MUGUNG

Prices are net here. I ordered the meal set. For bibimbap, there was a non spicy option i.e. ganjang sauce for people like me who doesnt eat spicy. Can opt for egg or tofu for vegetarians. The set meal comes with a side dish where you can choose between salad or korean fried fish cake. There is also a drink with few options such as pear juice, barley tea etc. The service was relatively fast. Not sure why their bibimbap has no bean sprout. The portion may look small at first but is actually quite filling. The overall taste is light but flavourful. Remember to get a cup of soup yourself. Will come back again.

Generous serving of ingredients (including meat), choice of egg or tofu. Tasty and will re-visit!

Happened to chance by the new Mugung Bibimbap which had recently opened its doors at Telok Ayer Street and made a mental note to drop by for lunch on a weekday just to check them out. Mugung Bibimbap had taken over the former space of the now-defunct Porkypine; an establishment that is best known for being a watering hole that serves up pretty good Cubanos whilst also sharing the space with the now-defunct Curry Boom Boom. Located at a very prominent location just a stone’s throw away from Telok Ayer MRT Station, Mugung Bibimbap is just right beside the corner shophouse that houses Teiyoshiya; the shophouse housing Mugung Bibimbap having quite an eye-catching look with an awning that replicates that of Asian-style rooftops. The interior design language of the space of Mugun Bibimbap is also especially clean and minimalistic without being monotonous; there are some elements of geometry using tiles on their walls — the tiles featuring a mix of colours while the counter is also comes in a shade of pastel pink, while the furnishings and fittings come with a wooden accent that helps to also create that slightly Asian look. Whilst seating space on the first level does seem rather limited, there are actually more dine-in seats available on second level; an area that we did not go to during our visit. With Bibimbap being in the namesake of the establishment, Mugung Bibimbap’s menu is pretty Bibimbap-centric; one can either order their Bibimbap ala-carte, or opt for All Day Meal which essentially sees the Bibimbap served as a set with the Salad with PUJIM Dressing (not sure if Mugung Bibimbap shares a relation with PUJIM BBQ, though it is known that the Mugung Bibimbap is followed by PUJIM BBQ on its social media account) and the patron’s choice of non-alcoholic beverage. Those looking for an item to have as dessert can go for the Dalgona Ice-Cream; the only dessert / sweet being listed on the menu here.

Considering how the Mugung Bibimbap shares its namesake with the establishment, we found ourselves ultimately ending up with the Mugung Bibimbap after skimming through the menu. Mugung Bibimbap does allow patrons to opt for egg or tofu irregardless of which bibimbap is being chosen; patrons can also opt between having the GoChuJang (i.e. red chilli Korean sauce), or the Gan Jang (i.e. soy sauce) to go along with their bibimbap. Options to add-on additional toppings to the bibimbap are also available, though these would be at an additional charge depending on the item ordered. Being served in disposable bowls, the Mugung Bibimbap comes with elements such as minced meat, mushroom, carrots, chopped kimchi, and some others — we had also went for the tofu option, as well as the GoChuJang for our bowl. Overall, we found the Mugung Bibimbap to be fairly decent; one thing we did notice was how “healthy” the Mugung Bibimbap felt — there was not much sauce that came with the bowl that we have ordered; the addition of tofu and the use of minced meat also probably made the Mugung Bibimbap felt as such considering how the flavours are pretty clean without being too meaty here. The emphasis does seem to be more on that umami factor that all of the elements come together to provide as one; also on that contrast of textures from the elements within the bowl — some crunchy, some fluffy, and some providing a good bite which we found to be rather wholesome after all.

With just one main offering bring served up at Mugung Bibimbap, Mugung Bibimbap is not that spot for one to expect that usual bibimbap / hot stone bibimbap that one would usually expect from a Korean establishment to be served at. Instead, it does seem that Mugung Bibimbap has a focus on serving up clean-tasting bibimbaps that can be said as “healthy”, fuss-free eats for the folks in the Central Business District — this is rather telling especially considering how the eatery seems pretty much positioned to be self-service concept with self-ordering kiosks taking cashless payments, offering a somewhat single form of food item with use of disposable wares even for dine-in consumers. As with some newly-opened establishments, Mugung Bibimbap does have some teething issues — this would be mainly pertaining to the waiting time for their food which took close to a 25 minute period between payment at the self-ordering kiosk and when the food was served. That being said, the lady behind the counter was quick in service recovery but serving us our drinks first whilst also making an exception by serving the food to our table rather than to do self-collection at the counter — all while being pretty apologetic for it. Still; the time spent on waiting does feel a little bit long for office folks whom might be looking to do a quick takeaway to consume their food back in office — something which we hope they can look into and smoothen operations in the long run. Prices at Mugung Bibimbap for their ala-carte bibimbaps range between $11.90 to $14.90; the sets are priced from $16.40 to $18.90 — definitely on the higher side and less likely to be a meal option to consider for some, but still a spot worth checking out if one is interested in giving their “healthier” renditions of bibimbap a go!