The Dish:
Dol Sot
Bi Bim Bap

A hot stone pot encases a large helping of rice that cooks at the bottom of the pot while you devour your meal. This dish typically has at least 4-5 different kinds of cooked vegetables (shredded carrots, zucchini, spinach, bean sprouts) and is topped with broiled beef slices and a fried egg (sunny side up). The pot is always sizzling hot when it arrives on the table. Add red soybean paste to taste.

• Good: Koryo Restaurant
• Better: Korean King Charcoal Barbeque
• Best: Brother's Restaurant #1

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Good: Koryo
On the Menu: “#47 Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap – mixed vegetables, beef, fried egg on a hot stone ware” Price: $10.95	4390 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609 (510) 652-6007 Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m.

“Late night co-ed hang-out!”

You’ll have to try pretty damn hard to elbow your way through the crowded door of this popular restaurant on a weekend night. The wait can be as long as 45 minutes. This restaurant — decorated with mirrors, rice paper and bamboo under the windows — is pretty noisy and attracts lots of students from U.C. Berkeley. Quite a few native Koreans claim it’s pretty close to the real thing. The service is average, but you can ask them to refill the 12 side dishes.

The food arrived in five minutes on a slow day.

This restaurant has largest of serving overall but the smallest serving of beef. The meal is accompanied by a light, lukewarm bean sprout soup. The food is edible but slightly bitter without the red bean paste, so don’t forget to add it. It helps!

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Better: Korean King Charcoal Barbeque
On the Menu: “#3 Special Rice – beef and vegetables over rice in a sizzling pot” Price: $10.95	3741 Geary Blvd. (@ Vallejo and 2nd Street) San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 387-9655 Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.

“Hush, it’s for the locals only!”

Bright yellow tables and pale yellow walls decorate the relatively small establishment. You can hear the clanging of the dishes in the back and conversations are eavesdrop-able. The waitresses are dressed in traditional red and black frocks to give you an authentic feel. The florescent lights create a sterile, muted environment.

On a slow day, the food is on the table ten minutes flat.

There are nine side dishes and seaweed soup. Unfortunately, the soup is a bit lukewarm. The bi bim bap is crunchy, spicy and piping hot. It flavorful, but has an overwhelming flavor of shitake mushrooms. If you like mushrooms, this is your pick!

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Best: Brother’s #1
On the Menu: “Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap (under special rice category) — various vegetables, beef, egg in a sizzling stone pot” Price: $10.95	4128 Geary Blvd (@ 6th Ave.) San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 387-7991 Hours: 11 a.m. –2:00 a.m..

“The most well-known Korean restaurant in San Francisco!”

Finally, here is a Korean restaurant where the waitresses will prevent you from burning your mouth from the spicy kimchee by filling your water frequently. The lighting is bright enough to see your dinner date’s face across the smoky, hot atmosphere. Don’t be fooled by the name — rumor has it the owner’s older sister is the cook.

On a regular evening, the food is on the table in 14 minutes.

The dish is sizzling and the meat is cooked medium well. The red soybean paste is milder, and not as thick as some traditional pastes. Vegetables are cooked al dente (pardon the Italian.) There are around 6 - 7 side dishes to nibble on before the food arrives.

The plus? Free desert in the form of a cool, refreshing rice drink that comes in a small bowl.