Oldest Bibimbap Restaurant in Ulsan

Bibimbap (비빔밥) has been said to be a westerner’s favorite Korean food, according to the Korea Herald. It’s really a great combination of a lot of basic Korean ingredients. Bibimbap literally means “mixed rice.” It includes, rice, seaweed, raw or fried egg, seasoned vegetables like cucumber, mushrooms, zucchini, bean sprouts and spinach, slices of meat (usually beef) and red pepper paste. It’s all mixed together before eaten and tastes delightful. One of the most unique restaurants we’ve been to in Ulsan is an 80-year-old bibimbap restaurant. It’s been through four generations of families and has survived lots of heartache in Korean history. The family gave us the warmest invitation. It was clear that not many foreigners had visited. I had actually been there before for lunch with my school because it’s about two blocks away from my school.

The father (Kang Tae Won) spoke pretty good English and told us all about how his wife’s (Yun Hee) restaurant has always been in the family. He even told us how they met while they were both in acrobatics. Their oldest daughter was in Hawaii at the time and their youngest was at the restaurant with them.

They were the nicest people. After our delicious yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) bibimbap they gave us a bowl of noodle soup and a cup of sweet persimmon-cinnamon drink for free! This was one of the most splendid moments in Ulsan.

What is the restaurant called? Ham Yang Jip (함양집)

Where is it? From City Hall, cross the street and walk toward Nong Hyup Bank. Walk down the street so that Nong Hyup is on your left. Walk two blocks and take a left when you see a boutique called NANOMIA. The restaurant is on you right. See the last picture to see what it looks like.