This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's not often that Utah is on the cutting edge of any particular trend or movement. This is especially true in the culinary world. No sooner than gourmet food trucks started to roll out across the Wasatch Front, their trendy progenitors on the streets of LA were contemplating the transition back to bricks and mortar. That soup made from fresh dove tears that they're enjoying in NYC tonight? Don't expect to see that here until 2018.
That's not to say we don't have brave souls willing to take a chance once in a while. Take father and son team James and Victor Jeong, owner operators of Bumbleebee's BBQ & Grill in Midvale. Their latest venture, just over a month old, is thankfully neither another gastropub nor sushi restaurant, but a contemporary take on Korean cuisine.
The restaurant moves into the space that was home to the short-lived Wasatch Moon Cafe. It's a humble, no-frills location for sure, but it's clean and comfortable and no doubt one of the components that help keep the menu embarrassingly cheap. Nothing here tops $10, and much of it cavorts around the $5 mark. The risk-averse can experiment with minimal financial risk.
Some might call Bumbleebee's a fusion eatery, but I wouldn't go quite that far. The menu is divided into two distinct sections: A-Town and K-Town, American and Korean. Dad James used to rock out barbecue in a former life in Texas, so it makes sense the A-Town menu is built on familiar American BBQ staples such as pulled pork ($5.99) and brisket sandwiches ($5.99). There are basic burgers ($4.99-$5.99), baked spuds and traditional barbecue fixings like baked beans and slaw ($1.99-$2.99). If members of your group stubbornly refuse to head to K-Town, they'll be safe here — there's competent execution, if not much razzmatazz.
K-Town, of course, is where all the fun is, and I'd implore exploration of these Korean dishes with a twist. Purists should note the dishes here don't strive for authenticity. When I spoke briefly with son Victor, he confided the approach of the menu is to offer an easy entry into the flavors and forms of Korean cuisine.
A katsu sandwich ($6.99), for example, isn't worlds apart from various fast-food fried chicken sandwiches that millions eat every day. Korean-style, breaded and deep-fried chicken (pork if you prefer) is topped with cheese, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Finished with a sweet and tangy katsu sauce, it's everything that a fast-food sandwich isn't — cooked to order, terrifically crisp on the exterior and moist inside with just a hint of the exotic from the katsu. Note: Everything on the menu can also be ordered as a meal, too; 2$-3$ extra adds a soda and side.
Yangstar wings ($4.99) shouldn't scare anyone, either. Six deep-fried chicken wings travel directly from fryer to table. A thick breading delivers a soul-satisfying crunch, and the sweet and sticky Yangstar sauce makes for a glorious mess. I'd advise gobbling up these beauties immediately, before they cool and lose their bite.
Riffing on the aforementioned basic burgers, the K-Town menu offers several fun flourishes. The apex of this is the Mr. Kim ($5.99) that crowns a basic burger patty with house-made Korean kimchi (fermented and spiced cabbage), a fried egg, cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeño mayo and sriracha. It's a burger unlike any other in town, and even though the bun quickly wilted under the jumble of ingredients, it's nonetheless fabulous fun. My only complaint was the overcooked egg; a lush runny yolk would put this creation over the top.
My favorite sandwich, though, was the KP Spicy ($6.99) — griddle-fried strips of homemade Korean spicy pork, topped with mozzarella cheese and onions, then liberally doused in jalapeño mayo and sriracha — the lot served on a roll. It's a riot of flavor and texture, and not as incendiary as you might think. Heat lovers can bolster proceedings with a handy selection of sauces and condiments on offer.
And then, well, things start to get funky. Enter stage right Bumbleebee's secret menu, home to items like kimchi fried rice balls ($3 for two) — spheres of kimchi-spiked fried rice dropped into the fryer until they turn into sizzling golden globes. The Bop Burger ($6.99) — also know as the bob burger, one of Korea's most recent foodie fads — is available every Friday and Saturday. The bop throws away boring old bread and instead uses Korean sticky rice to form two impromptu "buns." Next there's a choice of meat from kalbi (Korean-style short rib), bulgogi (Korean-style marinated steak) or spicy pork. Oh, and throw in a fried egg, too, for good measure, because, well, why not? Given its delicate nature, the devilishly messy creation is served wrapped in foil, not unlike a gyro.
The secret menu also encourages diners to unleash their mad scientist. Want your fries extra crispy, sprinkled with bulgogi, smothered in fried kimchi, doused in sriracha and then set aflame? No problem. No eye rolling. No sighing. You truly can have it your way — well, probably not the pyrotechnic bit; creative license does have its health and safety limits, you know. The kitchen team headed by father James take every request in stride and with a smile.
The Jeongs' proposition for the tastebuds of the Salt Lake Valley is certainly a unique one. It's also a delicious and guilt-inducingly affordable one, too. I've all 10 fingers crossed for the amiable and ambitious duo, and I'm giddy to see what eyebrow-raising concoctions their kitchen will craft next.
Stuart Melling also writes at http://www.theutahreview.com and can be found on Twitter @gastronomicslc. —
HH
Bumblebee's BBQ & Grill
Food • HH
Mood • H
Service • HH
Noise • bb
A contemporary spin on Korean standbys with a handful of American favorites thrown in for good measure. Recommended dishes: Mr. Kim Burger, Yangstar wings, kimchi fried rice balls.
Location • 7962 S. State St., Midvale; 801-561-0608
Hours • Monday-Saturday, 10.30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Children's menu • No
Prices • $
Liquor • No
Corkage • No
Reservations • No
Takeout • Yes
Wheelchair access • Yes
Outdoor dining • No
On-site parking • Yes
Credit cards • Yes