NYC: Bibimbap Lunch at Her Name is Han

After getting my lashes done at Ebenezer, I went for lunch at Her Name is Han, which is a popular Korean restaurant in Koreatown. There was a 30-minute wait, so I went for a walk around the block and when I was back at the restaurant, they had a table ready for me.

For lunch, Her Name is Han offers a selection of set menus, which all include a small selection of delicious banchan (small side dishes), rice and soup. The lunch set menus are really good value for money and the restaurant is always completely packed around lunchtime, with people waiting outside or walking around the block to pass time as I did.

This time I chose the set menu with vegetable bibimbap, which was just what I wanted that day. Bibimbap is a classic Korean dish with rice topped with different kinds of vegetables, a raw egg yolk, gochujang (red pepper paste), and sometimes meat.

The name bibimbap translates to “mixed rice” in Korean, and even though the components are carefully arranged in separate segments on top of the rice when served, you’re supposed to mix it all together just before eating. Bibimbap is often served in a hot stone bowl called a “dolsot” which crisps the bottom of the rice and keeps the dish warm throughout the meal. When served in this manner, the dish is called “dolsot bibimbap”.

Even though I think my bibimbap mixing technique is quite solid, I’m always told by my Korean friends that I do not mix the bibimbap enough. You can see how I mix the bibimbap in the video below, but if you’re curious about how bibimbap should be mixed, you can read my blog post about Hankook Jib. There’s also a video where you can see how my Korean friend Ella mixes bibimbap.

If you are curious about other Korean restaurants in New York, you can read about my friend April’s favorite places here:

Guide to Korean Restaurants in New York >>

Her name is Han, 17 E 31st St, Midtown, New York