France to Soon Say `Bonjour` to Jeonju Bibimbap

Jeonju bibimbap, or Korean boiled rice mixed with vegetables and sauce, has debuted in France.

The company Jeonju Bibimbap, a supplier of an instant version of the dish made by mixing rice and seasoned hot pepper paste, said yesterday, “We will open Opera-jeom, a specialty restaurant for Jeonju bibimbap, in Paris Friday.”

The company will open for the first time in Europe a restaurant exclusively serving the traditional Korean recipe. The chain’s first restaurant will open in Paris’ opera district, where the Paris Opera Theater is located.

Dutch affiliate Inter-burgo will handle facility investment and operation, while Jeonju Bibimbap will supply technology, foodstuffs and ingredients. Vegetable toppings including bean sprouts, cooked balloonflower root and bracken will be supplied from the Korean city of Jeonju, and chefs will be dispatched from there to standardize the taste.

The restaurant will offer four types of bibimbap, including traditional, which focuses on traditional ingredients such as Chinese cabbage leaves, pumpkin and greens; kimchi bulgogi (grilled marinated beef), and seaweed.

Each serving will cost six to 10 euros (nine to 15 U.S. dollars) including side dishes. In principle, the recipes will keep the traditional flavor, but will come in three flavors according to the spiciness of the red pepper sauce in consideration of French palates.

kokim@donga.com