New Korean BBQ shack will make stomachs sing mmmmbop
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces at Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo on Tuesday.
Customers order food at Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo on Tuesday.
Paulina Ochoa orders from Abby Hill at Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo on Tuesday.
Customers order food at Cupbop Korean BBQ.
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces with a Coca-Cola.
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces.
The door into Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo.
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces at Cupbop Korean BBQ.
Cupbop's combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces.
Customers order food at Cupbop Korean BBQ. To read the Herald's review, visit provodh.com/nu193.
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces from Cupbop Korean BBQ.
A combo bowl with pork, beef, sweet potato noodles, lettuce, rice and a variety of sauces at Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo.
Paulina Ochoa orders from Abby Hill at Cupbop Korean BBQ in Provo.
My exposure to Korean culture is limited to one previous dinner and my neighbor’s miniature dog named Kimchi.
While I have yet to join the Korean pop music or Korean dramas bandwagon, there’s something life-affirming about experiencing different kinds of food. Korean food is one area where I am far from experienced.
From food truck roundups, I’d heard of a cult following for Cupbop and had even passed it on I-15 as its truck traveled back and forth between Salt Lake and Utah counties.
Now, Cupbop has opened its first brick and mortar joint locally, just south of BYU where Awful Waffle once was. Not straying too far from its food truck image, the restaurant painted a bright yellow mural of a food truck on its store front where guests order their meals from a window — and are served Korean BBQ in a cup. This new trend is cooked up for lunch and dinner crowds.
First impressions: lots of personality. (Just take a look at their humorous, albeit slightly unusual T-shirts.) Despite the torrential downpour the night I visited, the staff was about as topnotch as one can ask for in friendliness and service — maybe the catchy and upbeat K-pop is the source? Regardless, the service did not go unnoticed.
The menu is concise and straightforward. In total, there are six dishes to choose from and one side, which is helpful if you are unfamiliar with Korean food as it does not overcomplicate a hard, tasty decision. Whether you love meat or veggies, there are options. Each starts with a base of rice, lettuce and noodles. From there, it’s up to diners’ protein of choice.
B Bop? It’s filled with Korean Style BBQ Beef. Kko-Kko Bop? Chicken. Doochi Bop? Korean Tofu with Kimchi. Noodle Bop? Korean Style Noodles. Hot Bop features BBQ Pork, and though its name suggests heat or spiciness it was a hint more sweeter than the others and the group favorite. Each is then topped with several sauces and sesame seeds. Each individual cup of barbecue was tasty, flavorful and very filling.
Guests can choose a spiciness level ranging from 1 to 10. While I observed a majority of the diners selecting a 7, including myself, those who are used to more tame flavors should perhaps consider a 5 or below. I crave spicy food; the level 7, though delicious, left me purchasing a bottle of water to tame the creeping fire on my tongue.
We also ordered a side of Mandu — best described as Korean-style potstickers or dumplings drizzled with sauce.
While we ate our drizzled dumplings in the drizzling rain, our group of friends encountered what will most likely be one of my favorite outings of the summer. Huddled on picnic tables under a pavilion, we happened to sit across from a couple on a date. The man from Ukraine and woman from Russia were living in Salt Lake City and came to Cupbop in Provo for the coveted Korean take-out on a date. While chowing down on our barbecue and noodles, we talked American culture, Korean dramas, Russian traditions and first impressions of Utah. At this restaurant serving up new flavors in a town filled with sweet potato fries and frozen yogurt, the world was smaller as it came together at one table for just one hour. That is something that surpasses a trend. It echos a principle (I learned in the South) confirmed to me again and again: good food will always bring people together.
CUPBOP
Where: 815 N. 700 East, Provo
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Prices: $2-$8
Info: facebook.com/Cupbop