I'm a big fan of bopNgrill. In spirit, it reminds me of
Big & Little's, high praise indeed. Nice people turning out high quality, interesting food at a good price and having fun doing it. The place has a pulse.
Foodsnob77's mention of the kimchee burger caught my attention and in fact was the reason for my first visit. It didn't disappoint.
From top to bottom: tomato slice, shredded cabbage, fried egg, white cheese, kimchee, patted-to-order griddled burger, bacon, gochujang, all on a nicely toasted sesame seed bun. That's one crazy burger. There's an awful lot going on (perhaps too much) but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Maybe the messiest burger in memory, it was constantly squirting, oozing and dripping. Not a complaint. I was nearly halfway through before I realized that there was a damn fine burger underneath all that stuff so I resolved to return for a simpler rendition.
I also tried a Philly steak eggroll and was especially impressed by its presentation. I've never seen a $2 fast food item plated with such flair and care.
I liked, but didn't love, it. I think the eggroll might have suffered being eaten after the kimchee burger, with its mix of strong flavors. In contrast, the eggroll seemed a little dull and heavy. I wonder if a little acid somewhere might help a lot—maybe a simple citrus or vinegar dressing on the cabbage or some sort of pickle alongside. Other offbeat eggroll choices—short rib, mac & cheese, corned beef hash, hot fudge brownie etc—ought to be worth a try.
Next visit I kept it simple—just a basic burger and fries ($4; an extra $1.50 gets a generous pile of fries plus a drink).
Indeed an excellent burger—large, loosely packed, griddled to medium-well but still juicy. Good grilled onions too. The French fries are at least as impressive—fresh cut from Idaho spuds and twice fried. Really top notch. Evanston is a hamburger Mecca.
It was tough to decide which rice plate to order but I settled on garlic shrimp.
With the shrimp, that's a couple scoops of nice sticky rice, a mound of their terrific fries plus a cabbage and radish salad. Sort of an odd combination but it works. The shrimp and garlic juice soaking into the fries made for some spectacular bites. I'm not the biggest fan of 1000 island dressing (and it was applied over-generously) but somehow it all worked together.
I can't wait to try bopNgrill's rice plate with short ribs. I'm not sure if it's a classic kalbi preparation or some variation but I have faith it's tasty. Like I said, I'm a fan.
ChgoMike wrote:A kimchi burger, if done well, has the possibility of being one of the finest edible concoctions in my personal palate book. Can't wait. They deliver, according to their Facebook page.
I hope you like it as much as I did (not everyone will, I'm sure). Next time I might try to order a simplified version, without bacon or egg. That might highlight the kimchee more. I wonder if getting a kimchee burger delivered is a good idea. I have a feeling it would suffer quite a bit in transit.
d4v3 wrote:Is the name derived from the Korean word "bop" for rice, as in Bi Bim Bop?
I believe that's correct. The menu board behind the counter is divided into four sections: Bop Plates (served with rice and fries), BNG Specials, Burgers and Eggrolls. In case anyone is wondering, there's no connection to any other restaurant with "Bop" in the name. I was relieved to know the owner wasn't associated with the miserable Bbop Lounge on Sedgwick (now closed).
bopNgrill
1903 Church St (at Dodge)
Evanston IL
847-733-7102
http://bopngrill.com/