.
BUL
2341 18st St. N.W.
Tues.-Sun. 5:30 p.m.- 10:30 p.m.
buldc.com
