HamaHippo Korean Kitchen

Atmosphere/Vibes - It's very casual and chill! The place is neat and relatively simple, there wasn't a whole lot going on but that's okay because it's more about the food. I think just being simple and clean is better than decorated/cluttered and dusty.

Service - Very sweet service! They didn't fully speak or understand English super well but did their best to understand, so if they seem to be struggling then just be patient with them. They are so kind and friendly! At first, they did accidentally give me the beef bibimbap (which is the one pictured because I forgot to take a photo of the tofu one) but quickly pointed out their own mistake, apologized, and re-made it! Luckily I didn't eat yet but I would've found out anyway since the nature of bibimbap calls for mixing everything together!

My mom had an unfortunate accident right in the parking lot because she tripped over one of the parking beams :'( Scraped both her knees real bad and was struggling to walk. They were kind enough to let us take the table closest to the entrance door. At the end of our meal, we were also given a small complimentary cup of shikhye (Korean rice punch).

Food - Overall, the food was delicious! The kabocha banchan was SO GOOD. It's like a sweet, soft, and caramelized kabocha. I would've gotten a whole plate if it was possible!

Pajeon: The seafood one is typically the most popular but since I'm vegetarian, I went with the scallion! It's tasty and hearty :) I missed it because every other Korean restaurant only ever has just a seafood pajeon. This one was a little bit thicker than I'm used to but the flavor is still good!! Very filling.

Tofu Dolsot Bibimbap: I usually love the hot stone bibimbaps versus the og one. There will be bits of crispy rice because of it so it's perfect. Bibimbap is such a balanced meal too because you have veggies, a protein, and your carbs. The bibim sauce and sesame oil that you mix into it make it super flavorful. I highly recommend the dolsot! Just be careful when eating because it's hot.

Bibim Naengmyun: I did not eat this because it's not vegetarian but my mom did. She really loved it and appreciated the fact that they gave her less noodles since she normally doesn't like to eat that much. She thought the dish was very refreshing and tasty! Her only note was that she wished they gave more broth but I'm sure you could always ask for more when ordering.